Review of the new Skoda Superb 4x4 Range

Four-wheel-drive is all very well but its inclusion does serve to dent the value proposition of Skoda's excellent Superb saloon and the benefits, for most customers, will be limited. The Superb offers quality and advanced technology at eye-opening prices but it majors on comfort rather than driving thrills. A 4x4 model will be handy for towing or driving on icy roads but the rest of the time you'll barely notice it, except at the pumps.

Low key to the point of being subterranean and with prices rooted at the bottom of a mine shaft dug into the Executive car sector's bargain basement, Skoda's Superb has obvious appeal. It's a big, classy saloon for those who'd rather not engage in the 'mine's flashier than yours' golf club car park one-upmanship contests that the majority of the sector's protagonists have at least half an eye on winning. At its best, the Superb gets the job done efficiently with little overkill but where does that leave the 4x4 versions?

Do British buyers need big 4x4 saloons? Audi will tell you that they most definitely do, having fashioned a range that's dominated by quattro all-wheel-drive technology. Skoda is a VW Group partner of Audi and the Superb 4x4 uses the same fourth generation Haldex system to distribute power to the four corners of the car. In extremis, a quartet of driven wheels is undoubtedly more capable and composed than a pair at the front but will Skoda customers attracted by the car's value proposition be willing to pay extra for something that could be all but undetectable on the daily commute?

The Haldex 4x4 system offered on the Superb is available with some of the car's best mainstream engines, plus its most expensive unit. The 2.0-litre TDI diesel is an advanced common-rail injection effort found across the VW and Audi model ranges. It's offered with the Superb 4x4 in both 140 and 170PS guises and in 170PS form, with 350Nm of torque from 1,750rpm, it has some proper muscle behind it. The 1.8-litre TSI petrol unit is less forceful with 160bhp and 250Nm but its turbocharger helps make that torque available across a broad spread of the rev range and it has little trouble moving the two tonne Superb around. The 3.6-litre V6 range topper is a bit of a blunt instrument by comparison but it's matched to the excellent DSG twin-clutch automatic gearbox. With torque equivalent to the diesel and 260bhp, it's best able out of all the engines to make the Superb lean on its clever 4x4 drivetrain.

"The Haldex 4x4 system offered on the Superb is available with some of the car's best mainstream engines."

Under normal driving conditions, some 96 per cent of the engine's output is channelled through the front wheels. It's only when the ever-vigilant electronics detect a loss of traction that power is diverted aft. It's on ice and snow, in wet conditions and when you're pushing the Superb hard through corners, that the advantage of having a 4x4 model will be felt. Here it will provide greater stability, security and allow smoother acceleration. The 3.6-litre V6 engine is only available in 4x4 guise but with the other engines, the system is an option. The 2.0 TDI 170PS 4x4 car can power from 0-62mph in 9 seconds but that's 0.2s slower than the front-wheel-drive model with the same engine, a result of the 92kg handicap the 4x4 carries.

The Superb's size immediately strikes you. The first generation version was hardly compact but this model is 35mm longer still at 4.8m. From some angles, the shape isn't particularly graceful - though from others, it looks, well, superb. Either way, once you're sat inside, it's hard not to be impressed, in contrast to the MK1 version which in places, felt built down to a price. This time round, Volkswagen and Audi design cues are evident all around the interior and the general feeling of quality is tangible. In the rear, fortunate passengers will enjoy legroom of a level only usually found in luxury saloons. There's 19mm of extra kneeroom over the old Superb and space for even the preposterously tall to get comfy.

With their 'Twindoor' system, Skoda has engineered a novel rear opening for the car which provides access to the large 565-litre luggage bay in the style either of a saloon or a hatchback. Press one of the buttons on the Superb's rear and a conventional bootlid lifts open. But if you continue to press until the high-level brake light flashes, your upward pull releases the whole of the rear windscreen as one with the boot lid to form a conventional tailgate, thus giving you a full-size hatch opening. This novel arrangement adds greatly to this car's practicality. Fold down the rear seats and a huge 1,670-litre space presents itself. If that doesn't appeal, buyers can simply get the Superb in the guise of an estate for up to 1,865-litres of capacity with the seats down.

The 4x4 models in the Superb range come at a premium of just over £1,400 compared to the front-wheel-drive models. The 3.6-litre V6 engine is only available with the 4x4 mechanicals, a DSG gearbox and in plush Elegance trim but it still looks like a lot of car for around £28,000. The other two units are available in SE or Elegance form, the 1.8-litre TSI getting a six-speed manual and the 2.0 TDI making do with five gears. Even with the price premium, the 4x4 Superbs look good value in the context of the wider market. The question is whether price sensitive Skoda buyers will be willing to take the hit.

SE models include seven airbags, dual-zone climate control, a CD/MP3 stereo, alloy wheels, electric windows all-round, cruise control, electric mirrors, the ESP stability programme and front foglights. There's even an umbrella secreted in the rear door. The Elegance trim level adds full leather upholstery, a Bluetooth phone system and adaptive Xenon headlights amongst other features.

The extra weight of the 4x4 system brings a penalty of 3 to 6mpg on the Superb's combined cycle economy figures. The desirable 140 or 170PS common-rail 2.0TDI diesel engines are an appealing option, not least because of their fuel economy and emissions. Considering the performance on offer, the 44.1mpg on the combined cycle and 168g/km of CO2 you get from the 2.0 TDI 170 are very good. If you really can't face a diesel, the 1.8 TSI petrol unit is a good option, returning CO2 emissions of 168g/km and 39.8mpg on the combined cycle. The 28mpg and 235g/km you get from the V6 will deter high mileage drivers.

One of the best things about the Skoda Superb is the way it strips away the gloss and pretension that pervades the executive car market. It offers quality, functionality and technology to challenge the top marques at very attractive prices. The suspicion with the 4x4 Superb models is that they go against this philosophy by adding extra complexity and expense that most customers of this big Skoda in the UK will rarely use. Exceptions include the significant number of will value this top quality product as a tow car.

While Audi quattro customers might value their car's ability on icy roads, track days and twisting mountain passes, even if they never use it, those of Skoda's more prosaic clientele who aren't regularly hauling things about might be more inclined to wonder what good this pricey technology will do them on the daily commute. Effective thought it is in the right conditions, redundant capability like this doesn't seem particularly Superb.

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