A luxury car from Skoda

The 2.0 litre diesel is a great buy too, but it costs almost Rs. 3lakhs more than the petrol equivalent. This 174bhp and 350N-m version of the familiar 2.0litre VW engine comes only as an automatic but this is the more reliable 6 speed twin clutch automatic. Refinement levels are fairly adequate and this engine has always been a willing performer. It has great low end torque and is quite at home in the city where the gearbox is eager to shift up to higher gear quite fast. Press hard on the accelerator pedal and you can often see the traction control light coming on. It revs up to 5000rpm and there is ample mid range and top end poke to overtake fast cars on the highway. The 6 speed box isn’t quick to deliver downshifts as the 7 speed one in the petrol variant, but it doesn’t stand in the way of driving pleasure.

At nearly 5 metres long, this 1500kg car isn’t one you’d buy to derive driving pleasure out of, but the new Superb feels surprisingly light around its feet. It doesn’t like to be hurled into corners like the smaller Octavia, but it still manages to stay focused and neutral. The front MacPherson and rear multi-link setup is common to all models, unlike the Octavia which gets an inferior non-independent rear setup for the diesel. Steering lacks feel, but is quite precise and the brakes have good bite. The 215/55 R17 Hankook tyres could have been better in terms of grip and less noisier on the straights.

With base model pricing starting at around Rs.22.68 lakhs for the petrol and Rs. 26.39 for the diesel, the Superb comes across as great value. It takes the game to the next level without costing much more than its predecessor. If you are after a premium car that ticks all the right boxes in terms of comfort, style, equipments and performance, patchy after-sales aside, this is the perfect car to buy.

VIVEK VENUGOPAL

Photo Courtesy : Google/ images are subject to copyright