Skoda Superb Greenline Estate

The current holder of our Best Estate title is going to take some beating here, as the Skoda Superb really lives up to its name. The load carrier is a handsome choice, with an imposing chrome grille the first thing to strike you about its well proportioned design.

Inside, it’s every bit as good as the VW. Material quality is first rate, and the simple dash layout and smart switchgear deliver an upmarket feel. Although the Skoda makes do without the Bluetooth and DAB radio of its rival, it gets climate control and rear parking sensors.

What isn’t in doubt is that both are outgunned by the Hyundai in terms of standard spec – the i40 has all this kit and more. A near-perfect seating position, excellent visibility and unrivalled cabin space mark the Skoda out as something special inside, but it’s further back where it really cements its advantage.

The large tailgate opens to reveal the biggest boot in the class. With the seats in place, it provides a huge 633 litres of space – that’s 80 litres more than the i40, and it rises to 1,865 litres when they’re folded. The boot is beautifully trimmed, with an array of load restraints (see Details, Page 95) and hooks, plus two side bins.

The Skoda leads the way for space, then – and it should do the same when it comes to economy. Until now, high CO2 emissions have been the estate’s biggest weakness, but this variant is the cleanest car on test, with an output of only 114g/km.  

The trade-off comes under the bonnet, as the only way to achieve this has been to use the VW Group’s smaller 1.6-litre diesel. It produces a mere 104bhp, with 250Nm of torque, so opting for a clean Superb means you have to sacrifice performance compared to its rivals.

As you would imagine, it lagged behind in the sprint from 0-60mph, taking 12.4 seconds – nearly two seconds more than the Hyundai. The Skoda’s five-speed transmission and relatively low torque output mean in-gear responses also lack the sparkle of its more powerful rivals.

Yet it doesn’t feel off the pace and, even by working its smaller powerplant hard to keep up, we averaged 42.9mpg. Critically, refinement is almost a match for the bigger units, too.

Ride height has been dropped by 15mm, so the GreenLine II has a slightly firmer ride than other Superbs. But it’s well damped, and comfort isn’t really compromised. Plus, with better body control than the Hyundai and an extra element of agility over the Passat, the Skoda is also the most confidence-inspiring and enjoyable car to drive on twisty back roads.

In fact, there’s not much to criticise from behind the wheel. But can this dynamic prowess, a thoughtful load area and extra efficiency trump rivals? That will ultimately decide our test.

Details

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WHY: Superb was named Best Estate at our New Car Awards 2011, and while clean GreenLine II version trails on power, it leads on price.