Skoda Superb Tour de France edition review

Although the Skoda Superb Tour De France comes with a load of equipment, it looks pricey next to the basic Outdoor model. If cycling is your thing, we’d save the cash and fit a top-of-the-range bike rack to a standard Skoda estate.

The Tour de France is cycling’s most famous event, and one of its main sponsors, Skoda, is celebrating the race by releasing this Skoda Superb Tour De France edition.

The car is based on the Superb Outdoor and builds on the already generous spec by adding a host of extras for the cycle enthusiasts. Like all Outdoor models, it’s only available with four-wheel drive – with the TdF model mated to a 138bhp 2.0-litre TDI engine and six-speed manual gearbox.

It’s as smooth as ever, with pretty generous fuel economy, too. Motorway cruising is a strong point, with decent refinement and a nice cushioned ride. In short, it’s as good as any other Superb.

Outside you get a choice of white, red or blue paint in tribute to the French flag and some subtle Tour de France badging. Our car came with a useful roof-mounted bike rack, but all models come with a clever internal racking system and a set of cheap and cheerful waterproof seat covers to protect the standard leather trim.

The Superb also gets dual-zone air-con, 18-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, sat-nav and DAB radio.

The Tour de France edition costs almost £1,500 more than the equivalent Superb Outdoor, and will cost exactly the same to run thanks to identical economy and emissons. While the equipment list is extensive, it’ll only really appeal to die-hard cycling fans – so unless your name is Bradley Wiggins or Chris Hoy, we’d save the cash and spend the difference on a new bike with a few choice extras.