[DDiSLover]

Hello folks!

Hope everyone is staying safe during these trying times! Corona induced lockdown/WFH has taken its toll on me, leaving me battered and bruised emotionally and physically. Although me nor any one in my close family contracted the disease, staying locked up at home threw a lot of other challenges in front of us. Long story short, I cannot wait for the world to recover and go back to being normal!

Like many other stories of gloom, there are a few silver (or rather gold) linings! For one, being newlywed, we got to know each other REALLY well during the first few months of lockdown. Secondly, this gave us an opportunity to come back home and be closer to family. Another lining is the reason for this thread. I want to talk about our newest ride, Nightwing! A Race Blue Skoda Superb Sportline! I have hardly driven 150kms in the car, and this review is based on my opinions so far. I am planning to do a 2000km drive in the coming weeks and will update the thread with more details as I go through them.



Before I go any further, I want to thank my father. Dad, without you, this dream would have never come true! Love you!
I would also like to thank the following BHPians who have been extremely helpful and patient with me. Deeply indebted to them and all other BHPians from Hyderabad!
• Varun [vk007]
• Varun [Varun_HexaGuy]
• Anumod [Anumod]
• Dr Kumar [ecosport rules], Kalyan [kalyan_hyd] and all other Hyderabad BHPians!
Background
First, a little background on the need. I had a 2017 elite i20 which I absolutely adored, and I had no plans of changing the car. However, in August, my wife and I drove down from Hyderabad to Kerala with full luggage and our little puppy. Though I enjoyed the drive, I really felt the lack of space. Furthermore, driving through the narrow roads of Kerala, I found myself cursing the manual transmission. Something that I thought I would never do.

Therefore, I decided that I would get a bigger car with an automatic transmission. We had thought about getting the new car just before we head back (expecting to head back once Offices reopen, god knows when that would be), and I started looking at all my options. I had eyes set on the Seltos and had a budget of 22L. I had also decided to keep the i20 as a second car for the wife to use.

As I started looking through all the options, one thing became crystal clear. Either spend around 15L for a sedan, or 20L for a Seltos/Creta/Harrier. Or spend >30L for something better. There were no other good choices in the 20-25L range. Related thread - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-...ar-me-buy.html (2 million rupees, and still not a "complete" car for me to buy?).

So, I started looking at all options from 10-22L, from the City/Verna to the Creta/Seltos.

My needs:

• A large spacious vehicle with ample boot room.
• Automatic transmission.
• Safety features ++.
• An enthusiast's car with good driving dynamics.
• Comfortable seats suitable for long drives.
• Good rear seating space. Being 6 foot tall, I always get complaints from folks sitting behind me that they have no leg room.
• Automatic headlamps. Got too used to the auto headlamps from the i20.
• Fuss free ownership, at least for the first 5-6 years.

My wish-list on top of the above needs:

• Paddle shifters. Would love to take manual control on highways and weekend leisure drives.
• Classy looking car with luxurious interiors. The i20 was good, but I wanted a more premium feeling cabin.
• A sunroof.
• Decent OEM ICE set-up.
• Projector/LED headlamps. Cannot imagine going back to halogen headlamps.
• Tall-ish car seats – My whole family is tall and my parents both have knee/back issues. They find it difficult to get in and out of my i20. Dad drives an Innova and mom recently upgraded to an EcoSport from a WagonR. Though my parents are based in Kerala, I would have liked to have a car that’s comfortable for them when they visit!

Options considered:

1. Creta/Seltos – 3 years ago, I had thought of upgrading to a Creta when the time came. With the release of the Seltos, I was absolutely sold on the Seltos! The new Creta facelift killed any ideas of the Creta (personal choice, but I find the new Creta ugly) and almost cemented the Seltos. I had my eyes set on the GTX diesel auto. However, stories about breaking issues on the Seltos/Creta shook me up to the core, and I gave up pursuit.
2. Tata Harrier – Loved the car, but I couldn’t digest the way the front looked. Again, a personal choice, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. My wife didn’t like the car either, and that took the car out of the options list.
3. Octavia – I loved the car, but they had stopped production.
4. Elantra – loved the package, although the front looks would take getting used to. Test drove the car, but my wife didn’t feel the car wasn’t as comfortable and she preferred the i20 over this! Safe to say, Elantra was out too.
5. Civic – Growing up, I always drooled over Civics! Being a driving enthusiast, I had concerns about the CVT. But recent decisions on Honda stopping Civics & CR-Vs in India took this one out of the options list as well!
6. Pre worshipped premium cars:
   I am a huge fan of BMWs. Dream to own one someday. Given the current situation, I also looked at used BMWs or Audis. I found a lot of options well within budget (thanks to BHPian Varun_HexaGuy for helping me find a few options). Saw an X1 from WB, an A3 from Hyderabad, among others. However, I wanted a car which would be easy to maintain and I was apprehensive of the care that a used German would need. BMW’s approved used cars offered a warranty package, but any car with at least 4 years of warranty left was well beyond the budget. I almost closed on a used X1, but something told me to stay away. While pre-worshipped cars offer tremendous value, I would prefer to inspect the car personally over time before buying. Lack of options in Kerala ended this pursuit.
7. Jeep Compass AT – The car looks deadly! But I felt the car was too small for the price and didn’t feel VFM. I asked for a test drive, but the dealer never followed up on my request. That ended any Jeep dreams.
8. XUV500 – two of my cousins have an XUV500 and I really liked the car. Knowing the facelift was around the corner, I thought about waiting for that. However, my BIL has an XUV300. He needed to replace a few parts and it took the dealer around a month to source the parts. That put us off big time and Mahindra was off the list.

Now, I had no choices left. I made my peace and thought about waiting for the new Octavia. I had seen videos & pictures of the new car from Europe and felt it was worth waiting for.

While I was debating through all the options (Thanks Varun [vk007] for such engaging discussions on all choices), there was a significant development. My wife, being a novice driver, mentioned that the i20 was too big for her. While size is something you get used to, I felt she would be more comfortable driving a small automatic. This made me consider selling my i20. Initial checks told me that I could fetch anywhere from 5.8L to 7.3L for the car! With this additional amount, I could now start looking at cards in the sub 30L category!

With this new-found enthusiasm, I started my hunt again! Alas, the joy faded as suddenly as it started, as I realized the ONLY worthwhile vehicle was the Hyundai Tucson. We test drove the car, and we loved the comfort and almost decided on getting this. In fact, I even PM’ed Bhpian QuadraticAmoeba on his experience and told him that I’m getting one too!

However, Hyundai’s reluctance to offer any discounts what-so-ever made the deal a bit sour for me. The petrol base variant (even though there were hardly any differences between variants) was coming to a hefty 28.5L OTR. Yeouch.

I thought that I would wait and see how things turn out. One day, talking to fellow BHPian Anumod, he asked me about the Superb. At first, it was way beyond my budget and my wildest dreams, so I laughed it off. However, he mentioned that I might get some good discounts on the car, and that made me look at it. Varun [vk007] helped me get in touch with Skoda in Hyderabad, but there were no discounts available on the 2021 model. They had already sold out all 2020 cars. I then spoke to Skoda in Kerala, and found out that they had one, and only one, 2020 model available. Sportline trim in Race Blue. Immediately, my wife and I were apprehensive of a blue car and the black interiors, and felt we were back to square one. We test drove an L&K spec Superb and was left completely happy. However, the price tag quickly brought me back to my senses and I dismissed the idea with a heavy heart.

One day, my uncle had come over in his Octy. I found myself drooling over the Octy and my heart started calling out for a beautiful sedan, a true driver’s car! I called up the Skoda dealer, determined to find a way to make things work out. Even though Skoda ASS stories are scary, they offer 4 years warranty (extendable to 6 years) and a service package, which should keep the car trouble free for the first few years. The dealer gave us a brilliant deal overall for the Sportline, and we decided to drive up to the showroom to see it in person. I must say, seeing it in person left me awestruck! I found myself doting on the car like I used to when I was much younger! My lady also liked the interiors and the overall appearance. In her words, the blue was not too loud and she ok’ed it! I think she ok’ed it because of that oh so wonderful boot ��

This was what we were greeted to when we visited the showroom:


Now with her approval, I had to work out the finances. I managed to sell the i20 for a great price and the numbers started making sense! A sweeter deal from Skoda finally sealed the deal! Thanks Anumod & vk007 for helping here too! I made the payments and booked the car.

Price
All in, I paid just under 35 big ones for the car, accessories, registration, insurance (zero dep + hydrostatic cover + return to invoice), service package & extended warranty. My learning here is to bargain hard. There is tremendous opportunity to save bucks here and there, especially with insurance and accessories. Enquire with 3rd parties for insurance quotes, and the dealer will most likely meet that quote. The Skoda guys initially quoted 1.48L for insurance (zero dep only). I finally got them to give me zero-dep insurance + hydrostatic cover + return to invoice for just under 90K!
As I mentioned earlier, I want a trouble-free ownership. Horror stories around Skoda’s ASS had me completely against the idea of getting one, but the extended warranty + service package gave me confidence in going ahead.

Variants in detail

Although the dealer only had a 2020 (ergo discounts) Sportline and had sold out all L&K variants, I did do a comparison. Here are the differences between the 2 variants. I've highlighted in Green what my preference between the two are:


While the L&K looks uber luxurious and regal, I preferred the black interiors over the beige/brown ones. The hands-free boot was certainly not a must have, and the speakers on the Sportline seemed enough for my tastes (thinking of adding a subwoofer down the line). However, I LOVE the gun metal alloys on the Sportline and really disliked the dual tone alloys on the L&K. The price difference (and no discounts on L&K), and the 2021 L&K's 2 spoke steering wheel (Maruti's of old anyone?) further cemented my choice of the 2020 Sportline.


My family and I are primarily diesel lovers. We average over 15K kms a year in most of our cars and usually prefer diesels. In the past decade, we’ve only had 2 petrol cars (a first gen SX4, which didn’t have petrol option, but still ran close to 90K kms in 6 years, and a WagonR which mom used purely for city shopping trips). Other cards included a Swift VDI (my first car), i20 CRDI, n Innova diesel, and the newest EcoSport diesel. Being in Kerala, trips to Kochi/Trivandrum were pretty common and counted towards the high kms.

However, after I moved out to Hyderabad, I realized that I drive less than 7K kms a year myself. My i20 had only clocked 24K kms in 4 years, and that included a Kollam-Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad trip, an Ahmedabad-Hyderabad trip, and a Hyderabad-Kollam trip. My running in the city would be around 15kms a day and that would average out to around 6-7K kms a year. With the price difference between diesel & petrol becoming thinner each day, the premium for a diesel vehicle over its petrol sibling started making no sense at all. Petrol engines needing less maintenance than diesels also added to the decision. Plus, Skoda effectively took away the decision from me by no longer offering TDI engines on the superb. Thank you, Skoda!

Buying experience
Overall, the buying experience was super smooth. I didn’t want to rush, so I had asked for a delivery date 2 weeks after I paid the booking amount. In this time, I had some plans to sort out, and needed to complete the sale of my i20. I sold the car through OLX as I got a much better deal than what Skoda offered as exchange (through Mahinda first choice). The SA and Kerala sales head were extremely professional in dealing with me and helped me with all my queries and needs. Once I found an auspicious date & time, I asked for the delivery to be arranged.

On the day of delivery (it was a Sunday. Special thanks to the SA & Malayalam Motors for accommodating this request even though Sunday was a holiday), my wife and I went to the showroom. The car was prepped, and I only had to finish up the paperwork before I could drive off.

Car ready for delivery:


When I went to see the car in person before booking the vehicle, I did a PDI silently without anyone noticing! Final checks done, I took handover of the keys and got in the car.

Just before we drove off:


As is customary, drove over limes and then drove straight to the temple for prayers. We then drove home slow and steady, while I got used to the sheer dimension of the car! Overall, the experience was super smooth.

Once I reached home, and I got out of the car, I was taken aback. I couldn’t believe it. Had I really upgraded to a Superb? Was I dreaming? I pinched myself and realized that this was actually happening! I was now the owner, no parent, to NightWing!

First pic I took after reaching home:


Loves
- Feels like an A6 with a Skoda badge! The car oozes a truly luxurious & sporty vibe.
- Solid build quality. Doors close with a reassuring thud! Amazing paint job.
- Top notch safety with 8 airbags. 5-star rating at Euro NCAP.
- A smooth motor, quiet and composed when driven with a light foot. Roars to life with a quick flex of the right leg. I swear, the front of the car seems to almost lift off when I punch it!
Attachment 2116953
- That DSG auto box. L.O.V.E. Lightning quick shifts and seems to always know which gear I want it to be in
- Looks. Solid looker with the blue & black combination, and my oh my, those alloys. Now, I feel the L&K with the chrome bits would look way to regal for me!



- Boot space. Man. I could sleep in the boot! It’s insane how big that boot really is. The powered boot is the icing on the cake!

- Attention to detail and the small touches here and there like the puddle lamps, interior lighting, welcome & goodbye lighting etc. gives me a feel-good factor. The umbrellas in the door pocket are a great touch.


- Rear seat space & comfort. Even with the front seats fully back, there is ample leg room in the back! Beats the big 3 Germans (3 series, A4, C class) easily at a much lower cost.


- Height adjustable front seats with memory. Even though the car is a low sedan, with the seats at the highest position, my father can get out without too much trouble. In fact, my grandmom also found it super east to get in and out of! She’s also 6 ft tall and has extremely weak knees & shoulders. She struggles to get up from regular chairs as well. But she found it ok to get out from the call with the seat raised fully. BIG LOVE.


- ICE is clean and clear.
- 6-year extended warranty & service package. This will hopefully keep the car easy to maintain for 6 years.
- Powered seats with memory function. I find it very difficult to find the sweet spot once the seats are readjusted. The memory function is a god send to me!


Hates

- Expensive! Even with the discounts, the overall OTR price was way above my budget.
- Scary stories of unreliable DSG & Skoda’s scary dealership + ASS,
- Fuel efficiency – the system says 8kmpl now, hope to get 10+kms to the liter!
- No Drive modes on the Sportline. Seriously, what was Skoda thinking? Giving the virtual cockpit but no drive modes on a variant call ‘Sportline’? Come on! Thankfully, the transmission still has a D/S mode which satisfies my craving.
- The sheer length. I know, rear legroom and space comes at a price, but daymm. The car is LONG. Coming from the i20, it really takes some getting used to. U-turns are going to be, erm, fun! The car is longer than my dad’s 2013 Innova!
- Sunroof – to be specific, I love the sunroof, but Skoda calls it a ‘Panoramic’ sunroof which it is NOT. Come on Skoda.
- No ventilated seats. On the Sportline, which is supposed to be driver focused, they decide not to provide ventilated seats. But on the L&K, which is targeted at chauffeur driven folks, the front seats are ventilated. Seriously?
- Absence of features like park assist, connected car tech, wireless charger & 360 camera – on a 30L+ car these are serious omissions. Even cars a third of the price has these (Verna)! TPMS is another feature that’s missing from the Sportline.
- The start stop button positioning – it is where the key slot used to be. Seriously? Feels like an aftermarket addition.



Driving and overall ownership experience
The Superb is now only available with a 2L TSI Petrol engine mated to a DSG automatic transmission. This engine produces 187BHP and 320nm of torque. Coming from an i20, the sheer power that this engine produces certainly puts a wide smile on my face! This combo is buttery smooth and has insane acceleration as well! Although the car has launch control, I’ve never had the opportunity to try it out. Combination of bad & narrow roads and traffic conditions never gave me a save avenue to test it out. To arm launch control, turn off traction control, depress the brake pedal with your left foot, accelerate. You will get a message that says launch control is active. Pop the brake pedal and off you go!

I haven’t had the chance to really drive this car, and I’m planning a highway run soon. Eagerly waiting to try out (safely) the paddle shifters, sport mode & launch control on the open road!

Launch apart, the overall driving experience is top notch. The flat-bottomed steering wheel feels well-crafted and premium to hold. It comes with both rake and reach adjust and you’ll easily find the sweet spot. The sporty seats are extremely comfortable and give you a lot of support. The headrests, though fixed, add to the comfort. Seats being powered (and with 3 memory sets) are super easy to adjust and find that sweet spot. All three mirrors have auto day/night, and I must say, I find it extremely useful. The OVRMs also adjust when in Reverse so that you can see the kerb. Although the rear is sloping, the view from the IVRM is manageable.


I do feel the accelerator pedal should have been an organ type, that would have added to the premium feel of the car. That being said, you can feel the pedal has a 2-step action. Push beyond the first step, and the car does get going!

In the city, I find the car to be easy to drive, although the size does get some getting used to. I do find myself being more cautious while driving than I used to be. I find the gearbox to be buttery smooth and the acceleration with a sedated foot to be very smooth and calm.

When I do get the occasional open roads on the highway, I tap my right foot or flick my left hand, and the car roars to life! Putting the gearbox into Sport mode changes everything! The car seems to transform into a raging bull and is ready to blast into the horizon. The engine roars to life and before I know it, I hear the 80kmph chime! Insane how a car can be comfortable and quiet one moment and suddenly be insane and loud the next! The DSG box ensures that shifts are lightening quick, and the paddle shifters are super responsive too. One downshift and the car is ready for that quick overtake. Now, I’m confused on what to do to prep for a quick overtake. Do I flick the gear down into Sport, or push it left into Manual, downshift using paddles (automatically takes the car into Manual mode), or just floor the pedal? Multiple way, same result – blistering quick acceleration and a wide grin on my face.

I’m not going into too much detail on all the small features that the car comes with, like well thought through storage areas, cubby holes, etc. as the official review has covered all of that in detail (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offic...al-review.html (Skoda Superb : Official Review)). I would like to call out some of the other small, neat touches that I really appreciated, including the parking sensors that come on at low speeds. In addition to turning on when in reverse, you have a button to turn it on whenever you want, which is helpful when in tight spots. Automatic parking, a feature added to the 2021 model, is something that I would have loved to have. But alas, I missed out.

Other nifty features include the ability to open/close windows & sunroof from the key by pressing and holding the unlock/lock buttons. I was also surprised to see that the car has an interior motion detection system! I had left the windows open and tries to get something from the gearbox while the car was locked. The alarm system went off!

More thoughts on specific areas below.

Safety & related equipment

Safety is of paramount importance to me. We always go for cars with ABS and airbags as far as possible, and my i20 was the Asta(O) variant with 6 airbags. The Superb, rated 5 stars at Euro NCAP, satisfies this need rather too well! With ABS, brake assist, 8 airbags, traction control, ISOFIX mounts, etc. (the list is endless), I am completely at ease buying this car.

I do miss a few safety features that are missing. Skoda should have provided a blind spot indicator and connected car tech with live tracking at this price point. Well, guess you can’t have everything.
Interior design & quality (plastics, upholstery, fit & finish etc.)

When I upgraded to the i20 from a Swift, I was impressed by the quality of the interiors offered by Hyundai over Suzuki. I loved the premium feel of the car. Coming to the superb, I was blown away! The interiors ooze luxury and feel uber premium. Everything from the seats, the center console, to the smaller-often-ignored parts like steering stalks, fake button covers, headlight switch etc. feel extremely well built and smooth to operate. There are a few hard plastics here and there, but I am not complaining. I test drove a 3 series right after the superb and I feel that there isnt that big a gap in terms of interior quality. Sure, the BMW is super luxurious, but the Superb is almost at par!
At half the price. #VFM

Driving position, ergonomics, controls & MID

Being a tall and hefty person, getting the right setting for my driving position is super important. Often, this means that no one with legs can sit behind me! However, in the Superb, I can find the right driving position easily (and THANK GOD FOR MEMORY SEATS!) and normal humans can sit behind me in comfort.

Coming to the actual driving position, the 12-way electric adjustable seats allow me to find that sweet spot easily. The steering wheel allows for rake & reach adjust which makes things even easier. As an added plus, the flat-bottomed steering wheel feels extremely sporty and is super easy to use. It is well sculpted and feels comfortable to hold.

Visibility & size of mirrors
This is one aspect where I feel Skoda could have done way better. With three rear head rests and a smallish rear glass, the IVRM can’t do much to provide a great rear view. The OVRM look classy but are smaller than what I would have preferred. While the view from the front is great, thanks to that crystal clear and huge front glass, I wish the mirrors were more useful. Given the sheer length of the car, I would have loved to have bigger mirrors and a blind spot indicator.

Air conditioner cooling & effectiveness
While the AC is powerful and does a great job at cooling the cabin quickly, I do have a nitpick. The sunroof visor is translucent and lets in a fair bit of heat when driving under the sun. Plus, it isnt powered. Skoda should have given a powered and opaque visor for the sunroof. I’m dreading the famed Hyderabad Summers now.

Interior storage, practicality & boot space
Skoda has out done themselves here. There are so many useful cubby holes in the car, and I fear that I will stuff them with useless things over the years. They’ve really thought this through (“Simply clever”) and provided so many small touches here and there that go a long way! Some of them include:

• Dual bottle holders with a slotted one in the middle so you can open a bottle with one hand.
• Soft close lids for cubby holes under the arm rest & center console.
• Compartment on the right side of the steering wheel for spare change, with card holders.
• Toll holder clip on the RHS of the front glass
• Cooled center arm rest cubby hole with flap to accommodate tablets.
• Rear arm rest with cup holders AND a pen holder! I don’t think I’ll ever use it, but hey! Makes me smile anyway.
• Access panel to the boot from the rear seats
• Large door pockets

Overall NVH levels & ride quality
Once you get in the car and close the doors, you are cocooned into a different world. It’s almost like putting on a pair of noise cancelling headphones. All noises from the outside world are reduced to a large extent. When driven sedately, you can hardly hear the engine noise. Add some light music and you can hardly hear anything that is happening outside.

I deliberately keep the music system low because I want to hear other vehicles honking or driving around me! I haven’t noticed any road or wind noise, but that is probably because I am used to driving around in an Innova/EcoSport/i20.

When I miss hearing the engine, a simple flick of the foot and the engine roars to life!
The ride quality is top notch. Over decent roads, I feel like I’m seating on a sofa. On bad roads, the bumps feel like a softened bump, like how an Innova handles it. Overall, the ride is plush, smooth, and comfortable.

While the car is low, I haven’t yet hit the underbelly on a speed breaker, even when tackling it head on. I do take my time to go over it smoothly. However, with luggage and a full cabin, I will have to tackle them diagonally, given the already low GC and the long wheelbase.

More YAYs:

• Skoda’s attention to detail is insane. Along with headlight washers, there is a small nozzle which sprays the rear camera too! Very useful when the car is dirty.
• Speaking of the rear camera, the quality is top notch. I’m a bit apprehensive of the accuracy of the guidelines, but they haven’t failed me yet (and I hope they never do).
• Interior mood lighting has been done tastefully! The thin strip which goes around all doors and front dashboard looks classy! You can pick from 10 different colors, and the virtual cockpit also follows the color you choose! Neat!
  
  
• The boot has so many hooks to organize your luggage. Whats more, the car comes with partitioners which have a Velcro base. You can use these to keep your luggage from moving around in the boot. Totally useful, especially with that stonker of an engine!
  
  
  
• The boot is also accessible from the rear seat. There is an access panel built in behind the center armrest. I'm guessing this will become useful on long drives:
  
  
• The doors open wide further augmenting the ease of getting in and out of the car.
• The headlights have effective throw and do a good job of lighting up the road in front of you. Added bonus, they look downright sexy at night!
• The auto up/down function has been added to all 4 windows. Useful touch!
• Skoda has thrown in two umbrellas, one in each front door. Nice touch! Rolls Royce ish feels!
• The center arm rest is too good. It supports a wide range of angles, and the center console holds a fair bit of stuff. Another neat thought is the flap which allows you to accommodate larger tablets in this space. Bonus #2 – it is cooled! How cool is that!!
• I love how each cubby hole has a cover which feels really premium and long lasting. Its these smaller pieces that really make a difference!
• The Head unit is super responsive and has a truck load of features. I will post a more detailed review once I get the change to try everything out. Sadly, the HU has an option for TPMS even though the Sportline doesn’t come with TPMS. I wonder if I can add it later from ASS…

The NAYs

• I’m still getting used to the rotatory headlamp switch (thank god it has auto headlamps) and the wipers being on the right. I did end up spraying the windshield when I wanted to flash my high beam on several occasions.
• Lots of unused buttons here and there, especially in the central console. How I wish the start/stop button was located here. Maybe after warranty expires…. *evil smile*
  
  
• Similarly, the slots to put in SD cards in the glovebox have an empty holder which used to be the CD changer. Come on, how much would it have cost to remove those?
  
  
• The cubby hole under the AC unit is too small to fit my phone (S20+). I wish it were bigger. Given the size, I’m glad that the car doesn’t have wireless charging. Better not to have a feature than to have it but not be able to use it!
• Air conditioner – the multi zone climate control system is cool! The AC cools quickly and effectively. One nitpick is that there is no OFF button. I must press on Menu & turn it off from the AV head unit. #facepalm
  

That's my review of the car so far. I can't wait to do a proper photoshoot and a long drive in the car. Will keep this post updated with my findings as they come. For now, leaving the thread with a few more pictures:

Brakes:



Removable torch in the boot:

[vk007]

Congratulations bro!!! SUPERB choice indeed! Looking forward to our many drives.

[Shiftlock]

Wow, this shade of blue with the blacked out badging and accents is a looker! Wish you have many miles of driving pleasure ahead.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing!

Congrats man - your car looks stunning. I wish my brother had gotten the option of Sportline looks with L&K features. Stupid Skoda. We didn't, so my bro bought the L&K (short summary here).

Your car will go to our homepage tomorrow .

[anumod]

Congratulations on the new buy.. You will never regret the decision .. It is an awesome machine and will take you anywhere with the maximum driving experience ..

[DDiSLover]

Thanks folks!

I also want to thank Malayalam Motors, the entire sales team and their leadership. They were courteous and helpful throughout the process and patiently accepted my requests, and gave me a fantastic offer. Compared to my previous experiences in buying a new car (for other members of the family), these chaps were very proactive and extremely fast in following up.

Even after delivery of the car, they have been extremely helpful with getting some of the pending work completed, such as delivery of accessories etc.
Special shout out to Mr. Faisal and Mr. Rajkrishnan from Malayalam Motors!

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Skoda or Malayalam Motors and I am only voicing my satisfaction and gratitude to the dealer & their employees.

[shifu]

Nice detailed review! Congratulations on your new ride. Hope you have lakhs of kms of trouble free ownership.

[Bibendum90949]

Congratulations DDiSLover on your new ride and a brilliant one at that. So from a DDiSLover to TSiLover now. Team BHP sadly doesn't allow changes to the handle, else you could change it to TSiLover

[sidhu.algods]

As a die-hard sedan lover, people like you & GTO keep me in a positive frame of mind regarding the sedans. Your car looks smashing in that blue blazer, nice write-up too!

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by DDiSLover

Thanks folks!

Lovely car and sweet choice of colour. We have more or less the same colour on our Ecosport 2020 TDCI S, really love the sporty blue shade on my cars. My previous Swift was also in a shade of bright blue! It is fairly rare to see Superbs in blue, it is mostly in muted shades that I have seen them thus far.

I have always loved the way Euro cars are built and designed with clean and elegant lines, and at the same time, sporty and well built interiors. Congratulations and wish you many happy miles with the luxo barge.

[Zodak]

Good write-up DDISlover. I too purchased a Superb In December, though a white sportsline. Blue color looks awesome. I was thinking of writing an ownership review but looking at your review, I don't think I can add any value. Are you planning for PPF? I got it done as I won't be able to withstand swirls and scratches on it. Would strongly suggest you get it as well. I have done some highway trips on it and the adrenaline rush you get once you floor the pedal is addictive. It's hard to not do it. I found A/c to be not as good. Are you using AUTO setting?

[pk1972]

Beautiful write-up and car looks amazing in Blue shade. Wish you many happy miles with it. Do update the thread when you do an long drive.

[Behemoth]

Congrats DDISLover and that is one sporty and Drool worthy car! The Race Blue colour looks amazing. The Superb in its new avatar is very classy and potent - it looks like a proper self driven sporty car now.
The inside space and the Boot space are great strengths and once you get used to such a large boot space, you will find it difficult to go for any other car!
The new 2L TSI engine with DSG is a great combo and drive performance is thrilling while still engaging. Love the Alcantara Black interiors too of the Sportline version - do share more pics of the interiors when possible.
Enjoy your new Superb and wish you many many years of Happy Motoring!

[Merril]

Originally Posted by DDiSLover

Hello folks!


Removable torch in the boot:
Attachment 2116967

Welcome to the Superb club! This is one amazing vehicle. Although the idea when we bought ours, was to use it only for long trips and important business meetings (kind of moot givem the current situation), I do love to take it over the Celerio through bangalore traffic. Love it that much and is also that easy to handle. Wish you many many happy miles with her!

Just one quick question though. How does one switch on the torch when it is taken out of the holder? In my Superb 1.8 TSI L&K (2019), the torch works when it is plugged into its holder, but doesnt switch on when I take it out. Is there something that I am missing?

[nitinralli]

A BIG congrats for your new car. Simply love that color

Waiting to see it in flesh soon