If there’s one European mainstream automotive model we would wish to have in the US, it must be Skoda. It sells smart vehicles which are sometimes much more spacious than phase rivals. Some would additionally argue they’re nicer than the equal Volkswagen fashions. We might actually take the Excellent over the Passat, however that is no strange model of the corporate’s flagship.
Based mostly on the previous-generation mannequin, this Excellent Property Sleeper Version does what it says on the tin. It has been reworked into a quick and highly effective wagon whereas retaining the unique look as a lot as doable. The usual automotive already had some juicy specs (for a Skoda that’s) by packing 272 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, enabling a dash to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds. This long-roof barge now pushes out a meaty 470 hp and 488 lb-ft.
Commissioned by Skoda UK and inbuilt collaboration with UK tuning store RE Efficiency, the one-off Excellent is a swan music for the previous Excellent. Unlocking that additional oomph was doable by putting in a Garrett turbocharger whereas altering the gasoline system, intercooler, and consumption. Other than tuning the two.0-liter mill, the engineers additionally put in a height-adjustable KW coilover suspension and AP Racing brakes.
The Sleeper sits practically two inches nearer to the highway for a extra aggressive stance and sharper dealing with than the common Excellent wagon. One other modification made to the roomy all-rounder is the exhaust because it now has a customized downpipe. The massive wagon retains the all-wheel-drive system and seven-speed, dual-clutch computerized transmission of the usual automotive.
The workforce behind this one-of-a-kind wagon was additionally answerable for the quickest Skoda ever, a 600-horsepower Octavia that hit 227 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2011. This Excellent began off because the Laurin & Klement, the range-topping trim named after the corporate’s founding fathers. Which means it has the whole lot from leather-based upholstery and three-zone AC to a Canton sound system and matrix LED headlights.
For the Excellent Mk3’s sendoff–Mk4 if we contemplate the unique RWD mannequin with V-6 and V-8 engines–Skoda UK selected a automotive painted in Royal Inexperienced. It was a particular shade launched final 12 months to rejoice the coronation of King Charles III. This beefy wagon is not on the market as it can be part of Skoda UK’s press fleet.
The newest Excellent is disappointingly much less highly effective than its predecessor since Skoda has dialed down the two.0 TSI to 261 hp. It hasn’t stated why, though it’s probably on account of more and more stricter emissions rules in Europe. Not like its fashionable predecessors developed by Volkswagen, the brand new era was really engineered by Skoda. It continues as a liftback and wagon however the corresponding Passat mannequin is simply supplied within the extra sensible physique fashion.
