Sportline sweet but not super-sharp
A big family-car favourite has taken up sports. David Linklater reports.
We love the Skoda Superb because it’s big, comfortable, big, beautifully put together, big and well equipped.
But on the surface, it’s not really the ideal base for a sports sedan.
Nonetheless, the new flagship for the Superb range is the Sportline version, which puts less emphasis on luxury and a bit more on the leery stuff. It comes only with the most powerful 206kW petrol engine, drives all four wheels with an XDS electronic differential at the front, rides on 15mm-lower adaptive suspension (DCC) and wears unique 19-inch alloys.
The exterior has been thoroughly dechromed and has adopted a black-is-best look (including heavily tinted rear windows). Inside, you get a special steering wheel, sports seats, carbon-look trim elements and sports seats with grippy Alcantara trim.
It’s certainly quick in a straight line, although the Sportline package can’t take any credit for that. The 206kW Superb has always been a surprisingly brisk machine, although in this incarnation we reckon it could do with a bit more crackle as the DSG transmission changes gear under load – you know, like a Golf GTI or R does.
The Superb is built more for comfort than speed and that’s still true of this one, although the reduced ride height and electronic XDS function do sharpen up the handling a little. All-wheel drive ensures excellent traction as winter weather conditions approach.
You also get the drive-mode selector and adaptive chassis technology from the regular Superb 206kW, so there’s the ability to tailor the dynamic experience to your own liking.
The Sportline adds a little novelty called the Performance Monitor: a virtual display on the centre screen with a trio of dials, including one for real-time power output.
Don’t mean to damn this car with faint praise: the Superb is one of our favourite large cars (our Top Family Car for 2016, no less) and the Sportline package certainly adds something in terms
SUPERB SPORTLINE
Base price: $66,990. Powertrain and performance: 2.0-litre petrol-turbo four, 206kW/ 350Nm, 6-speed automatic, AWD, Combined economy 7.2 litres per 100km, 0-100kmh 5.8 seconds. Vital statistics: 4861mm long, 1468mm high, 2841mm wheelbase, luggage 625 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels. Welike: Brisk with 206kW engine, looks great sans-chrome, easy to drive and super-spaciousWedon’t like: Not the ideal candidate for the sporty treatment, wagon version has more appeal. of styling and equipment. Just don’t expect a highly-focused sporting drive.
A Superb sedan is slightly different for sure, but we can’t help thinking that the wagon version still holds a lot more appeal – especially given this model’s generous exterior dimensions. Might as well make the most of it and the wagon looks better. In the eye of the beholder and all that.
Yes, you can have a Superb Sportline wagon: it gets the same treatment and costs $69,990.
Problem is, we’re all obsessed with SUVs and there’s now a thing called the Skoda Kodiaq. More to the point, there’s a proper RS version of that on the way. Hmmm.