changing wheels and tyres Superb Sedan

[romaniac]

Hello

I've purchased a set of 19" wheels ready to put onto my 2012 Superb Sedan when it arrives next month. I haven't yet bought tyres for these wheels and was wondering if anyone has had experience changing their wheels? What size I should be looking at? I want to keep the road noise to a minimum but also have a better performing tyre than the ones that come standard.

FYI these are the wheels http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/PaulMpower/fdghdfgh.jpg

I've already got skoda centre caps for them to replace the porsche ones.

Thanks

[pologti18t]

The standard wheel/tyre size is 225/45 x17 on a 17x7.5inch rim. How wide are the 19 inch wheels?

You are going to have to go to a much lower profile tyre to keep the rolling diameter the same on the 19inch rim. Something like 225/35X19.

[romaniac]

The standard wheel/tyre size is 225/45 x17 on a 17x7.5inch rim. How wide are the 19 inch wheels?

You are going to have to go to a much lower profile tyre to keep the rolling diameter the same on the 19inch rim. Something like 225/35X19.

They are 19x8.5 and 19x9.5. Would the 225/35x19 still fit?

[pologti18t]

They are 19x8.5 and 19x9.5. Would the 225/35x19 still fit?

I think you will find that the 9.5 inch ones will be illegal on your car. Most state road authorities have regulations on what increase in wheel width (not tyre) you can have on a FWD car
Are you sure they will fit your car (bolt pattern, offset etc). You don't usually put different width wheels on a FWD car.

[romaniac]

I think you will find that the 9.5 inch ones will be illegal on your car. Most state road authorities have regulations on what increase in wheel width (not tyre) you can have on a FWD car
Are you sure they will fit your car (bolt pattern, offset etc). You don't usually put different width wheels on a FWD car.

If the 9.5 inch won't fit I can exchange them for 8.5 inch ones. The bolt pattern is the same, not sure about offset. Problem is without the car here I can't try it out. So the 225/35x19 should fit on the 19x8.5 rim all round?

[Diesel_vert]

If the 9.5 inch won't fit I can exchange them for 8.5 inch ones.

IMO, that'll be the best thing to do.


So the 225/35x19 should fit on the 19x8.5 rim all round?

Yes, 225/35 R19 tyres will fit 19x8.5 wheels quite fine.

Though if you require your vehicle to be roadworthy, you need to fit 235/35 R19 91Y XL tyres, since the load index must be no less than 91.

[CanberravRS]

No where in Aus will allow 9.5 without an engineer's certificate and likewise no insurance company will provide you insurance unless the wheels are legal.
9's are legal Max for the Superb... 225/35/19 would be the suggested size for a 8.5 and 235/35/19 for 9inch if it exists.

[romaniac]

Great thanks for your help guys. I'll get 19x8.5 all round then, don't want to have insurance problems. I'll take a look at tyres in the 225/35/19 size , any recommendations on brands?

[Buller_Scott]

You don't usually put different width wheels on a FWD car.

come to south east dub fest and say that, lol.


Great thanks for your help guys. I'll get 19x8.5 all round then, don't want to have insurance problems. I'll take a look at tyres in the 225/35/19 size , any recommendations on brands?

firstly, nice wheels! i hope the offsets etc are bang on so you dont have any headaches.

as for tyres, that's a bit of a can of worms... what are your goals? are you going to be pushing in corners/driving hard etc? or are you after a quite grand touring tyre?

michelin ps2's have your size, bf goodrich gforce profiler should as well, and i've been using their little brother (gforce sport) for a while - great tyre, grippy in the wet let alone the dry, and AWESOME wearing. pirelli pzero rosso/ pzero, etc etc.

if you dont know much about tyres, and if you havent got any set 'go to' tyre, then really the only thing to do is try to create a shortlist based on your size, read up on reviews online, and then shop for the best price for the short-shortlisted tyres.

people are going to laugh at this next bit - you're in melbourne, so i'd suggest checking out COSTCO for tyres... i did get some bridgestones there a few weeks ago, and they were still 40% cheaper at costco than any bridgestone tyre center, even WITH the bridgestone tyre centers' october sale. they stock bridgestone, michelin, and pirelli iirc.

they had a deal where if you buy 4 tyres, you get $50 off the price, plus they fill the tyres with nitrogen, plus free nitrogen top ups for the life of the tyre, plus free tyre puncture repair for the life of the tyre. not bad...

p.s. im not saying this because im sponsored by costco or anything... i wish i was, though.

[Diesel_vert]

I want to keep the road noise to a minimum but also have a better performing tyre than the ones that come standard.

235/35 R19 tyres are mostly of the ultra high performance variety, which mainly focus on handling and grip. Noise, comfort, wear, rolling resistance & cost are second thoughts here. The joys of ultra low profile tyres and big wheels...

The big brands with their most recent flagship performance models are listed below (and incidentally, the only ones available in such a size):

Bridgestone Potenza S001
Continental Sport Contact 5P
Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT
Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2
Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Pirelli P Zero

At this level, they're all really much of a muchness in terms of noise, but at least all of these tyres will certainly outperform the standard tyres, which are Continental Sport Contact 2 (for 225/40 R18 ), IIRC.

[CanberravRS]

After having 2 Skoda's with 18's i can happily say that the new Michelin PS3 ROCK! Way better than the Factory 225/40/18 Continentals

But much depends on your driving style and preference for life expectancy vs grip levels.
Best to ask around and get a feel.. then choose.

[romaniac]

Thanks for your recommendations guys, I don't have hardly any knowledge when it comes to wheels/tyres!

The offset on the 19x8.5 is ET57, does that mean I would have any problems?

[CanberravRS]

Not sure on that offset. The factory 7.5's are ET46

[romaniac]

IMO, that'll be the best thing to do.



Yes, 225/35 R19 tyres will fit 19x8.5 wheels quite fine.

Though if you require your vehicle to be roadworthy, you need to fit 235/35 R19 91Y XL tyres, since the load index must be no less than 91.

Where did you get the information on the load index needing to be a minimum of 91? I want to go with 225/35/19 but I can't find any with the load index higher than 88. If I go with the 235s then it meets that load index however the speedo will be more out of whack and diameter and height will be more different than standard.

[Diesel_vert]

Where did you get the information on the load index needing to be a minimum of 91?

In fact, it'll be a bit higher than that, as Australia doesn't get the GreenLine II models. So the tyre placard may even state "no less than 94" (or 92 depending on specification).

The current Superb comes fitted with the following tyre sizes:

205/55 R16 91H*
205/55 R16 94V XL
225/45 R17 94W XL
225/45 R17 94Y XL
225/40 R18 92Y XL

*GreenLine II models only

To my knowledge, models based on the current Golf platform have never been fitted with tyres with a load index of less than 91. I don't see why it would be any different for the current Superb, especially when they've gone to the trouble of specifying XL (extra load) tyres for it, with the exception of GreenLine II models.

Not to mention that being based on the stretched version would imply an increase in kerb weight.


I want to go with 225/35/19 but I can't find any with the load index higher than 88.

That's correct, it's either 225/35 R19 84Y or 225/35 R19 88Y XL.


If I go with the 235s then it meets that load index however the speedo will be more out of whack and diameter and height will be more different than standard.

That's also correct, but it's better than fitting a set of tyres with an insufficient load capacity (safety first). VW must've reached the same conclusion, as even the Golf comes with 235/35 R19 91Y XL tyres, and not 225/35 R19 88Y XL tyres.

I've also noted that despite the availability of 225/40 R18 88Y tyres on the marketplace, all models on the current Golf platform have been fitted with 225/40 R18 92Y XL tyres instead...

[brad]

Where did you get the information on the load index needing to be a minimum of 91? I want to go with 225/35/19 but I can't find any with the load index higher than 88. If I go with the 235s then it meets that load index however the speedo will be more out of whack and diameter and height will be more different than standard.
If your speedo is as optimistic as most VW product then the +10mm extra diameter will make it more accurate. I went from 205/55 to 225/55 & the speedo still reads between 2km/h to 5 km/h optimistic between 50-110km/h (compared to my Garmin GPS reading).

At a guess, 8.5" / ET57 will have the tyres scraping against the struts on the front if the factory offset on a 7.5" rim is ET46 as you will be 24mm closer to the strut. From my experience, there is usually only about 15mm maximum to play with. If you are going from 7.5 to 8.5 then you'll have to stick with ET46 as that will make the rim 13mm closer to the strut (& 13mm closer to the edge of the guard as well). If you are trying to fill the guards, ET57 will change nothing visually.

You need to check the following before committing:
Check the tyre placard for the minimum load rating currently allowed - don't go less than this.
Check tyre placard for maximum diameter rim fitted - don't go more than +2" over this.
Check fitted rims for ET stamped on rim.
Check physical clearance between rim/tyres & body or suspension
Feed the above figures into an offset/tyre fitment calculator to make sure it all works. I have a really good one but this forum doesn't allow you to attach excell files. There are a few out there on the internet too.

[romaniac]

If your speedo is as optimistic as most VW product then the +10mm extra diameter will make it more accurate. I went from 205/55 to 225/55 & the speedo still reads between 2km/h to 5 km/h optimistic between 50-110km/h (compared to my Garmin GPS reading).

At a guess, 8.5" / ET57 will have the tyres scraping against the struts on the front if the factory offset on a 7.5" rim is ET46 as you will be 24mm closer to the strut. From my experience, there is usually only about 15mm maximum to play with. If you are going from 7.5 to 8.5 then you'll have to stick with ET46 as that will make the rim 13mm closer to the strut (& 13mm closer to the edge of the guard as well). If you are trying to fill the guards, ET57 will change nothing visually.

You need to check the following before committing:
Check the tyre placard for the minimum load rating currently allowed - don't go less than this.
Check tyre placard for maximum diameter rim fitted - don't go more than +2" over this.
Check fitted rims for ET stamped on rim.
Check physical clearance between rim/tyres & body or suspension
Feed the above figures into an offset/tyre fitment calculator to make sure it all works. I have a really good one but this forum doesn't allow you to attach excell files. There are a few out there on the internet too.


OK, sounds like I have to swap all wheels then and get 19x8.5 ET46 all round with a 235/35/R19 tyre and load rating of 91 or greater. Didn't think this would be so hard, next time I might re think about purchasing the wheels before the car arrives!

[brad]

It's all about research.

Know what your starting point is. Know where you want to end up. Modify as knowledge increases.

[romaniac]

It's all about research.

Know what your starting point is. Know where you want to end up. Modify as knowledge increases.

It certainly makes it easier when you have knowledgeable people like this forum helping you out! Thanks guys

[pologti18t]

>>> Check the tyre placard for the minimum load rating currently allowed - don't go less than this.

In fact its illegal to do so

[romaniac]

>>> Check the tyre placard for the minimum load rating currently allowed - don't go less than this.

In fact its illegal to do so

I won't be able to check this until the car arrives unless someone has a Superb Elegance Sedan and can check it for me?

---------- Post added 18-11-2011 at 10:21 AM ---------- Previous post was 16-11-2011 at 12:05 PM ----------

Hello

Another point I need to clarify, does anyone know the stud pattern and PCD for the 2012 Skoda Superb Elegance Sedan? I've been informed that the current stud pattern on the wheels may not fit, the wheels I have got are PCD - 5/130

Thanks

[brad]

AFAIK, same as Octavia/Passat/Golf etc. 5x112.

Sorry, assumed you were on top of the most basic measurement, therefore didn't bother to mention it.

Don't forget the centrebore as well - 57.1mm IIRC

[Buller_Scott]

yeah, the stud pattern as brad mentioned is 5x112.

if you're committed to these wheels you'll have to run the car with adaptors, but then given the thickness of the adaptors it might push the wheels out such that they're sticking out past the guards, especially given that the wheels are a full inch wider than stock...

and also, spacers/adaptors are fine on a polo or a golf, but personally i wouldnt be using adaptors on a fully loaded family sedan... many will say there's nothing wrong with it, but not only may it be illegal, it'd just be a hazard i wouldnt chance...

[romaniac]

AFAIK, same as Octavia/Passat/Golf etc. 5x112.

Sorry, assumed you were on top of the most basic measurement, therefore didn't bother to mention it.

Don't forget the centrebore as well - 57.1mm IIRC

Hmm ok, I might have to rethink the wheel choice then as it may prove to be difficult to adapt them.

So just to summarise, I need 19x8.5 wheels ALL ROUND with an ET46 offset and 5x112 Stud pattern?

[brad]

To summarise, I think you need to talk to a wheel specialist rather than trying to wing-it via the forum.

Who were you buying the Porsche wheels off?

@Buller: Agree.
I've run adaptors before. They weren't an issue & I'd run them again if the circumstances were right but if my knowledge of wheels & wheel fitment were minimal then I'd avoid them like the plague.

[romaniac]

To summarise, I think you need to talk to a wheel specialist rather than trying to wing-it via the forum.

Who were you buying the Porsche wheels off?

@Buller: Agree.
I've run adaptors before. They weren't an issue & I'd run them again if the circumstances were right but if my knowledge of wheels & wheel fitment were minimal then I'd avoid them like the plague.

I've got them from ebay off a wheel supplier. They said they can change over the wheels with others that will fit my dimentions if I can give them the correct measurements I need. They said the measurements above are similar to Mercedes Benz wheels so he can send me some examples based on what I provide him.

[brad]

Which version of the Superb Sedan have you ordered? is it FWD or the AWD? (I'm assuming the offset is different between those two)

I'd just tell him it's the same as the equivalent Passat.

No point looking at Mercedes as they are RWD & IIRC the offset will be outwards (anywhere between ET18-ET50mm). Also the centrebore is usually 66.6 so you'll need some 66.6/57.1 hub rings (I run bub rings with the Audi wheels I'm using at the moment).

Truly, if they don't know what a Skoda Superb is & what wheels will fit then I'd run a mile. It isn't Tempe or St.George is it?

BTW: Have you asked them about weight? Every kg you add to a wheel increases unsprung weight. This means the suspension has to work harder. Also, the acceleration is slower & you'll use more fuel.

[Buller_Scott]

to be honest, and in trying to help, i wouldnt really be keen to get the wheels off an ebay seller who would have been willing to sell you the porsche 5x130 wheels for your skoda superb in the first place.

i dont know if you've put money down or whatever, but in a big car like the superb it'd be 5x112 all the way, with 19x8 in an offset close to stock, where possible. this might limit your wheel options but at least they will fit, and they will be safe for the occupants of the car when fully loaded.

if you havent put down any money, i would be more keen to go to somewhere like advance tyres in richmond, or else call around to somewhere like ozzy tyres / tempe tyres in sydney, who will have a good range of wheels for the 5x112 fitment

[romaniac]

Which version of the Superb Sedan have you ordered? is it FWD or the AWD? (I'm assuming the offset is different between those two)

I'd just tell him it's the same as the equivalent Passat.

No point looking at Mercedes as they are RWD & IIRC the offset will be outwards (anywhere between ET18-ET50mm). Also the centrebore is usually 66.6 so you'll need some 66.6/57.1 hub rings (I run bub rings with the Audi wheels I'm using at the moment).

Truly, if they don't know what a Skoda Superb is & what wheels will fit then I'd run a mile. It isn't Tempe or St.George is it?

BTW: Have you asked them about weight? Every kg you add to a wheel increases unsprung weight. This means the suspension has to work harder. Also, the acceleration is slower & you'll use more fuel.

No it's not Tempe or St george, it's a small importer of wheels in melbourne. I've ordered the FWD 125 TDI version and I haven't asked about weight, I was just paying attention to tyre load weight to ensure it meets the safety requiremetns. I'm thinking at this stage it may be easier to wait until the car arrives and take it down there for inspection.

[brad]

Yep, wait until you get the car & do a trial fitment. Make sure they are locating the wheels on the hub & not using the wheel bolts to centralise the wheel.

I usually have a look at tirerack for some basic information & fitments (http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/results.jsp?&autoMake=Volkswagen&autoModel=Passat+Sedan&autoYear=2010&autoModClar=&filterFinish=All&filterSize=19&filterBrand=All&filterSpecial=false&filterNew=All&filterWeight=All&sort=Brand)
If the Superb is like a Passat 19x8.5 is the max you can sensibly run.
Centre bore 57.1.
Stud pattern 5x112.
ET will need to be around 45mm (say between 40mm-48mm) although you might manage 50mm with a 19x8. A few of the BBS rims shown there are ET35 but I had 17x8 ET35 on the Octy & the rears were perfect but the fronts stuck out past the guards - one of the reasons I went back to 7.5" ET50.
Weight: In 19x8.5, I'd be aiming for 10kg (22lb) rims but I think you'd be struggling to achieve that. I wouldn't run greater than 12kg (26.5lb) because once you add a tyre you'll be getting up near 23kg total.

[romaniac]

Yep, wait until you get the car & do a trial fitment. Make sure they are locating the wheels on the hub & not using the wheel bolts to centralise the wheel.

I usually have a look at tirerack for some basic information & fitments (http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/results.jsp?&autoMake=Volkswagen&autoModel=Passat+Sedan&autoYear=2010&autoModClar=&filterFinish=All&filterSize=19&filterBrand=All&filterSpecial=false&filterNew=All&filterWeight=All&sort=Brand)
If the Superb is like a Passat 19x8.5 is the max you can sensibly run.
Centre bore 57.1.
Stud pattern 5x112.
ET will need to be around 45mm (say between 40mm-48mm) although you might manage 50mm with a 19x8. A few of the BBS rims shown there are ET35 but I had 17x8 ET35 on the Octy & the rears were perfect but the fronts stuck out past the guards - one of the reasons I went back to 7.5" ET50.
Weight: In 19x8.5, I'd be aiming for 10kg (22lb) rims but I think you'd be struggling to achieve that. I wouldn't run greater than 12kg (26.5lb) because once you add a tyre you'll be getting up near 23kg total.

brad thanks very much for your persistent help mate. I think I may try and get a refund on the current wheels and wait till I get my car to fit some new wheels.

---------- Post added 21-11-2011 at 11:52 AM ---------- Previous post was 18-11-2011 at 03:30 PM ----------

Slight change of plans for now, decided to keep the stock wheels initally and look at getting new ones when the tyres wear out and need replacing. I've ordered some H&R springs 40mm drop and made sure they are specifically for the Skoda Superb. Also got confirmation that car is arriving on the 11th Dec, should be a nice xmas present not long to go!

[pologti18t]

Another thing I could suggest is looking around for secondhand 18 inch rims from Passats/Jetta/Golfs etc. Sometimes people get rid of them when they buy their new car (very few kms on them). So you can pick them up at a reduced cost as a wheel/tyre package.

Also, sometimes skoda/vw service/spare parts departments will offload excess accessory wheels at a good price.

Skoda shows one optional 18inch rim - Luxon

http://www.accessories.skoda.co.uk/images/products/CCX800004.jpg

[romaniac]

good idea, I'll ask my dealer if there are any spares lying about. I never really liked the look of the skoda wheels but looking at them now they aren't all that bad.

[2009fsi]

Just Thought I might add 2/- worth to this thread for anyone who might come along in the future.
Mine is a MY10 V6FSI Superb. We do plenty of touring & I've recently had to deal with the problems which arise from the 18" Thenisto wheels fitted to the Superb being such an orphan size. For the record, it is 18 x 7.5J offset ET46, Stud pattern 5 x 112, wheel weight 12kg. Just about all similar cars running 18s are a minimum of 8" wide. You can walk into any tyre dealer & buy 235/40/18s for the 8" wheels, like the Passat has, but the chances of any dealer having 225/40/18s to fit the 7.5" Themistos in stock are pretty slim. Even here in Sydney, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Goodyear & Jax all needed 2 days to get them in. Why Skoda put 7.5x18s on when all other Euro makers seem to fit at least 8" is beyond me.
When I got the car, an ex Factory Demo, with less then 10k on the clock, the Continentals were evenly worn, showing no sign of ever being driven hard at all, but after 3 trips on NSW country roads, including gravel, they wouldn't have passed roadworthiness. Maybe alright on super smooth autobahns, but too soft for Australian roads. I've had to replace them & now fitted Dunlop SPSports Maxx TTs.
Bearing in mind the experience of getting tyres & the price of same, the question of where that would leave me if a tyre went west of Parkes or West Wylong. One thing is certain, that space saver is worse than useless & a recipe for very costly delay while being ripped off big time waiting for some hole in the wall garage 200kms from anywhere, to get a trye freighted in. The upshot is I investigated
getting 8" wheels & fitting more commonly stocked 235s. The offset & stud placements of other reasonably available possibles were just not right & the cost frightening. In the end I've recently bought a 5th SkodaThemisto at a costly $449 from one Skoda dealer. Others Skoda dealers in Sydney quoted me up to $579, so shop around, even if you want genuine spares. I've fitted the best of the Continentals as the spare. BTW, the 18 wheel fits perfectly in the wheel well, contary to what car writers & dealers will tell you. One only needs a Stanley knife to trim the batwings off the foam tool block. Dare I suggest some entrepeneur ought to start selling compatible full size steel rims to replace space savers at a much more modest cost. My reading of ADRs suggests spacesavers are technically illegal to run on a car anyway.
Finally, I have to question why one would produce a luxury car like a Superb Elegance & fit 18" wheels for Australia, where the roads are rougher, mostly of coarser material than European roads on a car with a firm suspension & inadequately soundproofed. Personally, I think 18s or bigger are unsuitable for the car on Australian roads. Anyway, unless you take the car to club meets for track days & thrash the living daylights out of it, you'll never approach the point of realising the actual difference, other than to look at & pay for.
Each to their own.

Amendment: One vital point I neglected above about 18" wheels on a Superb is that the far bigger brakes on the V6FSI wouldn't fit inside a smaller wheel. I one seeks "similar" wheels from another make, the profile of the wheel has to be right to have clearance on those bigger brakes & caliphers. A number I looked at from euro makers didn't have sufficient clearance from the caliphers.

[BlackSuperb]

I don't get having a spare that is THE SAME SIZE as the rest of the tyres/wheels on the car and then put a crappy 80km rated tyre on it? Silly me, I thought the idea of a space saver was to save space. But apparently it's a cost saving.

I like the idea of having a proper wheel as a spare as 2009fsi has done. Australia is a lot different to Europe in terms of tyre repair/replacement availability.

[brad]

2009fsi.
I'm sure you have something useful to say but that clump of txt just gives me a headache.

225/40x18 was standard size on Gen4 Liberty H6 and aren't uncommon (same issue - 7.5" rim so couldn't fit 235/40). They are expensive as you pay Ferrari tax on them (OEM on the front of a fair few Fazzas).



Black Superb - what do you mean by same size? Isn't it 205/55x16 on a steelie? Therefore it has to be speed limited to 80kmh by law.

[BlackSuperb]

Black Superb - what do you mean by same size? Isn't it 205/55x16 on a steelie? Therefore it has to be speed limited to 80kmh by law.Umm well, almost the same size then. To be honest, I didn't even check the size.

I've never had to use it yet. I have had a flat though, but I managed to limp into a tyre place on a Saturday morning to get it fixed.

It certainly looks like a full size wheel will fit in the well in the boot, so why not have a full size spare? It would only cost a few dollars more.

[dArK5HaD0w]

It certainly looks like a full size wheel will fit in the well in the boot, so why not have a full size spare? It would only cost a few dollars more.

16" steel rim vs 18" alloy rim - steel rim is much much cheaper.
205/55/16 tyre vs 225/40/18 - the 16" tyre is much much cheaper.

u do the maths - it not just a few dollars more!!

b thankfull that u get a full sized spare, & not a space-saver skinny/slim spare.
having a full size spare means u can put ur 18" in there. the only thing is it will sit 20mm higher from the boot floor as the 18" tyre is wider than the 16" tyre.

[BlackSuperb]

Yeah, of course it will cost more. My old 2005 Outback came with a spare alloy and the same tyre that was in the other 4 wheels.

[2009fsi]

dArK5HaDOw, just for info: In the Superb, the full size 18" alloy does fit in the wheel well with a 225 on it, without any compromise to the boot floor. There is excess foam on the sides & bottom of the tool block which usually keeps it centred in the spacesaver which one needs to cut to have it fit neatly in the alloy. When that is done the lot fits in the Superb wheel well no problem.

[brad]

Yeah, of course it will cost more. My old 2005 Outback came with a spare alloy and the same tyre that was in the other 4 wheels.

My stupid Gen2 liberty had a spare tyre the same size as the road wheels...... on a steel rim. As does the Octavia in Elegance spec. Fail on the part of both manufacturers as in both cases the spare has never hit the road & will become unroadworthy due to age.

If you wanted an alloy spare, find a 2nd hand one & build the floor up around the spare wheel well.

[onyertod]

My stupid Gen2 liberty had a spare tyre the same size as the road wheels...... on a steel rim. As does the Octavia in Elegance spec. Fail on the part of both manufacturers as in both cases the spare has never hit the road & will become unroadworthy due to age.

If you wanted an alloy spare, find a 2nd hand one & build the floor up around the spare wheel well.

Every dollar counts it seems. At least you got a proper wheel as opposed to one of those 80k wheelbarrow efforts, or God forbid, a can of whoosh. In some Skoda markets, e.g. the UK, a steel spare wheel is an optional extra.

My Roomster (now sadly sold) came with five alloy wheels. Although anyone who paid retail was well and truly entitled to them.