30 Friday, August 21, 2009 theboltonnews.co.uk/cars - for hundreds of cars in Bolton
Superb in every way
ECONOMY and luxury
are two words at either
end of the same scale.
No-one expects luxury to
be cheap, nor thrift to be
luxurious, and so we as
the consumer must be
forced to choose a
compromise between
the two. At least that is
the case most of the
time, but that hasn't
stopped Skoda from
trying to combine the
two. Its GreenLine
models sport a number
of tweaks designed to
eke out more miles for
each litre of fuel, but the
Superb is the largest car
to take on this particular
challenge.
The Superb in its more
common form is an
impressive machine,
mixing a high-tech feel
with comfort and luxury,
but how does that
translate into the
GreenLine? Well it's
actually quite hard to
spot one in the first
place. If you don't notice
the small badge and the
dinky spoiler on the boot
lid, the GreenLine looks
the same as any other
Superb. Large and
impressive, the nose has
an unmistakable touch
of the BMW 5-Series
about it, which is hardly
a bad thing. It's
handsome, if a little
unusual, and it certainly
attracted a surprising
amount of attention in
town -- all good of
course.
True spotters will note
that the GreenLine's only
physical changes are a
lower ride height and the
improved aerodynamics,
but otherwise it makes
no visual concessions to
economy. The same can
be said for the cabin too.
Frugal cars simply
shouldn't have this much
rear legroom: the
Superb is knocking on
the door of the limousine
set, and even with the
front seat all the way
back, even the most
awkward of beanpoles
will have nothing to
complain about. It's
comfortable as well as
spacious, with a rear
seat arrangement that is
clearly designed with
long distances in mind.
Those in the front aren't
neglected as a result.
The cabin displays a mix
of simplicity and style
that is becoming
something of Skoda
habit. The controls are
right in front of your
nose, do not require a
degree in electronic
engineering and feel
solid and nicely finished
under your finger. The
GreenLine is a model in
its own right and
therefore slots in
between the entry-level S
and mid-level SE, so it
gains tinted glass, cruise
control, and a four spoke
leather steering wheel.
So the comfort side of
things is
comprehensively
covered, but what about
the all-important
economy? Well the
quoted combined figure
is a truly pleasing
55mpg, with a C02 figure
of just 136g/km to go
with it. As is the way with
economy cars, the only
way to drive them is as
economically as
possible, and after a
week and 360 miles of
driving as if the
accelerator was made
out of razor blades, the
trip computer stated a
nice round 60mpg. One
30 mile journey (at a
leisurely pace,
admittedly) saw an
indicated 74mpg. At the
end of the week the fuel
gauge had not yet
reached half empty,
which is good news for
everyone except fuel
station owners.
If a car as large as the
Superb may seem an
unlikely target for
economy measures,
then the GreenLine is
utterly convincing in its
execution. It proves that
miles per gallon need
not come at the expense
of comfort or driving
appeal -- so why not go
GreenLine?
ROADTEST
Cheap really can be cheerful
FINANCIAL meltdown or not,
there's a lot to be said for low
cost motoring. There was a
time when it meant low rent
interiors, zero refinement and
yawn-inducing performance.
Thankfully the game has
moved on in the past few
years. Granted, there's nothing
like a consumer base with less
money to spend to get car
makers thinking, although
there's always going to be a
market for a low frills, frugal
small car.
And if there's one car shaping
up to be a model candidate it's
Nissan's Pixo. Small on the
outside, a small engine under
its bonnet but room for four
inside, its existence proves that
cheap really can be cheerful.
Calling the Pixo `cheap' is
more of an insult than a
compliment. The word implies
that there's something
substandard about the car, and
that simply isn't the case.
However, for anyone on a tight
budget the Pixo could be the
difference between reliable,
low cost transport and the
potential lottery of the used car
market.
The car's entry-level price is
certainly a headline grabber.
It's also a credible one. If you
don't need to be surrounded
by costly gadgets and rarely
deviate when driving from A to
B then why should you pay for
stuff you don't want?
All credit to Nissan for taking
the pragmatic approach to low
cost motoring, then. What you
see is what you get -- and the
view isn't half bad. Unlike so
many new `small' cars, the
Pixo doesn't look bloated or
oversize. In fact, it something
of a throwback to, say, the
1980s when small cars really
were small.
With its presentable exterior
complete with welcoming face,
the unpretentious theme
continues inside. Everything
you need is right where you
expect it to be. The clean lines
of the fascia hide a few useful
storage areas, while the few
instruments and controls are
clear and easy to use. All in all
it's exactly what you'd expect
from a car from a mainstream
maker positioned at the budget
end of the market.
And for a car a whisker over
3.5 metres long you first
wonder if everyone will fit.
There's no magic involved yet
four adults can sit in
reasonable comfort. By
extension, a small family will
have no trouble in the
accommodation department.
The modest theme continues
under the Pixo's bonnet, where
you'll find a three-cylinder, 1.0-
litre petrol engine. You might
think that 68bhp is on the low
side but, for the bulk of what
the Pixo will be doing, 68
horses is just fine. On the
move there's a purposeful
thrum from the engine yet,
even when pushed hard, it
rarely sounds like it's
struggling.
In fact, the little engine
punches well above its weight
whatever the situation. It
thrums along quite nicely
around town; the slick five-
speed manual gearbox is a
fine companion. There's plenty
of zip when you need to go
that bit faster. Indeed, the
engine is no slouch at
motorway speeds. Out of town
you never get the feeling the
car is out of its depth,
furthering the notion that the
Pixo could easily be more than
just a city car.
But the real kicker is the little
Nissan's green credentials.
You'd expect the car to be
economical but the official
combined figure of 64.2mpg is
sure to bring relief to your
bank balance. Running this a
close second is the car's CO2
figure: 103g/km. For a car with
no fancy, high-tech gadgets to
help reduce its fuel
consumption and CO2
emissions that's certainly an
impressive achievement.
All that's left once you've
picked your jaw off the floor is
to select which trim level you
want. And like the rest of the
Pixo, it's a pretty simple affair.
All cars get twin front airbags,
ABS, EBD, power steering, a
CD/radio plus rear wash/wipe.
Moving up from the entry-level
Visia, the Acenta gains side
airbags, central locking,
electric front windows, colour-
coded exterior trim, a 50-50
split rear seat and front fog
lamps. The flagship Tekna
adds air-con, ESP and curtain
airbags. All bar the base model
can be had with the optional
four-speed auto gearbox.
With a spread of equipment
that generous for a car in this
class plus economy and
emissions figures that will have
you laughing all the way to the
bank, it's easy to see the
appeal of Nissan's Pixo.
In the wider context it might be
a small car with a potentially
huge role to play in the future
of affordable motoring. It's also
a car that can save you money
without resorting to
compromises that would have
been the norm only a decade
ago.

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