Long-term test review: Skoda Superb Sportline ~ station of gear

Skoda Superb Sportline - first report header

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29 Jan, 2017 9:00am Steve Walker

First report: our retina-scorching Skoda Superb Sportline has us reaching for our shades

Mileage: 1,455
Economy: 37.5mpg

Visibility is crucial to safety on the roads, especially when winter weather and extra darkness conspire against road users trying to see and be seen.

With that in mind, you might think we’d taken a sensible, safety-first approach by specifying our Skoda Superb in hi-vis Dragon Green paint, but no. The outrageous colour scheme and new Sportline trim level actually point to a subtle change of tack for Skoda, which we’re keen to sample.

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This is a Skoda and yet it stands out like a hi-vis vest. Having driven it around for a few weeks, I can confirm that some £80,000 cars don’t attract as much attention – and that, of course, is precisely the point.

Skoda has built its name on practical virtues like interior space, value and build quality, but now wants to add more emotion, appealing to buyers’ hearts and their heads.

Enter Sportline trim on the Superb with its gloss black accessories, 19-inch alloys, Alcantara sports seats and, if you’re really brave, exclusive £820 Dragon Green paint.

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It still boasts all the traits that make the Superb appealing – it’s just more striking. Rear legroom and boot space are particular highlights, with four adults able to sit in executive class comfort and the luggage compartment displaying an almost insatiable appetite for suitcases, shopping bags, pushchairs and golf clubs.

Our car is a 1.4 TSI petrol model with Skoda’s seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox. First impressions of the powertrain are positive. The 148bhp 1.4-litre turbo munit shifts the big Superb with vigour and impressive refinement, but you do find yourself missing the extra muscle that would come with the 2.0-litre TDI diesel.

The diesel auto’s 340Nm of torque (compared to 250Nm for the petrol) makes for stronger acceleration from low speeds, where the 1.4 TSI can be a little ponderous.

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However, slide the shifter across the gate into the manual setting, where you can use the steering wheel’s paddleshifters to hold a lower gear, and this issue can be overcome.

In general, the car is enjoyable to drive while remaining fluid and relaxed for cruising, even without the optional £750 adaptive dampers. It seems a great compromise so far, with the Sportline trim’s firmer Sport chassis settings and 19-inch wheels adding a bit of extra cornering grip and therefore composure, while staying on the right side of comfortable, even over bad surfaces.

However, it’s always going to be the bold greeny yellow colour scheme that hits you first with our test car, although once your eyes have become accustomed to the bright paint, it’s the slick, coal-cellar interior that really stands out.

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The dark cabin, with its black headlining, carbon-effect trim and subtle chrome highlights, has a real air of quality about it, to the point that you could almost be in an Audi. The slim ‘super sport’ steering wheel’s dimpled leather feels great while the controls and instruments have the usual Skoda clarity and simplicity to them.

Our car also has the standard LED ambient lighting package that highlights the dash and door inserts with a strip of lights. There are 10 different colours to choose from, and while it might seem a little frivolous, it really adds to what is a genuinely special-feeling environment for a sub £30,000 car.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

It’s so far, so good for the Skoda Superb Sportline, and while Dragon Green might scare off some buyers I’m actually starting to quite like it. If you want to stand out in your Skoda, it does the job. But if you’re still not convinced, other, less extrovert colours are available.

Model: Skoda Superb Sportline DSG
On fleet since: January 2017
Price new: £28,615
Engine: 1.4-litre 4cyl turbo, 148bhp
CO2/tax: 118g/km/£30

Options: Dragon Green Special Metallic paint (£820), space saver spare (£100)
Insurance*: Group: 20/Quote: £643
Mileage: 1,455
Economy: 37.5mpg
Any problems?: None so far

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