Superb addition

Drives the SportLine version of Skoda’s Superb Hatch

The SportLine is Skoda’s attempt to inject a little pizzazz into the quietly brilliant Superb, to try to attract a slightly more style-conscious breed of customer whose list of priorities when buying a car doesn’t start with “must have class-leading boot capacity”.

That’s not to say that the SportLine sacrifices any of the model’s practicality and refinement in the search for performance.

It rides 15mm lower than the standard car, is equipped with an electronic differential lock and unique 19in alloy wheels.

Other changes are purely cosmetic with the addition of gloss black plastics, new bumpers, new seats and some faux carbon fibre trim inside.

The SportLine trim is available on hatchbacks and estates with 148bhp or more. That gives you a choice of upgrading 16 different models across the range. It will add about £600 to an SE L model but is a healthy £2,000 cheaper than the top-of-the-range Laurin & Klement version.

My test car arrived with a 276bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine driving all four wheels via a six-speed dualclutch gearbox.

If you can ignore the colour for a second – not an easy task when it’s the bold Dragon Green – it would be safe to say that the styling upgrades are understated, and the SportLine is all the better for it. There’s a gloss black spoiler running across the boot lip and those gorgeous 19in alloy wheels to differentiate it on the outside while inside there’s Alcantara seats and carbon fibre-alike trim.

Subtle flourishes aside the cabin shares its excellent driving position, top-notch ergonomics and beautifully crafted fixtures and fittings with the rest of the range.

The old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” has most certainly been applied here.

I’m a big fan of the Superb and I’m pleased to say that the tinkering has done nothing discernible to disrupt the exquisite ride which is among the most refined of any passenger vehicle at any price.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect, given the SportLine moniker, some additional athleticism compared with other models in the range and, though you wouldn’t call the Superb nimble, it does possess reasonable body control and decent dynamics.

Adaptive dampers are an option but there’s no mode to adjust their stiffness and probably little to be gained from their inclusion as the standard set-up provides a more than adequate ride.

Despite a healthy 276bhp under the bonnet – enough to propel the big hatch to 62mph in just 5.8 seconds – the SportLine is an amiable and predictable companion. There’s a surplus of traction from the four-wheel-drive system that keeps everything nicely under control. There’s never any hint of wheelspin, even on slippery surfaces, and there’s more than enough grip to maintain composed and secure progress in corners even if you are attempting to hustle it along.

The SportLine is a worthwhile addition to the Superb range. The changes haven’t turned it into a hot family hatch, they’re too subtle for that but, more importantly, they don’t impact on what makes the Superb such a, well, superb car.

It’s cavernous, comfortable and excellent value and the SportLine is probably the pick of a Superb bunch.