Skoda Superb SE Plus 2.0 TDI CR DSG 5dr Car Review - March 2012

Delivering 168 bhp at 4200 rpm through its four cylinder engine, the Skoda Superb SE Plus 2.0 TDI CR DSG reaches a top speed of 137 mph which is great for a car of this class. Unfortunately this still fails to reach the highly impressive top speed of 155 mph offered by the petrol-powered Skoda Superb Elegance 3.6 V6 4x4 but there is a definite improvement on the Superb S 1.6 TDI CR and the Skoda SE 2.0 TDI CR (140 bhp) DSG.

Acceleration speeds are also improved over the basic model with the car taking just 8.8 seconds to travel from 0-62 mph.

Whilst this car may not match the performance of the Superb Elegance 3.6 V6 4x4 model, the efficiency is much better and this means it could be seen as the perfect compromise. The car achieves 47.1 mpg on the combined cycle and carbon emissions are a little higher than in some models at 157 g/km, which pushes the car into a high road tax band (G).

In terms of noise disruption, the engine once again performs well. As the latest generation common-rail units, the diesel engines are refined and smooth and the car also does a good job of keeping noise from the wind and road out of the cabin, making this a comfortable and pleasant car to drive.

The Skoda Superb SE Plus 2.0 TDI CR DSG is an attractive car and this trim level offers a good range of kit for drivers. The SE Plus trim gives customers access to all the features they could possibly want within the car and makes comfort a priority.

Standard equipment includes power steering, central locking, stability control, alloy wheels, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control, rear parking sensors, alcantara seats and an advanced stereo system with CD and MP3 connectivity. On top of this, Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in sat nav also become standard features.

With plenty of room within the cabin for passengers and cargo, the Skoda Superb S 1.6 TDI CR is a great car for families. The large interior means that comfort levels are high for both passengers and drivers with plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering column.

The boot capacity is another impressive feature with the car offering a generous 595 litre capacity even when the seats are in place. Folding these down increases the capacity to 1,700 litres, giving owners plenty of options when it comes to transporting cargo.

On top of this, the layout of instruments is logical and that makes the car easy to operate. Skoda is known for its high reliability record and this means driver confidence is likely to be high. To add further reassurance the car also comes with a three year warranty for 60,000 miles.

The car’s high safety levels are one of its biggest attractions and the car achieved the top five star rating for overall safety in the NCAP crash tests. This is thanks to an advanced safety kit which is fitted as standard and offers driver, passenger and front side airbags along with an alarm and immobiliser to protect against theft.

Priced at £24,745, this model is dearer than others in the range. That being said, it is still fairly reasonable considering its class and the combination of efficiency and performance is a great attraction to buyers.

Of course, the efficiency isn’t as high as that offered in other models and insurance premiums are mid-range in insurance group 23. Refuelling costs should be reasonable as the car achieves 47.1 mpg and that means those willing to make small sacrifices on economy for performance will opt for this model.