Skoda Superb vs Volkswagen Passat

The Superb has very little competition in its price range which we witnessed with the Superb petrol, as it was easily able to outdo the Honda Accord on quite a few parameters. In fact, not only does it attract buyers looking at a segment below, but also buyers looking at a segment or two above it - such is its prowess in terms of features and equipment. With the diesel Superb,the competition is even more limited and comes in the form of the Passat, its own elder sibling. In Germany, Volkswagens invariably triumph over their corresponding Skodas, even though the most Czech thing about the Skoda by now is just its name. However in India, the cars are judged solely on the merit of the products. That the Passat has the most consistent and precise panel gaps of any of the cars tested by us, is a testament to the superb German build quality. Otherwise 3mm everywhere turns out to be a tough ask for the best of manufacturers.

The Superb comes loaded with a gamut of features including a new touch screen interface for the music system. Steering controls offer a crisp feel.

Unlike its petrol sibling, the diesel Superb rides a lot better. Although it loses out to the Passat on the looks front, certain design elements like the headlamps with Superb monickers and a chrome touch on the bootlid save the day.

Passat is more palatable That the Passat looks better goes without saying - it has got a much better profile even though the Superb has some highlights and design elements that are pleasing and classy, like the headlamps with the Superb emblem or the chrome edge to the bootlid.

What usually differentiates two cars of the same segment and price is usually the engine which in this case is identical in both cars, the 2-litre TDI pumpe duse (unit injector) engine of the Passat finds its way into the Superb. However there are some perceptible differences. The engine clatter seemed to be far less on the Superb. So we measured the sound of both the engines at idling and found there to be an over 5db(A) difference in the two. This is very pronounced at idling and the engine also seems to be smoother - more like a common rail unit than one with unit injectors. The Superb also outperforms the Passat comfortably, although the difference is slight. This could be because the Superb engine develops its maximum torque at a much lower rpm than the Passat. This results in better driveability as well. In-cabin noise is also less as is the fuel consumption, making the Superb a clear winner on these fronts, albeit by a tiny margin.

The Passat emerges as the more agile and sportier car of the two and that could also be because of its weight advantage. And though the Passat's steering is light and precise, the steering feel on the Superb too is of a very high order.

The Superb diesel rides well and this was one of the main surprises from the petrol Superb. Whilst the petrol Superb was a problem on speed breakers and the likes (pot-holes etc) as the suspension seemed to run out of travel in both directions. The diesel Superb had no such problems and was comfortable on a wide variety of roads.

Both the cars match each other point to point as far as equipment goes and there is very little to choose between the two. Being a more modern car, the Superb has an advantage overall but this is lost because the Passat has a few extras like heated seats, extra cup holders and slide-out drawers for knick-knacks.

The Superb feels more luxurious and overall has much more space than the Passat, including a 45-litre advantage in boot size,with the Superb's being 565 litres.

The best thing about the Superb is that this boot space can easily be used when required thanks to its original and novel twindoor system, where the rear hatch opens fully or the user may open just the bootlid to give conventional boot access.

One look at the instrument cluster should decide the car for the buyer as the instrumentation on the Superb seems to be of a much higher quality than that in the Passat.

Both the cars are loaded with safety features including eight airbags (some variants of the Superb even get nine) and have the full gamut of active and passive safety features. Both the cars get five stars on the Euro NCAP ratings, with the Superb getting getting it in the new test format which was put into practice this year.

Along with the diesel Superb, Skoda also announced the launch of the 3.6 FSI V6 4x4 Superb which will produce 260bhp and have a 250kmph top speed.

With Skoda having run out of the kits of the petrol engined car, the launch of the diesel has been preponed but deliveries of the V6 will begin only in a couple of months.

Skoda Superb In the Superb, torque is generated at a much lower rpm and this makes it faster than the Passat and more driveable in the city.

In the Superb, torque is generated at a much lower rpm and this makes it faster than the Passat and more driveable in the city

Volkswagen Passat is a PD engine, but is significantly louder on the outside. Inside though, the difference between the Superb and the VW isn't much.

The Passat too is a PD engine, but is significantly louder on the outside. Inside though, the difference between the Superb and the VW isn't much.