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2017 Skoda Superb 206TSi 4X4 Wagon Quick Review

Skoda’s biggest wagon is roomy and well equipped with an all-wheel-drivetrain that makes it a practical but fine-driving alternative to SUVs.

2017 Skoda Superb
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TELL ME ABOUT THIS CAR

The Skoda Superb range incudes sedans and wagons in both front – and all-wheel-drive versions. The features-packed, range-topping 206TSi 4x4 wagon is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo engine which provides plenty of grunt for a car this size.

STRENGTHS

  • SUV practicality with European performance and features.

  • It goes along nicely with 206kW 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine and all-wheel-drive system taken from the high-performance Volkswagen Golf R.

  • The adaptive dampers, which are an option in lower spec models, help address the shortfalls of the Superb suspension’s suitability for Australian conditions.

  • Driving Mode Selection, offering Comfort, Normal and Sport settings for the transmission, steering and accelerator tuning. Suspension is a little floaty in Comfort and Normal mode, but it holds up nicely in Sport mode. Acceleration is little lacklustre in Comfort but noticeably improves in other modes.

  • The Driver Assist equipment that comes standard with this model is exceptional even for the $50,000 price range and includes adaptive cruise control, front assist with city (slow speed) emergency brake, lane keeping assist, blind spot detection, traffic jam assist (which starts, stops and steers automatically below 60km/h).
2017 Skoda Superb
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  • The cabin has plenty of legroom at the back and front. It’s not a very wide car though, meaning three adults would be a tight fit in the back seat.

  • The back seats are limousine-like for two adults – there are even buttons on the side of the front passenger seat that the person sitting behind can access to slide the seat forward.

  • The deep rear cargo area holds 660-litres or up to 1950-litres with the rear seats folded down, and contains shopping-bag hooks, load restraint hooks, a luggage net and a 12-volt outlet.

  • Clever interior touches include umbrellas stored inside the front door cards, a clip for parking tickets at the side of the windscreen and a tablet device holder in the rear seat’s fold-down armrest.

  • In-car infotainment is controlled by an 8.0-inch touchscreen with in-built satellite navigation. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which like the Bluetooth connection, syncs to your device with little fuss.

WEAKNESSES

  • The centre and wing mirrors are too small, with the latter having a pointy shape that results in about 30 percent less vision than a rectangular mirror.

  • The blind spot indicator is too close to the similarly coloured turn signal light on the wing mirror, which is confusing especially on the passenger side.
  • Middle seat at the back won’t endear you to any adult who has to sit there.

ANY RIVALS I SHOULD CONSIDER

There aren’t too many all-wheel-drive wagons which are this size and well equipped for around $50,000, apart from its Volkswagen Passat R-Line cousin. Front-wheel-drive wagon competitors include the Mazda 6 Atenza and Ford Mondeo Titanium.

David Bonnici
Contributor

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