√2021 Skoda Superb 206 Sportline: owner review

Yes, I am one of those dinosaurs who elected to buy a sedan in a world where almost everyone else now buys a truck or SUV.
Owner: Rich

What we love

Style and AWD pace
Smart design touches abound
It’s not a truck or SUV

What we don’t

Lacks the infotainment connectivity that Europe gets
DSG still a little hesitant at take-off
A 360-degree camera would be welcome

Yes, I am one of those dinosaurs who elected to buy a sedan in a world where almost everyone else now buys a truck or SUV. In my case I settled on a Skoda Superb 206 Sportline AWD liftback. You could say I’m doubly bucking the trend by buying a sedan and also a Skoda.

I have had the Superb, a 2021 midlife facelift update, for almost a year, and I am now beyond the initial honeymoon, so it’s time for an appraisal. Why a sedan? I am not anti-SUV, but after driving many of them, their general barge-like handling and lack of interior space in many cases left me underwhelmed.

Why a Skoda? Well, they are almost like the modern Saab: slightly quirky and interesting. But, of course, employing all of the VW Group systems and architectures underneath. The build quality is first-rate, and Skoda often seems to do things better and smarter than the other brands in the VW Group.

The Superb Sportline comes with essentially the same 2.0 TSI engine, AWD system, brakes and running gear as a Mark 7 VW Golf R or Audi S3, but retaining the six-speed DSG transmission. The engine outputs are slightly detuned from the Golf R, but at 206kW and 350Nm, and only 90kg heavier than a Golf R, it never feels slow. In fact, like many VW Group vehicles, my real-world sense driving it is the actual outputs are a little higher than what is advertised.

Unlike the Superb Scout wagon that appeared briefly on the market here a year or so back, the Sportline thankfully does not have a petrol particulate filter to dampen the fun. There is no doubt, as a full-size sedan, the Superb is not as nimble as a Golf R and is more of a sporting cruiser, but the addition of the same AWD system with adaptive suspension gives it crisp assuredness and endless traction.

Compared to 95 per cent of SUVs out there, it is light-years ahead in terms of handling and overall performance. And all of the various Golf R/S3 engine and drivetrain modifications are available to modify this vehicle.

All lighting inside and out is LED, including Matrix LED headlights that work brilliantly (literally).

Inside the Superb, soft-touch surfaces abound, and it has a slightly minimalist elegance to the dashboard and interior design that appeals to me. Skoda seems to do steering wheels well. The 2021 update with a flat-bottomed, three-spoke perforated leather wheel with paddle shifters and two large metallic rotary knobs, for things like audio volume and function scrolling, is a joy to hold and use.

The Virtual Cockpit digital instrument panel is standard Skoda fare, with a few visual tweaks for the Sportline model, but it works well.

The infotainment system is a large central display using the VW Group’s new MIB 3 system. I don’t think the MIB 3 is a great leap forward over the previous versions, and many of the over-the-air connectivity apps and updates for the MIB 3 in Europe are predictably not available here. But it does come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which automatically connect and work seamlessly.

I’ve also found the Canton sound on this latest model update to be a definite improvement over previous slightly disappointing Canton systems in Skodas. The sound is now what I would class as a ‘good to very good’ standard for a factory system.

The sports seats are excellent and fully covered in Alcantara, as are the door cards. Having come from leather to Alcantara, I would never go back. Cooler in summer and warmer in winter, Alcantara also holds you firmly and comfortably in the seat. Unlike other VW Group brands (hello Audi…), Skoda provides Alcantara as standard on the Superb Sportline and not part of some expensive option package.

I notice that reviews often say the driving position is too high in the Superb. While I do have the front seats set to their lowest position, at 179cm I have never found them too high or for it to be an issue.

Of course, the Superb is renowned for its space inside. The foot room in front and most especially in the back, as well as the boot space accessed via a large powered liftback, is positively cavernous given the modest external size of the vehicle. Rear-seat leg room is like riding in an old-school Statesman Caprice. I doubt younger kids would be able to touch the back of the front seats with their feet, it’s literally that roomy.

The Skoda Superb 206 Sportline in its first 11 months has been a very pleasant place to be. No faults, no recalls – at least so far. Quiet and refined, it is a smart and stylish vehicle with a very quick turn of pace when needed and excellent AWD handling.

It’s also fun to have something that is a little different on the road compared to the endless procession of trucks and SUVs. Although, I suspect most of their drivers look at the Superb with curiosity in traffic and wonder why anyone would buy a sedan these days. Long live the dinosaurs!

Owner: Rich