Skoda Superb 1.8

Conventional thinking would state that a car weighing almost 1.5-tonne would need more than 1800cc of engine capacity to propel it. But Skoda (and the VW Group) have moved past convention. For starters, the 1.8 motor uses direct petrol injection and a turbo-charger to augment power, with max power rated at 160bhp. Turbo-charged direct-injected motors also produce more torque than normally aspirated ones; and makes a massive 25.5kgm from just 1500rpm on, really low down for a petrol motor.

But wait, that’s not all. An all-new seven-speed DSG double clutch ’box takes up the responsibility of transmitting power. Shift times on the twin clutch ’box are faster than anything available on conventional automatics, as the second clutch has already pre-engaged the next gear for a quick shift, and seven gears also mean better use of the top end of the power band, which leads to better acceleration. As a result the Superb accelerates hard to 100kph in 9.1 seconds and carries on to 150kph in under 20 seconds.

The lusty mid-range and strong top-end holds the key to the new Superb’s terrific performance. This turbo-petrol isn’t going to wind to dizzy revs like a Honda but it is smooth all the way to the 6500rpm limit, feeling straightened only over the last 500 revs.

There’s a throaty snarl that’s clearly audible when you wind the motor. Using paddle shifts allows you to really carry on at a quick pace and the gearbox offers you the right gear at all times. The key advantage of this seven-speed gearbox is that it can put you in the strongest part of the powerband in a flash. Stay in the punchy midrange with the turbo spinning past 3000rpm and you get a nice thrust of power.

Lack of engine capacity can be felt in city traffic. There’s a shortage of torque when starting off from a standstill, a combination of turbo lag and the lack of a torque converter induced initial punch, and throttle responses just past tick over is relatively lazy. Power doesn’t flow as seamlessly as we would have liked and in fact is delivered in stages. There is a small delay when you floor the throttle after which the car takes off. Once the boost kicks in, you get another rush of power, thus reviving the motor.

Instant power can be summoned by a proper squeeze of the right pedal all the way to the floorboard, which activates the kick-down button. This drops several gears at the same time and the ’box shifts from a cruising ratio of fourth or fifth gear directly to second.

Efficiency of the petrol Superb impressed us considerably giving 8.3kpl in the city and 12.5kpl on the highway. This is not easy as it has both a Toyota and a Honda to contend with in its class. But its smaller displacement engine, direct injection system and torque converter-less seven-speed gearbox help deliver a true technical knockout.