Skoda Superb 2002 test drive - 2008 -

Skoda Superb: basic element

Typically, the basic modifications of serial cars are neither dealers and manufacturers themselves do not try to advertise anywhere - in the salon, in advertising photos more prestigious versions flaunt, flaunting additional equipment, cast discs, etc. They can be understood, usually the basic version of an inexpensive car is a sort of workpiece: a low -power engine, a simple salon with cheap finishes, a minimum set of additional equipment, or even the absence of it - in general, the option is unattractive. Although sometimes such cars are still used by dealers as a bait - when you need to put the lowest possible retail price ...
 
However, everywhere there are exceptions, and one of them is Skoda Superb 1.8 Turbo in the basic version of Classic. This car, produced in many versions, with gasoline and diesel engines, has already been repeatedly described on the pages of our publication. But basically, it just turned out, these were expensive modifications with powerful engines and a large list of additional equipment installed in these cars. Accordingly, their price tag, as well as the equipment, was very different from what was declared in advertising layouts. A car with a 2.8-liter gasoline or 2.5-liter diesel engine in the Comfort or Elegance trim levels was simply impossible to buy for the price of the basic version-sixteen to seven thousand euros. Naturally, many of our regular readers probably paid attention to this. We talk about the car often and in detail, but for some reason we carefully keep silent about the basic version - is there a catch here? Maybe the base Skoda Superb is so weakly equipped that they simply do not want to light it? Fortunately, everything turned out to be completely wrong. The basic version of this model was quite well -equipped and even with good running qualities. And as for our early tests, only dealers themselves are to blame: they prefer to carry all the new items in sophisticated trim levels, wanting to weld while the model is fresh.
 
As can be seen from the Tech Deny table, even the basic version of the Superb with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine with a low-pressure turbine borrowed from the VW Passat/Audi A4 has a very good temperament. The car is clearly not weak, despite the modest, by the standards of this class, the working volume of the engine. Still, 9.5 seconds are a very worthy result, especially since the manufacturer himself declares for the same version fuel consumption when driving along the highway 6.5-8.3 liters per 100 kilometers. Incidentally, a much more powerful 2.8-liter gasoline version performs this exercise in 8 seconds-1.5 faster, while consuming 7.9-16 liters per hundred depending on the traffic mode. However, for those who want to save, an inexpensive diesel option is provided - with a Volkswagen 1.9 -liter turbodiesel with a capacity of 130 hp. But this is so, for corporate customers, and a person who buys Superb for himself and does not want to overpay for additional l/s will surely prefer a version of 1.8 Turbo: the machine, as they say, is going.
 
I myself did not expect that everything would be so interesting, because the engine is already quite familiar from other models, more than once tested, and it is very well known how all its temperament can be killed by installing an inadequate automatic checkpoint. On the car, fortunately, there is a 5-speed mechanics, which allows the car to drive as if it were not a representative sedan, but some kind of sportskup. Although no, for Superb 1.8, the engine has a high -speed engine for Superb 1.8: it excellently pulls at small and medium speeds, but at high ones it is not particularly active. That is, it makes no sense to twist it to the limit, it is better to limit yourself to 4-5 thousand and switch to the next gear - the acceleration will be higher. This engine is also well adapted for movement in the city: from the place of Superb it breaks down as scalded, instantly accelerating to 60-70 kilometers and then allowing you to immediately switch to the highest gear. True, you should not especially experiment with programs, especially before overtaking. If the tachometer arrow falls out of the turbine area, then the dynamics of acceleration decreases incredibly sharply. And this means that until the moment she returns to the optimal speed range, not one or even two or three seconds will pass, so it’s better not to take risks and turn on the lower level in advance.
 
Inside, the basic Skoda Superb also pleased, and unexpectedly: it flaunted a chic light salon. Despite the fact that it was not even leather, but an ordinary fabric, such a salon looked very good: the usual dark or gray sheathing does not go into any comparison with the light. By the way, you can order this chic light salon for free. For the basic version, two options for decorating the salon are offered to choose from, and one of them is just this one - as they say in the same television and white. True, given our climatic conditions, as well as the frequency of streets cleaning, we can assume in advance that the owner of such a car will become a permanent and favorite client on the nearest car wash, where he will have to completely clean the interior every month and a half. But anyway, how gorgeous!
 
The car for the boss, for the director - the E segment E according to the European classification is considered the so -called business class. But the fact of what is considered. In fact, these are the most ordinary cars, and they will have a higher level of comfort, but at the same time they have no outstanding indicators. Skoda Superb has this very outstanding indicator - its wheelbase. Rather, the fact that this fairly large car, and so possessing a spacious salon, was made according to the principle of limousine-sneakers: all additional centimeters of its length fell on the area of \u200b\u200bthe rear seats. And it turned out just what you need: a car for a director who has a huge margin of space for passengers, allowing, as if in a limousine, to stretch his legs. The same feature, that is, the elongated base, allowed to achieve high smoothness, even along our roads the car moves like a large ocean liner. This is really a business class car - large, comfortable, spacious, dynamic and well -equipped. And it should be noted that all this is present in it even in the basic version ...
 
Text: Pavel Kozlovsky
 

Source: Autogazet / N 38 (384) dated 10.10.02