Test Drive Reviews

"Superb by name, superb by nature."

Judging by its name, Skoda must have been feeling confident about tis flagship car.

To call it the Superb invites prospective buyers to judge it by pretty high standards and the executive market it is aimed at will be a tough one to win over.

My time with a diesel version started very well thanks to its solid good looks.

From the side, it is almost indistinguishable from the Passat with which it shares many parts, although the Skoda is about 10cm longer.

The imposing grill at the front and the arrangement of the lights at the back set it apart from its VW counterpart, and make it a handsome-looking car.

So far, so good. But is at as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside?

Well, the boot lives up to the Superb name by providing gallons of space and some clever little hooks to make sure your shopping bags don't topple over.

If you're into skiing, you can feed your skis through a space in the back seat, into a special bag and through into the main cabin of the car.

That would probably be useful for those unwieldy bits of wood which DIYers end up trying to shoehorn into their cars from time to time.

Which brings us to the back seats: for someone 6ft 3in tall like myself, they are a revelation with masses of legroom.

My usual rule is that I'll only put up with the back seat for short journeys, otherwise cramp beckons.

But I'd be a happy passenger on even the longest journeys in the Superb.

As well as roomy, the back of the cabin is also comfortable and solidly put together.

One particularly pleasing and slightly James Bond gadgety detail was the umbrella which Skoda has concealed under a flap in the left hand door.

The back of the car was so comfy, it was almost with reluctance that I abandoned it for the driver's seat.

But I'm glad I did. The 1.9 turbo diesel engine powers the Superb along with ease and for such a big car it is suprisingly quick.

It you're more used to driving petrol-engined cars, diesels take a few miles to get used to but its worth the effort as this one is a comfortable and relaxing drive.

The power steering does an impressive job of making an enormous car seem small and light once you're out on the road.

In fact, driving much smaller cars after a few days with teh Superb makes them feel hard work in comparison.

The Skoda's great strength, thanks to the space and comfort inside, is long journeys on dual carriageways and motorways.

I took great pleasure in getting on a stretch of open road, choosing a comfortable speed and pressing the cruise control button.

Then it was just a case of releasing the accelerator and concentrating on the miles of tarmac ahead of me while the car kept the speed constant.

It was some of the most relaxing driving I have ever done.

To add to the feeling of being pampered - spoilt, even - there is a stereo which changes volume to match the engine noise.

A handy "auto" setting on the climate control keeps you as hot or cold as you like and there is lots of headroom above the firm, comfortable seats.

Everything seems to be well put together with compartments and ashtrays opening with the kind of smoothness once saved for more expensive cars.

And when the journey's over, the Superb will even light up the footpath outside with some handy lights at the bottom of the wing mirrors.

So if the old SKoda jokes still linger when you see the green and silver badge - and for some people they do - I'd recommond trying out the Superb.

JAMES TUTE, LIMITED EDITION, FEBRUARY 2003.