Skoda Superb Sportline Launched, Does Not Get RS Engine

We say sporty-looking because Skoda hasn’t bothered tweaking the mechanicals. The Sportline is a mere cosmetic job for India, and is available with the existing 1.8-litre TSi (petrol) and 2.0-litre TDi (diesel) engine, paired with a dual-clutch automatic. The variant is priced at Rs 28.99 lakh if you pick the petrol, and Rs 31.49 lakh if you opt for the diesel. Interestingly, this slots the Sportline in between the base-spec Style and the top-spec Laurin & Klement variants.

Here’s a quick look at how the prices stack up:

 This is clearly the one to pick if you want your Superb with an added dose of spunk. Updates to the exterior include blacked out bits on the front grille and wing mirrors, new 17-inch alloy wheels, and a subtle lip spoiler that’s also finished in black. Smaller updates come in the form of darkened fog lamps, an accent piece on the rear diffuser and a ‘Sportline’ badge on the front fenders. Colour options are limited to a bright red, a sober white and a somewhere in the middle light grey.

Recommended Read: Skoda Octavia RS: Road Test Review

Step inside and you’ll find an interior that’s familiar to what we’ve seen on the Octavia RS. All the beige has been given the boot in favour of an all-black cabin. There are sporty bucket seats for the front passengers, and both get electric adjust too. Other changes include a flat-bottom steering and different door sill strips. In terms of features, it’s got all that you’d want, including three-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, and a panoramic sunroof. Compared to the top-spec L&K variant, the key misses are the fatigue detection system, the stellar 12-speaker Canton audio system (Sportline gets a standard 8-speaker setup) and the ‘virtual boot lid release’ that lets you kick under the rear bumper to open the boot.

Sadly, Skoda hasn’t gone the whole hog and plonked in the 2.0 TSi from the Octavia RS under the Sportline’s hood. It continues to feature the 180PS/250Nm 1.8 TSi engine (with a 7-speed DSG), and a 177PS/350Nm 2.0 TDi diesel (with a 6-speed DSG). We’d have loved to see the fiesty RS engine under the bonnet here as it would have upped the desirability quotient by a whole lot.

Skoda’s flagship goes up against Toyota’s mighty Camry, which is all set to get a generation change in the coming months. Would you consider buying the Sportline? Or would you shell out Rs 1.5 lakh extra and just get the L&K instead? Let us know in the comments section below.