First drive review: Skoda Superb iV

Monday, 26 July 2021

• SKODA SUPERB iV

• Price range: $71,990 to 79,990

• Powertrains: 1.4-litre petrol inline four plus electric motor with 160kW/400Nm (combined), 1.7L/100km, six-speed dual-clutch automatic, FWD.

• Body style: Wagon and sedan

• On sale: Now

The Skoda Superb iV is here in all of its plug-in hybrid glory. It’s the first time Skoda has sold such a vehicle in New Zealand, and we’ve taken it for a spin to see just how different it is from the regular Superb.

Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?

‘iV’ is Skoda’s new suffix for all of its plug-in vehicles, both hybrid and fully electric. The Superb iV is a plug-in hybrid, but Skoda is marketing it as an “electric plug-in hybrid”, to help better distinguish it from serial hybrids like the Toyota Prius.

**READ MORE:

* NZ Police actively testing plug-in hybrid Skoda as it moves to lower its emissions

* Skoda details New Zealand-bound Superb iV plug-in hybrid

* Road test review: Kia Sorento Premium PHEV

**

The iV badge will eventually spread to the Octavia plug-in (early 2022) and the Enyaq fully-electric SUV (2023, though that’s a “moving target”, according to Skoda NZ’s general manager, Rodney Gillard.)

It uses the standard Volkswagen Group PHEV powertrain, that being a 1.4-litre petrol engine paired with an electric motor and a 13kWh battery.

Claimed electric range is 62km, while you’ll easily hit more than 900km with the petrol engine as well. Combined, the two powerplants make a respectable 160kW/400Nm.

Power is sent through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission to the front wheels only and emissions are as low as you might expect – 1.7L/100km and 40g/km of CO2.

Otherwise, it’s a regular Superb, albeit with a bit less boot space, thanks to the extra electricals (510L seats up). Speaking of which, charge times are around seven hours for a normal home outlet or three hours with a wallbox.

Prices starting at $71,990 for the Style sedan, $76,990 for the Sportline sedan, $74,990 for the Style wagon and $79,990 for the Sportline wagon. All those prices are eligible for the $5750 Clean Car Discount rebate for plug-in hybrids.

Where did you drive it?

We were only allowed about an hour behind the wheel, but that was enough to go from Villa Maria, where the launch was held, out to Maraetai and back. If you’ve driven similar products from the Volkswagen Group, the Superb iV won't be all that surprising.

It retains the refined drive but adds a bunch of low-end thrust courtesy of the electric motor. By default, the car will prioritise using the e-motor as much as possible. There is a bit of hum as you accelerate but not an intrusive amount.

Skoda has also included an external sound generator for pedestrians, which actually sounds quite cool – a low, rumbly noise coming from the nose of the iV.

In Sport mode, the petrol engine takes over, with the electric motor filling in torque. This is a genuinely quick thing between the flags, that extra torque is quite noticeable and keeps the wagon really hustling.

There’s nothing special here regarding the chassis, it’s the same, proven MQB platform we know and love. And it’s still superb, which is appropriate.

Having a six-speed DSG feels a little outdated these days but, given the main idea behind having more cogs is to reduce fuel consumption, the electric motor takes care of that, allowing the gearbox to be lighter and less complex.

We started our trip with about 45km of electric range but, with some brisk backroad driving and a bit of motorway cruising, we arrived back at base with 16km showing, which shows the capabilities of the regeneration systems.

What’s the pick of the range?

The Sportline wagon. It’s expensive for a Skoda, but it packs a lot of quality materials. Everything was either Alacantara, leather (or at least a synthetic replica that felt as good as the real thing) or soft-touch plastics and the seats were beautifully supportive.

Admittedly, this was the only one we had the chance to drive at the launch, so there’s a good chance the lesser Style wagon is an equally good buy. It loses a couple of ticks in the spec sheet though, like adaptive cruise control, dynamic chassis control, and matrix LED headlights/LED taillights.

Why would I buy it?

You want a capable station wagon that doesn’t cost the earth too badly, or you want an EV without the range anxiety. You also want to trick people into thinking you might be an undercover police officer, like countless Commodore owners have in the past.

Why wouldn’t I buy it?

You don’t want to drive what the cops are driving or you just bought an Octavia RS.