Skoda Superb

Hatchback 2015 -

First Drive

Skoda Superb Hatch, front action
Skoda Superb Hatch, front action 2
Skoda Superb Hatch, front lights on
Skoda Superb Hatch, side static
Skoda Superb Hatch, dashboard
Skoda Superb Hatch, rear static
Skoda Superb Hatch, boot

IT'S big and bold and beautiful and will amaze lots of people when they gaze at its handsome rear end and spot the name badge.

For this is the new Skoda Superb, latest version of a car that combines extraordinary amounts of space inside for people and their luggage with a price tag that ought to embarrass cars with posher badges.

There has never been any problem with space in a Superb but the car thisone replaces was undeniably gawky from any angle around the rear if you ordered it as a hatch (the modestly dearer estate was handsome by comparison).

Well, the new saloon is a bit of a looker; all curves and crisp angles in a shape that looks simply stunning with the right alloy wheels ticked on the order form (the bigger the better) and in the right colour - mid-metallic grey is the hue of choice.

The new saloon ditches the unique boot lid/hatchback opening combo of the previous car - hardly any owners thought giving you the choice of operation was a brilliant idea - and in the process becomes at least as striking looking as the estate.

Both of them have grown a little in length and width (now 4861mm by 1864mm) and front and rear wheels are further apart. That usually signals extra stretching room in the rear, but not this time.

The extended wheelbase simply makes the car look more balanced, but not even a baseball playing giant would feel cramped in a rear seat that rivals a stretch limo for roominess.

There is, though, now a little more shoulder room front and rear and even more luggage space in both saloon and estate. Again, neither aspect was remotely wanting before, but more is probably better.

There is more from less under the bonnet, where extra power has been found and cleverly combined with improved economy and reduced tailpipe emissions, from base 1.4 petrol to a tiny selling 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol version, whose 280 horsepower is 20 more than the previous engine which, at 3.6 litre was nearly twice the size.

The new range starts at £18,640 for a 125 horsepower hatch (estates are £1,200 more); that's £50 less than the previous entry level car. Topping out the range is a £35,040 estate in ultra posh Laurin & Klement trim (these two chaps founded what became the Skoda brand in Czechoslovakia many moons ago).

Most sales, you will not be surprised to learn, will take place between these extremes. They will also overwhelmingly be to business users and will have diesel engines doing the work.

Indeed, Skoda will sell your company (or you, so long as you pay cash and don't want a finance deal) a new Superb in SE Business trim, complete with satellite navigation, electrically adjustable driver's seat and parking sensors. Just the things for a hard working life on the road.

Standard spec on the SE (from £21,190 and a likely big seller) includes adaptive cruise control, 17 inch alloy wheels and rear parking sensors. Pay more and you move up grades or add optional extras, which can include blind spot detection, self parking, traffic sign recognition and even a boot that opens itself with the wave of a foot beneath the bumper.

A drive over delightfully empty Scottish Highland roads showed the 190 horsepower diesel with automatic gearbox, from £28,720, was pleasantly smooth, nippy enough and comfortable. And very, very grown up and mature feeling.

Livelier on its feet was a hatch with 150 horsepower turbocharged 1.4 litre petrol engine and crisp shifting manual gearbox (from £21,190) that was a proper delight and turned in a reasonable 36mpg (45.6mpg officially) after a bit of a caning.

The diesel was predictably better at 44mpg but less fun. More practical for a business user, of course, and a BIK rating of 18 per cent, zero first year road tax - £30 thereafter - look promising too.

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