Skoda Superb S 1.4 TSI 5dr Car Review - February 2012

Inside the cabin you’ll find it easy to get a good driving position thanks to the two-way adjustment on both the driver’s seat and the steering wheel. The dash is well laid out, clean and uncluttered and the controls are easy to find and use. Driver and passenger get plenty of head and legroom and rear passengers have ample space too. The seats are comfortable and supportive.

The 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine producing 126bhp and 148lb-ft of torque does a decent job of powering the Superb. It’s capable of a top speed of 125mph and will do 0-62mph in 10.5 seconds, even though it’s a relatively small engine for such a big car. It offers decent average fuel economy of 41.5mpg and is reasonably refined. Other engine options include a 1.6- and 2.0-litre diesels, 1.4- and 1.8-litre turbocharged petrols and a 3.6-litre V6 petrol (4X4).

For its size, the Superb handles quite well. The steering gives plenty of feedback and body roll while cornering is well checked. It feels sure-footed and soaks up bumps without any problem. The only time it becomes a bit unsettled is over uneven patches of road.

All engine options are smooth and refined producing little noise inside the cabin. Road noise and wind nose are also well suppressed in the cabin, so generally it’s a nicely hushed ride all round.

The Superb looks good with its modern clean lines giving it a somewhat classic appeal unlike some of the more ‘trend’ styling of its competitors.

All Superbs come well equipped with central locking, stability control, alloy wheels, air conditioning, electric door mirrors, electric windows, alarm, immobiliser, CD+MP3connectivity.

Upgrading to SE spec brings additional cruise control, rear parking sensors and a 6-CD touch-screen stereo system. The SE Plus spec gives you satellite navigation and Bluetooth and the top of the range Elegance models come with leather upholstery, heated front seats, rain-sensing-wipers and a tyre-pressure monitoring system.

The Superb offers a lot of internal space for five people. It’s also a saloon as well as a hatchback so you can open just the boot-lid on its own or the entire tailgate. Boot space is enormous even with the seats in place (595-litres), and with the seats folded down that expands up to an impressive 1,700-litres.

EuroNCAP gave the Superb an overall rating of five-stars in its crash-test. Individual ratings were five-stars for occupant safety, four-stars for child safety and two-stars for pedestrians.

Standard safety features in the Superb include seven airbags (with the option for a further two), Isofix child seat mounting points, ABS, EBD system (electronic brake-force distribution), ESP (electronic stability programme) and a tyre pressure monitoring system, making it one of the safest cars in its class.

It comes covered by Skoda’s three-year-60,000 mile warranty and regular service intervals of 10,000 miles.

The previous Superb range had enviable reliability and there’s no reason to think that things have changed. This newer version is well built and feels durable and owners have been very positive with their feedback in terms of reliability.

The 1.4-litre TSI S Superb offers extremely good value for money at £17,675. Its ample space, comfort, decent handling and level of safety make it very competitive with other rivals such as the Ford Mondeo, VW Passat or Citroen C5.

Running costs for the Superb should be reasonable with its good fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 157g/km being on a par with others in this class. Road Tax for this model is in VED group G, and insurance is in group 15.

The 3.6 V6 4X4 version is fun to drive, but its running costs are much higher and really not justified for the extra performance (and fun) you get. Eco-conscious buyers or corporate road-warriors, who chalk up lots of miles, would do well to go for one of the even more economical Greenline models.