2016 Skoda Superb India review, test drive

 

The new Superb, on its long wheelbase, feels extremely comfortable at speed. It feels planted and stable even as the speedo needle climbs past three-digit speeds and levels of agility are decent for such a long car, despite the fact that the suspension is quite soft and pliant. The soft setup, however, does mean there is a bit of roll, some amount of float, and it does pitch a bit over poor roads as well. So, while it does make its way around corners quite nicely, it isn’t a car which you really enjoy attacking corners in. What does help you stay quite relaxed behind the wheel is the fact that the electric steering is nicely weighted and extremely accurate, and the brakes are nicely set up too, so you can shave speed on the way into corners. The Superb also comes with a ‘smart’ differential for the front wheels, but because the setup is so soft, you don’t really feel the benefit when you want to accelerate out of corners.

That aside, the ride is absolute dynamite. The raised-for-India suspension is pillow-soft, even over the roughest roads, the long wheelbase and big tyres lend a helping hand over the rough, and what makes the ride nicer is the fact that the suspension works silently, with no knocks or whacks filtering in. 

Adding to the level of refinement is the smooth and slick petrol motor. An absolute delight both at low and high engine speeds, it is both extremely refined and very powerful at the same time. Idle is near silent, there’s a nice shot of torque when you take off, and what makes driving this car even more gratifying is that it always feels ever eager to deliver more performance. Incredibly, rev it past 2,500rpm, and it smoothens up even more, and after that, the raw punch on hand is even more manic. The best bit is that the engine and gearbox work fabulously together, delivering a slingshot-like performance every time you mash your foot down. And the gearbox is reasonably quick, even when you want to come down the gears in a hurry.

 

Those looking to buy the better priced six-speed manual gearbox version get a car that drives just as well. The clutch is a teeny bit heavier than you expect, but the gears slot in with speed and accuracy and this version of the 1.8 TSI engine has considerably more pulling power or torque (32.6kgm vs 25.4kgm as the automatic has a torque limit), so a tap on the throttle is normally all you need to wake up the motor. There is a bit of turbo lag though and the engine only wakes up fully when you are past 2000rpm.

Also impressive is the diesel automatic. The 2.0-litre TDI has an extremely smooth and strong midrange and with 175bhp on tap, this is the most powerful Skoda diesel to be sold in India yet. It’s also an engine that enjoys being spun hard. VW’s new-gen diesels have lighter internals, less reciprocating mass and with more boost compared to earlier engines, performance is considerably stronger too. There is a bit of delay though between putting your foot down and the car accelerating due to the larger turbo used and the greater lag experienced. Refinement is also quite good. There is a bit of clatter at start up and some pitter patter as well, but once on the move, the engine smoothens up nicely. There is a bit too much fan noise once the engine is hot, but this is only apparent if the audio system is off and the air conditioning is on low.