Skoda Superb 2012 review

“That’s a Skoda?” Yes, it’s true, we heard that question. It wasn’t rehearsed, just a genuine remark of surprise when a friend saw Skoda’s Superb Wagon and mistook it for a more upmarket brand. It shows that while Skoda is still an unknown to a lot of people, their first impression is pretty good. And the car backs that up by offering a lot.

You have kids and need a wagon, but you also have a sense of style and a desire for some pampering? You want heated seats, without the kids in back whimpering that they’re missing out – or fighting to ride shotgun. You want a cooled glove box, plenty of space, and a suave exterior, you want -- but probably didn’t know it --  a Skoda Superb Wagon Elegance.

VALUE

For $50,490 Skoda’s Superb Wagon Elegance 125 TDI comes with ESC, ABS, EBD, ASR, Hill Hold Control, heated front and rear seats, memory function electric driver seat, Park Assist, front and rear parking sensors with acoustic warning and optical display, 17 inch alloy wheels, multi-function leather steering wheel, tinted glazing, dual-zone climate control, Sat Nav, Bluetooth, MP3 auxiliary input socket, cruise control, cooled glove compartment, 12V sockets, and an umbrella . . . yes, an umbrella, because honestly, what would you do without one?

TECHNOLOGY

Skoda’s Superb Wagon Elegance 125 TDI, six-speed DSG has 125kW/350Nm that gets it from 0–100Km in 8.9 seconds. The official fuel combined for this front-wheel diesel is 6.5/100km. We found a close 6.9/100km combined and 9.8/100km urban.

DESIGN

An attractive external design highlighted with touches of chrome add to the Superb Wagon’s sophisticated look. Tinted glazing, decorative front and rear door sill trims, and decorative double exhaust pipes, further the Superb’s aspiration to subdued classiness.

The interior design is great (don’t worry we’ll get to that) but first we have to vent about one thing - tiny cup holders. We know, not exactly a life-altering feature, but they were ridiculous. The only place we could fit a bottle or a medium size coffee cup was in the folded down middle seat in back -not very convenient if you’re driving solo.  Many of Skoda’s vehicles come with the nearly pint-sized holders, but come on, in something christened Superb Elegance, we would like to have the superb elegance of fitting our coffee beside us while driving.

Okay, now that we got that off our chest - other than our obsessive beverage issue, we had none. The refined interior looks great with wooden inlays and a largely leather interior.

The seats are extremely comfortable, and heated front and back – which may be a more practical feature for a European winter, but will still feel great on a crisp Aussie night. Rear seat passengers have side air vents, heaps of space and storage, and a small display screen.

If you flip down the middle seat you get an extra storage compartment, the envied decent size cup holders, and, if you pull down another cover, access to the boot. Back seats fold 60/40, and an array of luggage restraint systems, hooks, and side storage keeps valuables secure in the massive boot (633 litres seats up, 1865 litres seats down).

It’s a smart wagon, providing just about everything you could want, to the point you grow suspicious it was fitted out by your nanna. There’s a magnetic LED flashlight in the luggage compartment incase you need to change a flat tire at night, an umbrella holder in the left rear passenger door with an included umbrella so you don’t get wet. The only things missing are a handknitted sweater in the boot’s storage compartment and a fruit cake keeping cool in the glove compartment to know nanna’s been at work.

SAFETY

Skoda’s Superb Wagon Elegance comes with driver, passenger, side, driver’s knee, and curtain airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, ASR, Hill Hold Control, and the assurance of a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

DRIVING

There aren’t a lot of negatives. The wagon is responsive, cabin noise is at a minimum, there is no body roll, and the engine gives plenty of power. The driver’s seat is comfortable, controls are easily accessible (though we still prefer a dial rather than buttons to adjust the air), and MacPherson suspension on the front axle and multi-element on the rear keeps bumps to a minimum.

Park Assist comes standard which helps you negotiate the blind spots to the rear and sides, but overall the Superb Wagon is just a smooth, comfortable ride.

VERDICT

Classy, comfortable, with plenty of perks, Skoda’s Superb Wagon Elegance is a family-friendly vehicle that breaks the Skoda mold.