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If you have the pleasure of riding behind a new Superb on the highway, you can not help praising the work of Škoda designer Kaban. Serious in appearance, but sexy on the street. In the dark hue of a brown-black is the Superb a wonderful hatchback sedan. I am inclined to say: the more beautiful Audi A5. The more elegant A6. The more modern A4. The more emotional VW Passat. Just a nice car, this Superb.
“Super B”
Test and driving report of the Škoda Superb 4 × 4 TDI DSG Laurent & Klement
MQB? Of course MQB. The Volkswagen Group’s “modular transverse matrix” is the miracle cure in vehicle construction. Everything goes. From the Golf to the Superb, everything from one bag. But anyone who reduces the Superb to this “construction kit”, which is actually just a platform, has not understood the meaning and value of the big Czech. Sure, all the ingredients are known. The 2.0 liter diesel in the second highest expansion level, the DSG, the Haldex clutch, the infotainment systems. All old familiar ones. And yet, it's not just the ingredients that make a dish edible, it's the cook who makes it delicious. And what you cook in Mlada Boleslav based on the MQB tastes good. And it looks good too. But can the Superb also impress in business class?
Company car drivers, user choosers and authorized company car drivers, woke up and pay attention. The Superb as a 190 PS Diesel with DSG and 4 × 4 is an underdog on the company parking lot, but a particularly beautiful one and as L&K (as driven) a very fine one.
First discipline: dynamics
As a sedan, the Superb isn't actually a sedan at all, it's a hatchback. But no matter, both are rare in the combined nation of Germany. Škoda not only provided the “rare” hatchback as a test car, but also brought out the high-quality L&K equipment in the dark cappuccino color. This color, which looks like too little milk and too much elegance, the Superb more than lives up to its name in this combination.
So elegantly parked, one wants the shabby dynamic demand RS brothers one step below left. But the 4.8 meters long Limousine Thanks to the latest MQB base and manageable 1.615 kg unladen weight, hatchbacks cannot be asked for long. The urea-cleaned drive train offers 190 HP and 400 Nm. The 6-stage dual clutch transmission portions the power to 7.6 km / h in 100 seconds. Even more pleasing than the pure sprint, the smooth cooperation between the diesel, which growled away, and the DSG transmission. Okay - building blocks. But it works.
The chassis and all the other control units, from the steering to the accelerator pedal characteristic to the adaptive cruise control, can be adapted to the morning condition using the drive mode button. Comfort may be a little too soft in the damper setup. Sport, on the other hand, does not match the trendy and elegant color. Stay away - or set your own wishes in individual fashion. Efficiency is a very good choice. The gearbox is immobilized, the 400 Nm should pull out of the speed cellar and on the track is disengaged while rolling. The cool and calm pace leaves enough time to enjoy the interior.
Fact: it runs 0 to 100 in 7,6 seconds, at 229 km / h it is over.
Second discipline: comfort
Even if the comfort mode of the “drive mode” is a little too “soft – a little couch feeling suits the “big Czech” quite well. Meanwhile, you spread out in row one, enjoy the good seating, are happy about the excellent workmanship and appreciate the very good choice of colors and materials. Sure, nobody probably buys beige leather from us. Too sensitive to dirt for everyday use. But the gentle toffee browns look as virginal as they did in the test car (Magnetic brown in truth!) Tint and the bright interior just perfect together. The elegant little strip of light across the cockpit.
Full points for cars that are “still affordable”.
Third discipline: emotions
Sovereignty is also an emotion. Or? The Superb conveys this feeling of sovereign wealth without immediately recalling the social envy debate. Its design is much better than anything else currently coming from the VW group. Modern, technical, yet not cool and interchangeable. The fact that you also remember the company founders Laurent & Klement to equip the top version, it makes the whole vehicle so approachable and down-to-earth. And while we're talking about the space and volume of an Audi A6, no, on the back seat it's more of an A6L, which is otherwise only available in China. The fact that the adaptive cruise control also works up to a speed of 210 km / h for a surcharge also lowers the resting heart rate of the company car driver - if you've ridden 1.000 km a day again. It's also an emotion. So no stress.
What is the topic of multimedia?
rSAP is called the mobile phone technology, with which the multimedia system can be upgraded and then takes over the sovereignty over the SIM card of the mobile phone. In conjunction with the Columbus infotainment system, there is an 8-inch touch screen with proximity sensor (okay, all VW kit, but just fine!), with WiFi hotspot and in the “Columbus” business package for €1.890 also with traffic sign recognition and the tablet holder for the rear. Traffic sign recognition and tablet holder in the rear? Yes – some packages don’t need to be understood. In row two, people are all the more pleased about the uncomplicated way of being able to mount the “Plus smartphone, phablet or tablet” on the headrest of the passenger seat, go online via WLAN in the car and pretend that it is business class suddenly moved up to the chauffeur-driven limousine.
With the “Media Command App” on the tablet you can also control the multimedia system from row two. The trick should be worth the €80 extra charge.
He offers this on the subject of security and assistance systems:
Mercedes-Benz calls it “Pre-Safe”, Skoda calls it “proactive occupant protection”. Unfortunately, Škoda charges a further €150 extra for this; in conjunction with the rear side airbags it is €290. The “proactive occupant protection” detects an unavoidable accident and is activated beforehand in critical driving situations. He closes the windows, straightens the backrests and tightens the belts. This serves to provide maximum occupant protection. To prevent it from getting that far, you should also tick the €990 box when it comes to “dynamic light assistant” and lane change assistant. Parking Assist in particular can protect against critical situations when reversing out of parking spaces!
The fact that the clear Superb is also available with a parking assistant, well, we blame it on the “modern times”. Because the hatchback sedan doesn't need it.
The pricelist:
At Škoda you learn from the best in the premium class. This is not only clear from the cars. The price list has become long and confusing. That even a banal USB on Lightning adapter cable offers and 42 € write about it, well - we leave it uncommented.
With a total price of over €50.000, the base price of the “cheapest Superb” has more than doubled to €24.890. We save ourselves the fact that €50.000 used to be 100.000 DM. Back then, a Skoda wasn't a L&K Superb.
And finally ...
The ideal business class limousine? What if I tell you that you have to search in the Czech Republic and not in Ingolstadt, Stuttgart, Munich or even Wolfsburg? Would you show me a bird? Yes?
How about you drive the “Super B” first…?
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“Business class with more legroom!”
Alternative to: VW Passat, Audi A4, Mercedes E-Class
Match with: Company car drivers and humble connoisseurs
That convinces: Driving and space feeling
Škoda |
Superb 190 hp 4 × 4 Laurent & Klement |
| Motor | R4, diesel, turbo, direct injection |
| Capacity | 1.968 ccm³ |
| Performance | 190 hp @ 3.500 - 4.000 rpm |
| kraft | 400 Nm @ 1.750-3.250 rpm |
| Transmission | 6-speed dual clutch transmission |
| drive axle | Haldex5, Hang-On Four-Wheel Drive |
| Length Width Height | 4.861, 1.864, 1.453 mm |
| wheelbase | 2.841 mm |
| Empty weight | 1.615 kg |
| turning circle | 11,7m |
| top speed | 229 km / h |
| Acceleration 0-100 km / h | 7,6 sec |
| standard consumption | 5.0 - 4,9 l / 100 km |
| everyday driver | 6.3 l / 100 km (Diesel) |
| Eco-expert | 5.1 l / 100 km |
| Field service mode | 8.5 l / 100km |
| More about consumption: | That's how we measure on mab |
Test, text and photos: Bjoern Habegger
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