Among other things, plug-in hybrids are advertised with extremely low consumption values. But how much fuel and electricity is actually used after 100 kilometers? We tried it out with the new Skoda Superb iV.
Just 1,1 liters – this is the WLTP consumption value for the new Skoda Superb iV. This is made possible by plug-in hybrid technology, which allows you to choose between driving with a petrol engine and/or an electric motor. The assumption is quite widespread that the low consumption would be calculated from a 100-kilometer trip with the maximum electric range and covering the remaining distance with a petrol engine. In fact, however, the electrical component is weighted in the official measurement procedure. But what about the new Skoda Superb iV if you first drive 100 kilometers with a well-charged battery purely electrically and then the rest with petrol? We asked this question at a first trip in Holland shortly before its official market launch. So much in advance: He drove pleasingly economical, but not as economical as the standard value suggests.
As with other models from the VW Group, the Superb iV, which costs around 42.000 euros, has a 1,4-liter petrol engine, an electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission forged into a drive that allows a range of different driving modes. It can be purely electric, hybrid and, if desired, even sporty with full support from both units. After all, the system output is generous at 160 kW/218 hp, which in the case of the Superb sedan allows a sprint time from a standing start to 100 km/h in 7,8 seconds and a top speed of 224 km/h. The storage capacity of the battery, which weighs almost 140 kilograms, is also quite ample with at least 13 kWh. According to the manufacturer, this should be enough for 62 WLTP kilometers of purely electric driving.
When we receive our test car with a fully charged battery according to the on-board computer, the purely electric range is 41 kilometers. The journey leads from Amsterdam Airport to The Hague, with a high proportion of city traffic and a number of cross-country sections with speed limits of 70, 80 and 100 km/h - good conditions for an efficient e-drive. If the Superb is started at the push of a button, it automatically switches to E-mode, which means that driving is consistently emission-free as long as electricity is available for propulsion. In view of the route profile, consistent electric power is not a problem, because the 85 kW/116 hp electric motor allows a top speed of 130 km/h. The 1,8-ton truck starts to move gently and smoothly, but not silently. As soon as the vehicle drives off, you even hear a typical combustion engine noise that only stops above 20 km/h. However, this sound does not come from the petrol engine, but from a sound generator, which is primarily intended to warn pedestrians.
The acceleration potential in E mode is enough to swim well in traffic. However, the energy reserve of the battery is modest for a longer tour. At the end of our all-electric test lap, the original 41 became 43 emission-free kilometers. Shortly before the end of the power supply, the red area of the battery indicator in the instrument cluster flashes again as a warning, even before the electric range indicator falls to 0. Even then, it continues electrically, but only briefly, until the petrol engine finally speaks up and then largely takes over the propulsion work in the hybrid mode that sets in.
Six-speed dual-clutch transmission and the petrol engine harmonize perfectly. It is clearly noticeable that there is more longitudinal dynamic potential available here than we need on this track. Consumption remains correspondingly low, initially the value increases sharply by a good tenth of a liter per kilometer, but the increase quickly slows down. The car is even slowed down severely by the engine brake of the electric machine, which converts kinetic energy into electrical energy via recuperation, which is then fed back into the battery. Thanks to this recovery, short streams were always possible in between. This is where the Superb iV skilfully uses its efficiency-enhancing hybrid technology. Probably also thanks to recuperation, the on-board computer showed a fuel consumption of 100 liters after exactly 2,9 kilometers. In view of this value, 100 kilometers without an electric drive would mean a consumption of 5,2 liters. That seems quite economical, but in view of the route profile it is not a miracle of savings, as can be expected from the standard consumption of 1,5 liters.
In addition to fuel, there is also electricity consumption. The field trip was not able to provide any reliable information here. If you run a full battery empty, you have consumed a good 10 kilowatt hours. Assuming this value, the Superp iV should have caused energy costs of around 100 euros for petrol and 5 euros for electricity in our 3-kilometer test. In terms of price, this would be comparable to a diesel, to which the part-time electric vehicle is also intended as a fundamental alternative. Skoda intends to sell more than 80 percent of the Superb iV to fleet customers who have traditionally primarily used diesel as company vehicles. Theoretically, users can drive the Skoda even cheaper than a diesel if they consistently move it purely electrically. A comparable Superb Diesel is around 2.000 euros cheaper to buy, but customers can call up the environmental bonus with the Superb, with which the purchase price can be reduced by more than 3.000 euros. And company car users only have to pay tax on half a percent of the new price of their vehicle each month. From this point of view, the part-time electric vehicle offers potential savings compared to conventionally powered sister models.
Skoda Superb iV Sedan - Specifications:
Four-door sedan with five seats; Length: 4,87 m, Width: 1,86 m, Height: 1,47 m, Wheelbase: 2,84 m, Trunk volume: 485 liter
Drive: Plug-in hybrid drive with 1,4-liter turbo petrol engine (115 kW/156 hp) and electric motor (85 kW/115 hp), maximum torque (system): 400 Newton meters. Lithium-ion battery with 13 kW/h gross, 10,4 kWh net capacity. Electric range (WLTP) 62 kilometers. Charging time to 80 percent: 3,3 hours (at 3,6 kW) or 5 hours (at 2,3 kW). 0 – 100 km/h: 7,8 seconds. Vmax: 224 km/h. Consumption (according to WLTP): 1,1 liters of petrol per 100 km. CO2 emissions (WLTP): 25 g/km. Basic price: 41.590 euros (without funding or environmental bonus)
Skoda Skoda Superb iV sedan - short description:
Why: because it allows e-mobility without range anxiety
Why not: because two drives in a car is actually one too many
What else: Skoda Superb as a diesel or petrol engine or one of the increasingly numerous other plug-in hybrids
When is it coming: early 2020