27th January 2021, 12:21
| #496 |
| BHPian  | Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review I just took delivery of a race blue sport line Superb. Absolutely love the car so far. Coming from an i20, the sheer length of the car is something that needs getting used to  Attaching a few pictures of my ride for now. Will add a write up on the whole process and my thoughts on the car over the weekend. Last edited by DDiSLover : 27th January 2021 at 12:31. |
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27th January 2021, 16:46
| #497 | |
| Team-BHP Support   Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 8,006
Thanked: 24,074 Times
| Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
I was reading the compass thread and suddenly made me realise just how close the sportsline is to the top of line compass. What tremendous value for a luxurious car like the Superb. | |
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27th January 2021, 19:21
| #498 | |
| BANNED | Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
The colour is smashing to look at and along with the blacked out elements it's terrific. Loved the black letterings for Skoda and Superb. Great looking alloys too. I recently bought Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo, which also has the same stratos alloys. | |
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28th January 2021, 10:57
| #499 | ||
| BHPian | Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
In terms of feature differences, here is what I could understand Superb - Sportline vs L&K Interiors- Black leather & Alcantara sport seats vs Beige/Brown Leather comfort seats Sound system - 8 speaker (Bose I think?) vs 11 speaker Canton Boot - electric boot vs electric boot with sensor (where you put your foot under the boot and it opens) Exteriors - Gun metal alloys + blacked out bits vs Dual tone alloys + chrome bits Features - N/A vs drive modes, auto part assist, TMPS (360 camera has now been added), boss button to control the front passenger seats from behind, those head rest rotatble thingys so you can sleep in the back, ventilated front seats and thats it.. Basically, if you want to drive it yourself, and want a sporty car, go for the sportline. If you want more creature comforts and prefer to be chauffeur driven, go for the L&K. To me, the sportline looked wayy cooler and WOW! The L&K looked real regal, but a bit too regal for my taste (and age  )- Here is the Autocar video showcasing the differences. Quote:
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28th January 2021, 12:08
| #500 | |
| Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 8,006
Thanked: 24,074 Times
| Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
I will definitely keenly watch the Kushaq when it launches. Tempting alternative to the Creta as a second car. | |
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2nd February 2021, 09:21
| #501 |
| Team-BHP Support  | I feel this best-in-NEXT-class ad symbolizes what the Skoda Superb L&K is about (thanks to Smartcat for sharing the link!) What I like: • 75% of the A6 / E-Class / 5-Series luxury at 50% of the price • Value for money price, enhanced by the discounts! Punches above its weight & how (my related article) • Timeless, elegant styling with “big car” presence. Fit, finish & build quality are top class • Awesome space and comfort, including at the rear. Beats luxury cars costing twice as much • Classy dark-brown cabin is luxurious & practical. Cavernous 625 liter boot gobbles up big bags! • Enjoyable 12-speaker Canton sound system includes a punchy subwoofer • Insanely fun 2.0 turbo-petrol engine with 187 BHP & 320 Nm on tap • Fast & improved wet-clutch 7-speed DSG (instead of the notorious DQ200 which I’d never buy) • Comfortable ride quality is just perfect for Indian roads • Surprisingly easy to drive for such a large car. Driving experience makes us smile • Loaded with features & technology. Equipment list runs pages long… • 5 star safety rating & kit - 8 airbags, ESP, TC, ABS + EBD, EDL and lots more • 6-year extended warranty & 4-year all inclusive maintenance pack • Attention to detail (THREE lights in the boot, felt-lined & illuminated door pockets, ticket holder on windscreen, boss button, triple-zone climate, rear headrests with outer support, request sensors even on the rear doors, umbrellas with a drainage system…) What I don’’t like: • DSG reliability woes (although I’m a bit more optimistic about this new DQ381) • Skoda’s notorious dealerships & after-sales horror stories • Complex electronics & suspect long-term reliability • The 2021 updated car gets more features, a handful of which I do miss • No option of Sportline looks with L&K features (would’ve been our choice) • Single digit fuel economy of the turbo-petrol in the city • The economical & practical 2.0 turbo-diesel is no longer available • Shorter, tighter & lighter Octavia is more fun to drive. The Superb is like a limousine! • For the list price of 40 big ones, I’d prefer a RWD instead of a FWD layout • No full-size spare wheel. Also, I don’t like the after-market’ish design of the L&K rims • DSGs can get jerky in crawling traffic (between 1st - 3rd gears). It’s an inherent DSG trait • Sheer size means the car isn’t really city-friendly. Good luck in tight lanes & parking spots • 156 mm of ground clearance, coupled with a long wheelbase and soft suspension • Skoda’s sorry attempt at a (fake) panoramic sunroof & the excessive chrome treatment on the L&K We didn’t want to bring a new car home in wretched 2020, so it was pretty much a done deal that we’ll buy a red or silver Seltos AT in 2022 (10th anniversary of the Nissan Sunny). Three major developments led to this big change of plans! The Sunny is now 9 years old, reasonably worn out (it's the beater of the house) and simply hasn't been the same after it got damaged in the floods (we live right next to the beach). On a recent road-trip to our holiday home, I was tailing it 98% of the way, except on some mountain roads where I needed 'cornering therapy'. We’re still holding onto the Sunny though and will use it as a beater car:  Two, the Seltos crash test happened! Because the requirement was primarily highway + high speed safety for my younger brother after the aforementioned Deolali trip, the Seltos was immediately dropped. Stupid Kia, as my bro loves the car otherwise!  In the midst of these developments, Manson sent this picture to me. Manson is currently looking for a new ride for himself, and he's been test-driving different cars that he has shortlisted. This is his shot from a Sunday visit:  I had my brother do the preliminary round of test-drives, and I’d decided to step in when the list came down to 2 – 3 cars. He TD'ed a whole bunch of models including the Seltos (lovely except for the GNCAP), Compass (great but small + overpriced + pathetic automatic), X1 (unimpressive by current standards), new C-Class (fine car, but not worth 50 lakhs) etc. At the end, it came down to a brand new Skoda Superb vs a pre-owned Mercedes C-Class (current gen). The pre-owned C-Class was on sale at a BMW dealer in Mumbai, a bonus as I any day prefer dealing with organised players. Familiarity too, as my 530d goes to the same group for servicing. For 30.5 lakhs, it was a great car. Just 2.xx years old, still within the factory warranty and with merely 20,000 odd km on the clock. I had taken the Thar MT for a Sunday morning highway drive and went to check out the C-Class right after. It was in top class shape! This particular example drove like new and I could get an extended warranty on it from Mercedes, making the risk effectively zero.  Happy with the C-Class, we then drove straight to Autobahn Skoda. Sat in the Superb and fell in love with the dark brown interiors. The sheer luxury, limousine-like space, massive boot, sweet features & solid build left quite the impression on us. The cabin space + big boot were huge draws because of the 530d's cramped rear seat and compromised boot (spare tyre on the floor). Family members always have to sit "tight" at the rear in our BMW, and before a road-trip, they are tired of me saying "please pack light!". The Superb experience only got better as we stepped out for a TD. I took it for a drive around Worli Seaface and the turbo-petrol + DSG + comfy ride quality blew us away. If you thought Skoda's 1.8 TSI was good, you should drive the 2.0 TSI. It's an awesome, rev-happy and fast motor, equally matched by the lightning quick DSG. Do note this is an updated wet-clutch DQ381 DSG and not the notorious dry clutch DQ200. I don't expect this new DSG to be a saint either, but international reviews (it's been around for a while globally) show that owner complaints are 10% of what they were for the DQ200. Fingers crossed. We came home and the family sat down for a hearty, sinful, heavy Sunday lunch (as is always the case). I told my brother that between the C-Class & Superb, the Mercedes has practically no advantage other than the badge + RWD. The Superb is superior in almost every way. He was still okay with the C-Class, but Kunal was blown away by the Superb. To my brother, a "new car" was also a draw. Despite having Mr. Pre-Worshipped in the house, he’s not too hot on used cars and I totally understand that. All I can say is, good that people like him buy new so that people like me can buy pre-worshipped . Even with Skoda Superbs, we didn't consider used as we wanted this engine + gearbox only (the combo came in 2020 so not available pre-owned). The C-Class is a 35 lakh car masquerading as a 50-lakh one. On the other hand, the Superb is a 50-lakh car being sold as a 35-lakh one. It's a damn Audi A6 with a Skoda badge!! Size wise, our family prefers big cars and I wouldn't even think twice about driving an S-Class in Mumbai traffic. One more reason is, I wouldn't rule out my bro hiring a chauffeur in the future. So, the Skoda Superb it is! Did the deal the best way I know – i.e. pitting two dealers against each other. I wanted to do the deal with JMD only as I got to know Autobahn Skoda is shutting down + their reputation is lousy. Of course, I didn't tell JMD that while bargaining!! Truth is, I would have paid extra money to do the deal with JMD instead of Autobahn. At the end, they beat Autobahn's quote and the deal was theirs. JMD has a positive reputation in Bombay and I loved the way they handled the entire process + PDI + delivery. In his casual Sunday visit, Manson had already got the dealer down to 34 lakhs. I knew there was scope for more discounting. Long story short, we got them down further. In total, we ended up with a whopping 6 lakh discount! My bro paid them 33 lakhs for the car (on the road price) + 78000 (6-year extended warranty), 50000 (all inclusive 4 year service & maintenance package) + 24000 for accessories (my bro really wanted the coat hanger + pillows + dustbin etc.) + Skoda's drive assure for 37 grand (basically zero dep insurance coverage + some additional protections including engine seizure from floods). Total billing was 35 lakhs dot. IMHO, 33 lakhs for a Superb is a steal. Our original choice - the fully loaded Seltos - costs like 21 lakhs in Mumbai. For 12 lakhs more, we jumped to a car that feels 2 - 3 segments higher and is far safer + luxurious too. Admittedly, the jump in budget is 50%, but my brother wasn't price sensitive (at one point he was considering spending 50 lakhs on a new C-Class) and the Superb feels totally worth it. I feel the Seltos is well priced at 20 lakhs (safety rating aside)...but the Superb is “underpriced” at 33 lakhs. Heck, my Superb L&K cost less than the Compass Facelift's top variant OTR! That's how overpriced the Compass is (and conversely, how well-priced the Superb is). I usually move fast - we TD'ed both cars on Sunday, started negotiations with the two dealers on Monday morning, and we closed the price on Tuesday. Wednesday, we cut them a cheque for 20 big ones and the deal is done. We knew the updated '21 Superb is coming, and that this deal is only for the 2020 car. From the 2021 update, the one thing I really miss is the 360-degree cam (front camera in particular). In some other areas, I prefer the 2020 car (e.g. analog instrument cluster + 3-spoke steering wheel). Didn't even consider the Sportline variant as we wanted the dark brown interiors + ventilated seats + superior sound system (we live for music). Of course, the killer discount was the biggest motivator - I wouldn't get the 2021 update at this price and didn't feel the feature updates were worth a couple of lakhs more. Once the order was placed, Skoda kept me updated throughout, including real-time notifications from the factory (car was freshly built after placing my order), when it was being transported etc. Once the car arrived, we drove straight to JMD's basement parking on a Saturday morning. The first glance of our future family member:   Took it out in the light and did the full Team-BHP style PDI. Registration papers were signed only after we were satisfied with the PDI:  We've already put 400 km on the car and are loving the experience. The car is kick ass and feels incredibly special, luxurious, smooth and quick. It's the kind of car we'll easily keep for 10 years. I'll state that the biggest negatives for me are the notorious Skoda ownership experiences & their shoddy long-term reliability. The reason I still pulled the trigger is the updated DSG + extended warranty + my brother's low running. We all work from home, now have 4 cars in the house (not including the media cars I drive every weekend) and my brother's usage of the Superb will be primarily at nights + weekends + his highway drives. I'd say an annual running of 4000 - 5000 km tops for the Superb, so even after 10 years, I am looking at an odometer running of 50000 km. These German devils usually show their true colours after 40,000 - 50,000 km. The first 6 years are taken care of by the extended warranty, and I have mentally prepared my brother for average upkeep costs of Rs 75000 - 100000 annually from the 7th year onward. I am also mentally prepared for a DSG failure, at least once. When I bought my 530d, I was prepared in the same way for big buck repairs & maintenance (although its reliability has far exceeded my expectations). I know that the Superb isn't going to be hassle-free to own and over the longer term, there will be repairs & expensive bills. Still, here's the thing about European cars = they completely & absolutely spoil you! After having a German luxury barge as my primary drive since 6 years, there is absolutely no way I could drive a Camry or even a Lexus as my daily ride. German cars really spoil you and it's hard to consider a non-European car once you're used to the experience, build, engineering & dynamics. Other Points: • All four of my cars have different drivetrains now - one is a FWD diesel, one is a FWD petrol, one is a RWD diesel, one is a 4x4 diesel. Talk about variety! In terms of transmissions too, we now have a 4-speed, 5-speed, 7-speed and 8-speed in the house! • Why a sedan in this age of crossovers? Simple answer = we remain sedan people! • Have kept a 1L pack of engine oil in the boot. VAG TSI engines drink oil. Chuckled & remembered this hilarious thread (YetiBlog® - Shell, Superb and me.). • As a self-confessed pre-owned car fan, I went for a new car delivery after 15 years!!! The last was the Tata Indigo in '06. • Have retained the stock Apollo Tyres as they are okay for my brother’s sedate style of driving. Plus, I like to give my cars incremental upgrades so as to spice things up over time. Helps toward not getting bored with the car. Over the years, we'll be adding premium tyres, a remap, aesthetic mods, nicer rims etc. • Running the engine in right now and I'm needing the willpower of God not to take it to redline revs! Still can't get over my drive in the dealer's 2.0 TSI demo car. That baby rev'ed like it was born to rev. • This killer deal was only for the 2020 car (basically stock clearance before the 2021 update), white colour (our first choice) and dark brown interiors (our first choice). On European cars, I love white & silver as they showcase all the subtle curves, contours & creases. In comparison, the carbon-black colour of my 5-Series hides all those finer details! My top choices for the F10 have always been white or silver, so I'm really pleased with this colour. • The car is going to spend 2 - 3 days at the Redline Autohaus shop for a PPF, full black roof & applying the Honda rat tape on all wires & pipes. • We got our first full tank after delivery (a ritual that somehow feels incredibly satisfying, no?) and the Superb gulped in almost 6,000 bucks worth of petrol! My brother - used to the Sunny - was  . I added fuel to the fire (pun intended) by telling him that the Sunny gives you 15 - 23 kmpl of the cheaper fuel, while the Superb will give you 7 - 14 kmpl. My exact line to him was, "big car, big bills, get used to it".Picture of my bro's new car from his old car, the Sunny:  Kunal with his new ride:  And me as the very proud big brother. When I was his age, I bought a used Civic, and here he is buying a new Superb L&K at barely over 30 years of age:   From a recent night drive around Bombay:  Shot just before we left for delivery. My bro sure jumped from one CAAAAAAAAAAR to another:  Last edited by GTO : 2nd February 2021 at 17:29. |
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2nd February 2021, 09:40
| #502 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Noida - NCR
Posts: 790
Thanked: 2,962 Times
| Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
The FE is not that bad. 9/10 is easily doable especially given your brother drives sedately. Get ready for an annoying sunroof "tick" over bad roads and I dunno if they have taken care of the dash creak. A bit of black foam takes care of it though. Great buy! Great post! I am sure Zac would be following this thread henceforth if he is not already lol.  | |
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2nd February 2021, 09:45
| #503 | |
| BHPian | Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
 What a journey it is. Just goes to show just how big the gap is in the 22-30 L budget. Skoda's 2021 Octavia launch is going to be very interesting. | |
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2nd February 2021, 09:58
| #504 | |
| Team-BHP Support  Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,316
Thanked: 26,031 Times
| Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
 Always been a fan of the car, and very nice of you to mention Sam. There will never be a better review of a Superb than his ending with the umbrella 'paisa vasool' (did yours come with one?). Agree with you on the alloys. Look out-of-place on a classy understated design, but that's just another potential incremental mod down the line for you.  | |
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2nd February 2021, 10:18
| #505 |
| Team-BHP Support  | Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Awesome, congrats GTO. Your post reminded me of my purchasing decision last year. I was pretty sure the Seltos would be a good upgrade from my Ecosport after the media drive. But I felt if I'm spending after 7 years let me not get an incremental update and look at something euro for a change. Went for a TD of the Compass and liked the feel but the price of Trailhawk AT (only diesel AT option in Jan 2020) at 34L was way too much for the compact dimension and the compromised ZF9 AT. The Trailhawk even had lesser features. Finally settled down for the Octavia Onyx edition which was going to get discontinued soon. I figured since the 1.8L TSI engine is going away, would be good to get one now to enjoy the TSI experience. The Octavia after discounts was 26.5L on road Bangalore. Luckily after speaking to you, moralfibre and Manson, I jumped 14L up just like your bro and got what I really wanted, the Kodiaq. The Kodiaq felt like a 60L SUV being sold for 40L. The Octy had the unreliable DQ200 and I would always have at the back of my mind that I got the last car from the generation. I can tell you the Superb and Kodiaq are so similar in what they offer. Had I picked up that Octavia 1.8L TSI from the last batch, I can tell you that within a year I would have terrible buyers remorse. Because of this Superb. The Superb 2L TSI with new DQ381 gearbox and the new Sportline trim for around 35-36L in Bangalore would have been less than 10L more than the Octavia in Jan 2020 and blows the Octavia out of the water in every parameter. It would have been like why didn't I wait for the Superb 2L TSI!!! What I absolutely love about the L&K is that Chocolate brown interior which is the one Kunal got. Can you please post more interior pics. This is the interior colour where you don't find a single pic online. Congrats and happy motoring to you guys. Oh and this is the first Skoda for you in the family I believe, fun times ahead. Last edited by Vid6639 : 2nd February 2021 at 10:54. |
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2nd February 2021, 10:30
| #506 |
| Team-BHP Support | |
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2nd February 2021, 11:32
| #507 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,991
Thanked: 6,889 Times
| Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Congrats on the new acquisition, it looks stunning. With the running pattern, your brother has, I doubt the DSG would throw any trouble. I wish him the best ownership experience. I disagree :P when you say European cars look better in white. From the humble Polo to the majestic S-Class, I think all European cars look best in black. On the contrary, I feel Japanese cars look better in white & silver. But hey, we agree to disagree. Interesting to see what an additional 10-12 lakh can get you. IMHO, Swift/i20 vs Seltos can hardly be considered a jump when compared to Seltos vs Superb. In apartment terms, is like a 1BHK vs 2 BHK compared to a 2BHK vs 4BHK penthouse with a large balcony. Last edited by landcruiser123 : 2nd February 2021 at 11:36. |
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2nd February 2021, 11:43
| #508 | |
| BHPian  Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 382
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| Re: Skoda Superb : Official Review Quote:
Reading through your booking experience reminded my so much of my own. I had gone to the Skoda showroom to check out the Octavia, while not even serious about a new car then. Saw the Superb inside-out, fell in love, TD'ed the Superb, fell madly in love, booked it! I have grown to like the car even more so over the last 4000kms and I can't believe I am saying this - I prefer it over my 230hp S60 D5 even for highway drives! There is something about that comfort, ride-handling balance, enormous space, thoughtful features and more than sufficient engine poke, that makes the Superb just darn impossible to pass over for a trip. Highway trips with the S60 would always be about me saying "No we can't take the kid's cycle;I don't care if it's foldable", "No way, not that kid rocking chair", "Nope, not that fat suitcase". Now I don't care. I am pretty sure I can fit half my house. And still drive a low slung sedan at the end of it! And about the umbrellas - was actually getting drenched in a drizzle on a road trip and blaming December rains when all of a sudden it hit me. I have umbrellas!! Wishing your brother many many happy miles in what's a special special car! | |
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2nd February 2021, 12:03
| #509 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: India.
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2nd February 2021, 12:10
| #510 |
| Team-BHP Support  Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: S'pore/Thrissur
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