A SIMPLY SUPERB DRIVE

It seems like automakers are going out of their way to come up with bizarre names for cars these days. Some names reflect the brand’s national heritage while others are just a seemingly random jumble of letters and numbers.

Imagine my surprise when I found a car that delivers exactly what the name suggests … the Skoda Superb.

The Superb is sleek, powerful and packed with enough gadgets and gizmos to keep you entertained all day … not bad for a brand that just 11 years ago was regarded as a joke.

Many years ago, the brand from the East European Communist State of Czechoslovakia had a reputation so unflattering it could be summed up with the line: “How do you double the value of a Skoda? Fill it with petrol!’

Back in the UK, what with the price of fuel, no one would be laughing at that gag anymore. And, after being taken over by German automotive giants Volkswagen in 2000, no one can joke about Skoda’s well-deserved reputation of supreme levels of reliability, class and comfort.

The surprises just keep coming – the exterior design is more aggressive than you’d expect from a standard saloon and it marks a bold new direction from the old variations of this particular model.

It’s not just the outside that’s changed, the interior has been given a makeover too and, since the marque shares its DNA with the Volkswagen Passat CC, I felt right at home in the state-of-the-art cockpit, as I had test driven one recently.

Complete with a combination of leather and suede seats, you’re really sitting pretty in this model, which also boasts duel-zone A/C control to keep all passengers at their preferred temperature.

I’m pretty sure the reason they called this model Superb is because of the onboard features that are almost too numerous to list.

One of my personal favourites is ‘Park Assist’. When driving past a parking space, ultrasonic sensors compare the space available with the length of the car and, if it’s suitable, the parallel parking assistant automatically controls the steering as soon as you select the reverse gear, leaving you with nothing to do except sit and enjoy the show.

Another feature I loved was the TV function. Yes, that’s right, the car has a built-in TV! While the car is stationary, you can catch up on the news, sports and soaps on the centre console’s touch-screen display. It’s so much fun I actually found myself looking forward to a traffic jam!

Finding one was easier than I thought because (through means I don’t fully understand), the Superb’s onboard navigation system is able to give you advice on which roads are busiest.

In terms of safety, the Superb is top of its class with front, side, curtain and even knee airbags, it’s hard to find fault with. The model also features ESP anti-skid control, parking sensors, Bluetooth and fully -automatic lights.

The Skoda Superb is available with two power plants - an economical 1.8-litre turbocharged inline 4 cylinder that pumps out 180 BHP and is mated to a dynamic 7 speed DSG automatic transmission; and a 260 BHP 3.6-litre FSI V6 power plant mated to a six-speed DSG gearbox.

All-in-all, this model really lives up to its name and the price is superb too … starting from BD12,500. For more information, contact Ahmed Zayani &Sons W.L.L on 17238822.