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-   -   Skoda Superb : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/175340-skoda-superb-official-review-88.html)

Thank you so much, so it is the reality then :-)
Unfortunately, it is not just about cost, but the headache of towing to the service station and getting it fixed :-( not so simple, anyways we got to deal with it. Thanks again for the suggestion.

It is a 2019 model. Very much under RSA coverage (guess RSA support is 9 or 10 years). You can call them to come and replace the battery at your home or wherever the car can be. Not sure through if there will be a charge for that - but still it will be much less hassle and cost compared to towing.

DITTO. My 2019 MY car didn't crank today and the screen flashed a "12V insufficient" message. So I guess I need to replace the battery too. In talks with Brite Skoda workshop for a replacement. So with Superb, I guess 3.5 years is the maximum we can expect. Reasonable I think. Only thing is, you cannot put your own battery: warranty issues!

Pleasantly surprised to see better than expected mileage in heavy traffic!







Meanwhile have also come across couple of gremlins.

• The front passenger door doesn't open from outside when unlocked, however once opened from inside it opens fine till you lock the car again. Skoda has instructed the dealership to replace the latch, waiting for the parts to come.
• The USB-A port inside the front armrest doesn't work, will ask dealership to check when I take to replace the latch.

So, I got the battery changed from Brite Skoda and as usual, overall a pleasant experience. However my observations on the process:

1) The battery dies just like that : no warning
2) The battery replacement is NOT as trivial as plug and play. The moment it is disconnected, the car forgets itself.
3) A very detailed reset and coding procedure was involved with their proprietary scan tool (like VCDS)
4) The battery serial number, batch number, type and a few other details are entered manually into the scan tool and a checksum is generated.
5) Many modules like ABS, ESC, turning lights, windows, sunroof etc. go haywire. They have to manually cleared and reset from the scan window.
6) A few residual errors are reset ONLY if you drive a few hundred meters. Steering, ESC, ABS for example.

So while it may be possible to fit an external battery, I doubt if a valid checksum would be generated if a random serial number is punched in or if we "add 1 to the old serial number" (as advised on some VAG forums).

The battery MRP is 11831/- . The old battery is with me. Need to sell it off :D

Car score : 5/5 rl:
Battery longevity score : 3/5 (Varta non AGM, 72AH)
Brite Skoda workshop score : 4.75/5

Surprised to hear the Superb is so different from the old generation Octavia. In my MY16 Octavia TSI, I've changed twice with Exide (non-OEM) batteries without any issues at all. The Exide guy just disconnected the old one, and replaced it in 5 minutes with a new DIN60 one.

As you said, the residual errors go away after driving / restarting once or twice.

Quite surprising! No such issues on my 2012 Superb. Though the steering and ESC error can be removed just turning the steering wheel on full turn from left to right and driving a few meters. Maybe they have done some 'locha' in the newer models to prevent owners from changing the batteries themselves.

Cheers...

Good bye Nightwing, you were a trusted sidekick! Taking up an new career opportunity in the US forced us to part ways.

My wife and I tested positive for covid 4 weeks before our visa appointment. As a result, we would only finish 3 weeks of testing negative after the interview date. Therefore, flying to Chennai was out of the question. This meant a road trip from Hyderabad to Chennai and back. Fate, thou art magical. That round trip created the ideal way to bid farewell. One last ride, one last time <3

Nothing short of excellence, Nightwing felt like a natural extension to me. Covering ~700km onwards felt so easy yet exciting. The first hour, we covered 100km, cruising at 98kmph, returning an impressive 17kmpl!
The next ~550kms, I unleashed the 2.0TSI beast, resulting in an average speed of 90kmph, returning an average mileage of 12-13kmpl.
We then spent an hour crawling through the last 30 or so kms dodging the infamous Chennai traffic.
Overall, we covered ~700kms in 9 hours including breaks (starting at 5:15AM helped!), and returned an average mileage of 10kmpl. Most importantly, ZERO near misses or incidents *thank god*


The return leg was eventful to say the least - Two narrow horrific near misses + an insane uncle racing in a fully loaded ertiga + torrential rain + dusk.
At one point, I was doing close to 100kmph on an empty stretch of the 6 lane road. I see a man get on top of the divider and crossing the road ever so slowly. I honked and started moving to the left. This mad man started walking directly towards our car. Panic breaking ensued, with me somehow taking Nightwing off road to the left and avoiding this detritus excuse for an individual. Thank god the roads were empty.
Soon after, the road became a 4 lane highway, with many trucks occupying the right lane and refusing to budge. This forced faster cars to use the left lane to overtake them. In one instance, I moved to the left, honked, and proceeded to overtake the truck. Just when my car is almost parallel with the said truck, he decided to cut left :O
The reason - some hitchhiker on the left shoulder signaled the truck. #fuming.
Finally, the icing on the cake, or rather, the rotten egg on the trash. An elderly "uncle", driving a fully loaded Ertiga like it was a Ferrari. Racing me, blocking me from overtaking, driving like a frenzied lunatic, doing 120+ even when the roads are soaking wet. While I wasn't racing him, I overtook him a few times on the open roads, he overtakes me when we slow down for construction or tolls or traffic, squeezing between me and traffic most of the time, which forces me to brake and give him room. After realizing that he's racing with me, I let him overtake and slow down for 15 minutes to put some distance between the lunatic and me.
Overall, we took just over 10.5 hours to cover the return leg, after leaving Chennai at 10:30AM.

Hyderabad to Chennai route summary:

• Gachibowli to Ramoji Film City via Outer Ring Road (ORR)
• Ramoji Film City to Nalgonda via NH65. Pothole ridden 4 lane highway for approximately 50kms.
• Nalgonda to Ongole via NH 16, 4 lane highway with brilliant roads.
• Merge with Kolkatta-Chennai Highway before Ongole.
• Ongole to Chennai - mix of 4 lane and 6 lane highways with great roads.

Overall, it's been a wonderful 20 months of ownership. Many long drives, many days spent washing and caring for Nightwing. The car has really impressed me and will always have a place in my heart. My first luxury car, the first European in the family & by far, the longest, widest and roomiest car ever.

The silver lining - the new owner and I got along really well, he's also a petrol head and adores the car that makes the deal so much sweeter! And, he has offered to give me Nightwing anytime I visit Hyderabad to rekindle the romance ;). Couldn't find a better deal anywhere.









Guess it's time to hunt for my new car in USA (and update my handle too :uncontrol)

What is the AH rating of the new battery that you got from BRITE SKODA? And is this a AGM battery?

Thank you all,
I called RSA, they promptly sent a service guy with a battery to jump start. Unfortunately, it did not work, so Skoda arranged towing service( Free of cost ), and the car got towed to the TAFE service station. They replaced the battery and the car is back today. :-)
All is good now.
But as noticed by "lapis_lazuli" also, the battery stopped working with no warning, and it lasted just 3 years for me.

Hi Suman, the original and replacement, are both 72AH, non AGM. Mine doesn't have start stop. So AGM isn't needed. Hope this answers your question or is there something else?

I remember reading your initial ownership post (this was way before I even joined Team-BHP). I've been lurking on this thread every now and then and it makes me happy to see what a brilliant companion this car was for you. Brilliantly written, good luck with your search for another companion in the USA! :D

A Superb is a Superb, just as the name says it really is superb! Too many Superbs for now.:uncontrol
A mere 20 months with this beauty is what makes me sad, but hey, God had different plans for you! Wishing you good luck for your future stay in the US! Hope you find a worthy replacement to your 'Nightwing'!:Cheering:

Thank you both! Yes, the car has been nothing short of Superb, and 20 months was wayy too less. I've had only two issues with the car, both due to external factors (Dash cam drained the battery once, and the car was victim to rat bites). Thankfully, PPS Skoda in Hyderabad were super quick to rectify both issues.

Thank you for your wishes, I will keep T-BHP updated with all my automotive adventures as always. However, replacing a Superb is going to be difficult :p

If you want to see the EA888 2.0L TSI in it's ultimate form (and if the budget allows for it) I'd look for a Golf GTI or Golf R.

Those cars really show you want that engine is capable of.

But moving to the US also opens up options like the LS powered Chevy Camaro and the Coyote powered Ford Mustang GT :D.