Skoda Superb Estate Sportline Plus
4WD, huge carrying capacity and 0-62mph in 5.3sec – is our latest Skoda the perfect sleeper?
ISEEM TO BE HAVING A SEVERE CASE OF déjà vu, as having only just said goodbye to our Kodiaq VRS, I now find myself in another big Skoda, this one a Superb Estate Sportline Plus. I’ve sampled quite a few fast Skodas since starting at evo back in 2014 and this model and spec has the potential to be the best yet.
Let’s start with the powertrain. Our new arrival has the 2-litre petrol engine, which produces a very respectable 276bhp and is mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission and four-wheel drive, resulting in a surprisingly quick 0-62mph claim of just 5.3 seconds. To give that figure some context, a Golf GTI Clubsport, which has 20bhp more but no 4WD, takes three tenths longer for the same benchmark. Paired with the optional Dynamic Chassis Control, this will hopefully allow KY22 VNH to offer the perfect blend of relaxed motoring with a claimed 33.1mpg alongside the ability to keep some of the more exotic metal in sight while out on evo photoshoots.
Sportline Plus trim brings a pair of excellent Alcantara sports seats with silver diamond stitching, plus a leather ‘super-sport’ steering wheel that also features silver stitching. To further press home that this is the sportiest model in the Superb line-up, you also gain dashes of ‘carbon optic’ material around the cabin, while the dynamic interior lighting changes colour each time a different drive mode is selected. The top-spec Columbus satnav is also included, complete with a giant 9.2-inch touchscreen display and Wi-fi. Hopefully it will prove more reliable than the same system fitted in our Kodiaq did…
The exterior gets gloss black accents all round, including the front grille, side strip, window surrounds, door mirrors and badges. I really like the design as a whole and love the road presence of the estate model, but I think I would have preferred Skoda’s classic Race Blue metallic paint rather than our car’s Velvet Red metallic. Still, much rather bright red than yet another boring grey, black or white car on our roads.
That paint is a £790 option and is joined by 19-inch Supernova black alloy wheels (£170), the Winter pack (a whopping £850 for heated seats front and rear) and a panoramic sunroof that added £1295 but will make my life much easier when I need to do car-tocar tracking shots with a colleague at the Skoda’s wheel. I’m sure it’ll also be lovely for the two weeks of sunshine us Brits get every year. A must-have option was a space-saver spare wheel (£205 and
‘Hopefully it will offer both relaxed motoring and the ability to keep exotic metal in sight’
far preferable to a can of foam), while a few other additions, including the aforementioned DCC (£755), take the total up from £44,330 basic to £52,295. Yup, a £50k+ Skoda.
That price tag puts our Superb in the ballpark of numerous other large estates, including Peugeot’s 508 SW PSE (355bhp), BMW’S 530e SE Touring (288bhp), Audi’s A6 Avant 45 quattro S-line or Black Edition (261bhp) and, as joined our fleet last month, VW’S Arteon R Shooting Brake (316bhp). I’ll be interested to see if our Skoda can justify its place amongst such competition over the coming months and miles.
Date acquired December 2022 Total mileage 1311 Mileage this month 811 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 29.6