ŠKODA Superb Combi iV, a big name for an even bigger car
If you’re looking for a wagon with the most room in the back, you’ll have heard of the space wonder with the name Škoda Superb Combi. A true daddy mobile, thanks to its 660 liters (and up to 1.950 liters) booth space!
The history of the Škoda Superb combi isn’t one of an infinity decades. No, it started just 20 years ago with its first generation. The B5-gen was -like all Superb’s- a space miracle. From 2008, the second-gen (B6) took over the scepter. Both generations aren’t the most successful cars out there. But all of that changed in 2015 thanks to the modern design. In the middle of 2019, Skoda gave the Superb a facelift and that’s the car we are testing!
iV
Iconic, individual, intuitive vehicle. So, now you know where the “iV” stands for. In practice, the iV translates to the plug-in hybrid version. A gasoline-powered engine (1.4-liter TSI) in combination with electric help, that we already know from the Volkswagen Golf 8 GTE and Cupra Leon e-HYBRID. Both Beau as I, weren’t the biggest fans of this combination in a sporty hatchback-like car. But if we dig somewhat deeper, we can also find a test of our man Ward who told us great things about a Seat Tarraco -HERE- with this drivetrain.
So, does it work on big family cars but not on the sporty small ones? The Skoda Superb Combi iV would suggest that it does! The Superb Combi isn’t a slow car thanks to 218 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque pulling a weight of 1.672 kg. With the help of the electric engine, the car will hit 100 km/h in 7,8 seconds -but it feels more alive and faster- and on to 225 km/h. But let’s be honest! You ain’t buying a 4.862-meter long plug-in hybrid car to be the most sporty dad in the street. You’re the smart dad, that everyone likes because you “zoom” past your neighbors without the combustion engine giving you a hand. And you could live in a long street because the 13 kWh battery should give you a radius of 60 km. Or so Škoda claims. In real life, I have managed to almost get 50 kilometers pure electric. Not bad eighter.
But should you go on a longer trip, 50 kilometers will not get you anywhere. Thank god for the 50 liters big petrol tank that will improve the radius from 50 to 710 kilometers. Great for a trip to Germany, so we did. There the car performed well and to be honest even better than I had expected. Drive quality: super, comfort: perfect, noises from outside: almost non. Even when you put the car in cruise control at 180 km/h -legal in some parts of Germany- it just floated without the car giving you a sign that you're hurting it. Floating is the best way to characterize the Superb Combi in pretty much everything it does and the 6-speed automatic gearbox contributes to that.
Sportline
Because we like our sport! You can order a Škoda Superb in 6 different flavors. But when your mind is set on a hybrid, that choice is limited to 4. The Clever, Clever+, L&K and Sportline. And don’t there be a doubt, the Sportline is the way to go! On the front, there aren’t massive differences between all the different models and even the pre-facelift model. But the sporty look comes in the details. Audi would call it a “Shadow Look”. But at Škoda, they don’t need a fancy name. All the chrome -except the logo- is deleted and replaced with some black finish. We like it a lot. And maybe you haven’t noticed it on the front but right below the logo in the grill, you will find the charging point which is beautifully concealed. A very clean look is continued thanks to the Matrix LED headlights.
On the side, we have massive 19-inch Supernova black glossy rims. I will admit, that name is so fancy it could have been an option at Audi. Those 19-inch rims can be an overkill on some cars, but thanks to the magnitude of the Škoda Superb Combi those rims look just fine. And it’s a Sportline, would you have wanted it any other way? Moving to the rear and there you will find the greatest change to the Škoda Superb Combi. The logo has changed to the name “Škoda” -like every modern Skoda- and there’s a strip beneath that name that winks at the current Audi A6.
The quality continues
In recent years, Škoda has pushed themselves -as a brand- to lose that “cheap, untrustworthy Czeck brand”-reputation and with a success to equal Bitcoin. The interior is the living proof of that success. Entering the car gives you a pleasant feeling. Especially after seeing something you would only expect on a Rolls-Royce: An umbrella in the door! The sport-seats don’t only look great, but they give perfect levels of support and comfort. Another thing the Sportline gives you is the sport-steering wheel and thank God for that. I really don’t like the 2 spoke wheel.
The rest of the interior is typical Volkswagen Group like you probably already expected. A clear and well-adjustable digital dashboard to sitch between speed, navigation and a lot of other stuff. In between the 2 front seats, there’s the gear selector for the automatic gearbox and the button to adjust the riding modes. Above those, the buttons for heated seats, airco, … and even more above those is the big screen for the infotainment system with all the modern tech you could dream about #safetyfeatures. It’s nice to report, the Skoda Superb has a good balance between physical buttons and touchscreen.
Conclusion
It’s pretty clear our Škoda Superb Combi is well packed. Parking sensors and -camera, panoramic open roof, Canton sound system, privacy glass and the list goes on. All of that adds up to an easy 65.000 euros (BE) and the biggest price jumper is the hybrid powertrain. The difference in starting price between the 1.5 TSI (manual) and this one is an unbelievable 12.000 euros. The cheapest Škoda Superb Combi will only set you back half the price of our test car.
