Autocar India April 2006 has featured a detailed Roadtest of the Skoda Superb 2.5 TDI. As all models of Skoda generally are, this one too is impressive and attractive. And how can one forget its superior styling and handling? Perhaps that is why Autocar India has rated it a 9/10, which is quite something! Given below is why the this Skoda has been bestowed with such high marks.

PROS:

1. The Skoda Superb is a diesel car, despite which, it is as quiet as a car with a petrol engine. The vibration too is very low, almost to the point of being negligible.
2. Although the car is almost five-metres long, it is suitable even for heavy metropolitan traffic. The good low-speed torque and a quick-to-respond throttle makes driving a pleasure, actually. The torque even renders the 1604 kg weight of the car as insignificant.
3. The engine refinement, drivability and the performance of the car are near perfect. The car has many thoughtful features, like a multifunction steering wheel, a tiptronic function, six airbags, a CD changer, six-way power seats with a memory function, ABS and ESP. And that’s not all. As an afterthought, installed are well-crafted reading lamps for passengers in the rear and angled footrests, with other careful detailing.
4. Undoubtedly, the best feature of the Skoda is the comfort level it offers. To cut a long story short, it can be said that this car is roomier and more spacious than the Mercedes S-Class, but at half the price. Seriously, what can be a bigger compliment? The seats for the passengers in front is great, with supports for the shoulder and thigh. More impressive are the rear seats, with well-crafted seats and arm-rests too! Also, the persons in the rear get their very own aircon vents.
5. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the Skoda is that, you can pass it off as a chauffeur driven vehicle, or even drive it yourself. It leaves quite an impression with its giant size, extravagantly high levels of comfort and the awesome diesel engine it sports. Quite an ideal car at 22.9 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai).

CONS:

1. A few times, the Skoda tends to get very slightly jerky, mostly when you accelerate.
2. The brakes on the car take some time to get habituated to.
3. Fuel efficiency isn’t anything remarkable, with the Superb achieving just 7.3 kmpl in the city.
4. This Skoda follows the European pattern of riding on a raised suspension, which is generally stiffer than an ordinary suspension. This results in a tad uncomfortable ride in low speed, with some road noise and bumps getting its way through.
5. Although the steering is near perfect and turns into corners quite obediently, the rapid changes in direction are something that it doesn’t take to, easily.
6. The interiors, although decent, aren’t particularly breath-taking or attractive. They certainly cannot classify as the USP of the car.
7. The headroom for rear passengers is just about enough, if they don’t move around too much. This is on account of the sloping roof, but still can be annoying for taller passengers sometimes.
8. The Skoda isn’t the car to sweep the Indian Automobile industry of its feet; there are still quite a lot of improvements it can undergo. However, like a Skoda normally does, this one too earns the respect that it’s due.