SKODA SUPERB

Family hatchback ticks all the boxes despite some minor issues

- Pete Gibson [e-mail]

THE Skoda Superb has done us proud over the past six months on our test fleet. It has worked its socks off taking me and loads of photography equipment to various locations around the country.

My commute can be half an hour or in some cases four hours, but the Superb manages to make even the long drives acceptable.

Over its time with us, the combination of a 148bhp 2.0 TDI engine and a seven-speed DSG gearbox has returned average fuel economy of 50.4mpg. With a full tank of diesel, the Skoda has a range of nearly 800 miles, which goes to prove how practical internal-combustion engine cars can be.

The obvious downside to all the miles I've covered was that the service-light countdown began five months into the six-month loan. Most long-term test cars don't normally need maintenance before they are returned to the manufacturer, but it's always interesting to see how good the aftersales offer is.