There aren’t a whole lot of hot options in the medium wagon market for a keen steer.
Sure, Mazda 6 is a good handler, but its 2.5-litre lacks the herbs. Subaru’s six-cylinder liberty has the figures, but it needs a good wind up.
So despite its boastful name, this Skoda 206TSI Superb wagon is a quiet achiever.
Here, the Czech maker’s taken five doors, a 206kW turbo four-cylinder engine, and a Haldex-diff equipped driveshaft and blended them together.
And the result feels like a Volkswagen Golf R that’s been stretched to accommodate more cargo.
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It punches hard, with more power and the same torque found in a BMW 330i. So it’s 1.2 seconds quicker to 100km/h than a front-drive Superb 162TSI.
However, the boosty EA888 isn’t lag free. And corner exit requires throttle anticipation if you’re anywhere below 4000rpm.
The six-speed dual clutch ’box can also take a moment to wake up at traffic lights. The upside is the steering’s crisp and the chassis’s supple over bumps.
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And a larger spread of grip gifts it solid stability despite the wagon’s 26kg penalty over a sedan, and 165kg extra on a Volkswagen Golf R.
With that also comes a whole lot more practicality. The extended roofline scores it 190 extra litres over a sedan with the seats down.
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At 1950 litres total, that’s almost as much as a Commodore Sportwagon. Adaptive suspension comes at a $3400 premium in the Tech pack, but even then it’s $2600 cheaper than the Passat it pinches its platform from.
And that’s what’s most likeable about the Skoda Superb 206TSI wagon. It mixes punch, practicality, and a semi-premium vibe with decent value. Sometimes, it’s nice to have options.
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