So we got a 2011 Skoda Superb 3.6

So we got a 2011 Skoda Superb 3.6


For those not in the know, Skoda is a Czech brand owned by Volkswagen. Skoda does fine in Europe, selling variantions of VW platforms alongside Seat and Audi. But thanks to sub-standard dealers and all sorts of internal politics, the brand never took off in the UAE. Now a new dealer has taken over sales of Skoda in the UAE, and they are looking to move cars in a big way instead of playing second-fiddle to VW. To coincide with the launch of their Dubai showroom a couple of weeks ago, dealers Ali & Sons released the 2011 Skoda Superb 3.6, which is the car we are currently testing.

The understated-but-stately Superb is in a curious position. On one hand it is clearly a midsize sedan in length, but on the other hand, it has a seriously stretched wheelbase comparable to full-size sedans. In fact, it is based on an elongated VW Passat platform.

That length is very obvious in its profile, especially since the rest of the car is low and narrow. The interesting rear end has four exhaust tips, a lip spoiler and a prominent “4×4” badge!

The interior is solidly built, even if some gaps are a bit wide. Material quality is very good, with a soft-touch upper dash, upper door sills, centre console and even glove box cover. There are some bits of hard plastics within reach, but nothing worse than what we’ve seen before. The touchscreen controls the stereo, but there is no navigation.

The seats are part leather and part alcantara, both powered up front. Space is good.

The rear is amazing in how much legroom it offers, easily as much as a full-size car or maybe even more, although headroom is average. Passengers get two pop-out cup-holders, pull-up sun blinds, pillar-mounted a/c vents and a big LCD display on the central console showing time and temperature.

The trunk lid opens up to reveal a massive boot, but the opening is a bit small if you plan to stuff a fridge back there.

But to impress your friends as they load that fridge for you, the tailgate can also open up like a liftback, making the opening much larger. There are also convenient little hooks in there to hold small grocery bags.

The Skoda Superb is a “nice” car in the truest sense of the word, but it faces stiff competition simply because of its asking price, which pits it directly against a whole host of established nameplates. We’ll discuss that further, as well as extol the virtues of its driving performance in the full review.

Update: It turns out the Skoda Superb has automatic parallel parking and we didn’t realise it until later.

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Comments

  1. greed will kill the brand before it is able to establish itself here. prices at par with already leading brands will kill itself as it would not stand a competition to the japs or even its cousin..the VW and looking at what the americans are dishing out…its a sorry state of affair in terms of pricing alone for the skoda

  2. Skoda’s are nice cars with exceptional build quility, but considering the brand backup in the region, the ownership costs and not to mention resale, the pricing of these cars is highly disappointing. I would fancy a skoda but only when the prices are considerably lower. One can get much much better deals at this price or even for its other cars.

  3. fully agree with anil.

    being from germany, there skoda’s are offered at highly competitive prices to eg VW, etc. so it makes for close calls.

    here, however, they ask for money i’d rather spend on other brands.

    anyways, the car itself is solid quality (key parts from VW anyways).

  4. Author

    I found out today morning that this Skoda has the VW self-parking feature. Funny that Skoda’s peeps choose not to mention it, probably due to its complexity in setting it up. Video coming soon.

  5. Guys,

    Skoda is an amazing brand. I mean the brand by itself is not that exciting, but since it is part or VAG Group (Volkswagen Automotive Group) the quality and the ride is the same you can expect in a VW or even an Audi. I used to have a 2007 Octavia back in France (1.9 TDI) and I was more than happy with it. building quality – smooth ride – high torque – everithing was great. But you’re all right – price in this region is a problem and it is about the same for all german cars (maybe except Porsche) there is not difference of price compared to Europe – it’s a shame since there is no tax. In the meantime french cars are damn cheap compared to France and transport is about the same from France of Germany so this cannot be an issue. Back in France Skoda is about 20% cheaper that her mother company VW and is even cheaper than french cars. I’m sad to say that I love these cars and the New Superbe is really great but I would put my money in some other brand like Kia or Hyundai (New Optima / New Cadenza / New Genesis) especially because teh after-sales service is great and cheap. Al Majid group ois doinf a damn good job.

  6. Can you tell me where i can find a skoda service center in Dubai ? Thank you very much !

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