Skoda Superb 1.8T Comfort
Content
Simone pulled the front passenger seat into a fully horizontal position just for the overnight painting of the car, removed the cushion, and settled comfortably in the back seat, carefully planting her long legs on the front of the front passenger seat. “It's like a bed,” she added, and I was frantically and nervously flipping through the radio, just to take my mind off… Don't you think our work requires a lot of effort? Then she found out that she would ride (half-sitting, reclining) several times in such a comfortable car, and I thought to myself that such a car would ride, ride and ride again with such a company without any problems ... Hello. Havel, do you need a chauffeur to take care of hostesses at official receptions? I have time...
Whoever is behind this is important
The Superb is Škoda's leap into the business class, so it's aimed primarily at those in the back seat. It is believed that it is important to look at the one who points to the driver from behind, and not at the driver. The businessman or his lady who buys this car appreciates its unrecognizability and hidden satisfaction. Maybe they're just hiding from Dakars or jealous neighbors if you look at them because you can't have a lot of money if you only have a Škoda...
The days when Škoda was just a people's car, and Audi, Mercedes-Benz and even Volkswagen with their prestigious limousines are luxurious, are finally over. Skoda has confidently entered the business class. Just don't say that to the dakars ...
It also takes a big step to get in, as there is so much room in this car that it would be a bit of an exaggeration, without a hint of conscience, to add a third seat or bench for sore feet. Already, the driver and front passenger will be spoiled for roominess, as the seats are adjustable in all directions, not to mention the rear bench, where a 190-centimeter basketball player can safely read the newspaper in all its glory. The only limitation is headroom, as the sloping roof prevents the Superba from being declared Basketball Car of the Year! Maybe the basketball players will bargain and get the Superb as a sponsor car? Sagadin's victory probably wouldn't have allowed his boys to be so pampered, but the backseat would be perfect for our top basketball strategist, right? Especially when, after a tight race (ah, I had a heart attack again, I would probably tell the driver) he slumps into the back seat, adjusts the amount of cold air with the switches between the front seats, and silently ponders over the mistakes of the last race .
Scare your rivals
Every time I approached the Superb in a crowded parking lot, I noticed it from afar due to its size. The platform on which the Czech designers designed the conservative bodywork (some even found that they combine the features of the smaller Octavia and Volkswagen Passat) was taken from the Passat and increased by ten centimeters. With that, they've made a shamelessly big and nice car that also goes to the home of the Audi A6 and Passat. Now I ask you: why would you buy a more expensive (if we look at the price of an inch of a car!) A car of a more prestigious (sister) brand if Superb offers you everything? It has lots of space, lots of equipment, top-notch comfort and workmanship, and has the same chassis and engine. If Volkswagen and Audi are only counting on their (good) name, it's time to panic. Škoda is producing more and more sophisticated cars that also keep the price in the used car market (Octavia is a good example) and there is a lot of demand for them as well.
But the car cannot be looked at as something strictly rational, and emotions are involved in the choice. And - in all honesty - has your heart ever started beating faster with a Škoda? What about a polished BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo or Audi? There is still a difference here.
Superb replaces Laguna
The biggest surprise I've experienced in the Superb is the "soft" suspension. I flipped through the data on the extended Passat platform in my head, collected impressions from the Octavia and the already mentioned Passat, and drove the first meters with the thought of “déjà vu” (I already saw it). But no; if I was expecting a German "hard" chassis, I was surprised by the "French" softness. Thus, they go in the exact opposite direction, like, say, Renault with Laguna: the French initially bet on soft suspension, and in the new Laguna they gave a more "German" impression while driving. The Czechs have made a car that looks like a German product and feels more "French" in it.
My sixty-year-old father with a bad back was impressed, but I was a little less impressed, as I would have preferred French uniforms and German technology. But I'm not a typical buyer of this car, and neither is my dad! Therefore, without a hint of remorse, I declare that Superb with longer springs and softer shock absorbers is the right balm for back pain, regardless of whether you are driving along the Ljubljana Basin, the Styrian Pohorje or the paved Prague road.
With a softer chassis, handling is not affected at all, as evidenced by the rating under the heading "Driving Performance", where most of our test drivers gave a score of nine out of ten in the "Chassis suitability to vehicle type" section. . However, it received a more modest overall performance score due to crosswind sensitivity, overly indirect steering, and poorer driving, ie. driver friendliness. The Škoda Octavia RS offers all of this to a great extent, but the potential buyers of the Superb are not factory Škoda rally drivers Gardemeister or Eriksson, are they?
The engine in the Škoda Superb is a good friend of the Volkswagen Group. The turbocharged 1-litre four-cylinder engine provides agility and therefore confidence both on the motorway and on the main road. The gearbox is five-speed and is like a casting for this engine, as the gear ratios are calculated quickly enough that accelerations exceed expectations (note that the car's empty weight is almost a ton and a half), and the final speed is far above the speed limit. If I were picky, I would say that the more advanced 8-litre V2 engine would have suited this car better (higher torque at lower rpm, more prestigious sound of the six-cylinder engine, more modest vibrations of the V8 engine ...), and, apart from that, I wouldn't. I defend myself either in sixth, economical gear. Consumption on the test was 6 liters per hundred kilometers, which can be reduced to a good eight liters with a very calm right foot and the most modest operation of the turbocharger (and still in normal driving!). Less illusion.
Good night
But despite the maneuverability of the engine and a reliable position on the road (yes, in this car, too, the almighty ESP, which also switches with a button on the dashboard, helps) Superb loves soft and calm drivers. So I was happy when quite a few passengers fell asleep in the passenger seat (yes, yes, I admit, women too). Thus, they only confirmed that the safety and comfort of this car in the late evening hours lull even the most plump people into a pleasant sleep. Despite the presidential light! Therefore, before the evening trip, you need to whisper to your passenger: "Good night."
Alyosha Mrak
PHOTO: Aleš Pavletič
Skoda Superb 1.8T Comfort
Basic data
| Sales: | Porsche Slovenia |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 23.644,72 € |
| Test model cost: | 25.202,93 € |
| Power: | 110kW (150 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 9,5 with |
| Maximum speed: | 216 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 8,3l / 100km |
| Guarantee: | 1 year general warranty without mileage limitation, 10 years warranty for rust, 3 years for varnish |
Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)
Technical information
| engine: | 4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - petrol - transverse front mounted - bore and stroke 81,0 × 86,4 mm - displacement 1781 cm3 - compression 9,3:1 - maximum power 110 kW (150 hp .) at 5700 rpm - average piston speed at maximum power 16,4 m / s - specific power 61,8 kW / l (84,0 l. cylinder - light metal head - electronic multipoint injection and electronic ignition - exhaust gas turbocharger - Aftercooler - Liquid cooling 210 l - Engine oil 1750 l - Battery 5 V, 2 Ah - Alternator 5 A - Variable catalytic converter |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | front wheel motor drives - single dry clutch - 5-speed manual transmission - gear ratio I. 3,780 2,180; II. 1,430 hours; III. 1,030 hours; IV. 0,840 hours; v. 3,440; reverse 3,700 – differential 7 – wheels 16J × 205 – tires 55/16 R 1,91 W, rolling range 1000 m – speed in 36,8th gear at XNUMX rpm XNUMX km / h |
| Capacity: | top speed 216 km / h - acceleration 0-100 km / h 9,5 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 11,5 / 6,5 / 8,3 l / 100 km (unleaded gasoline, elementary school 95) |
| Transportation and suspension: | sedan - 4 doors, 5 seats - self-supporting body - Cx = 0,29 - front single suspension, leaf springs, double triangular cross beams, stabilizer - rear axle shaft, longitudinal guides, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer - dual-circuit brakes, front discs (forced cooling), rear discs, power steering, ABS, EBD, rear mechanical parking brake (lever between seats) - rack and pinion steering, power steering, 2,75 turns between extreme points |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1438 kg - permissible total weight 2015 kg - permissible trailer weight with brake 1300 kg, without brake 650 kg - permissible roof load 100 kg |
| External dimensions: | length 4803 mm - width 1765 mm - height 1469 mm - wheelbase 2803 mm - front track 1515 mm - rear 1515 mm - minimum ground clearance 148 mm - driving radius 11,8 m |
| Inner dimensions: | length (dashboard to rear seatback) 1700 mm - width (knees) front 1480 mm, rear 1440 mm - height above the seat front 960-1020 mm, rear 950 mm - longitudinal front seat 920-1150 mm, rear bench 990 -750 mm - front seat length 510 mm, rear seat 490 mm - steering wheel diameter 370 mm - fuel tank 462 l |
| Box: | Normally 62 |
Our measurements
| T = 19 °C - p = 1010 mbar - rel. vl. = 69% - Meter reading: 280 km - Tires: Dunlop SP Sport 2000 | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 9,3s |
|---|---|
| 1000m from the city: | 30,4 years ( 175 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | 10,4 (IV.) S |
| Flexibility 80-120km / h: | 13,1 (W) p |
| Maximum speed: | 208km / h (V.) |
| Minimum consumption: | 8,1l / 100km |
| Maximum consumption: | 15,5l / 100km |
| test consumption: | 13,6 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 130 km / h: | 69,4m |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 41,1m |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 3rd gear | 56dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 4rd gear | 56dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 5rd gear | 56dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 3rd gear | 61dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 4rd gear | 61dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 5rd gear | 60dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 3rd gear | 67dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 4rd gear | 66dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 5rd gear | 65dB |
| Test errors: | unmistakable |
Overall rating (314/420)
Damage to Superb can only be blamed on the fact that it does not have a big name. But if Škoda continues to move in this direction, this obstacle will also become history. And then we can only remember that Škoda used to be cheap cars in our country.
Exterior (12/15)
The Superb's looks are too similar to the Passat and Octavia to get a higher mark.
Interior (118/140)
Excellent diapers with space and equipment comparable to the competition. The materials are of high quality, the precision of workmanship is excellent.
Engine, transmission (32
/ 40)One can only blame the engine for its greed (150 hp just have to get energy from somewhere to be able to move at least one and a half tons quickly), perfectly synchronized with the gearbox.
Driving performance (66
/ 95)None of the drivers resented the softer chassis, and we were slightly less pleased with the crosswind hypersensitivity.
Performance (20/35)
Excellent acceleration and top speed, only the lack of flexibility at low rpm (a side effect of the turbocharger) leaves the worst impression.
Security (29/45)
Almost perfect, only the owner of a haircut wants more.
Economy
Fuel consumption is not the most modest, which can also be attributed to the weight of the car.
We praise and reproach
comfortable chassis
spaciousness, especially in the rear seats
large trunk
engine performance
space for an umbrella in the left rear door
light in the rear-view mirrors and behind the handles in the doors
average and maximum fuel consumption
unrecognizable body shape
too small opening in the trunk
just a trail in the back bench
