Bigger, more luxurious Skoda Superb launched

Skoda has unveiled its new Superb saloon, except it's not a saloon at all – this bigger, more imposing Superb is now a full-time hatchback.

The current Superb has an odd dual-function boot, which can be opened either as a saloon or with the full rear hatch lifting up. Skoda has dropped this for the new model, partially for reasons of weight and cost, but equally because it made for rather awkward and inelegant rear styling. So while this new Superb looks very saloon-ish, it’s actually a gigantic hatch, with a whopping 625-litre boot (and an even more commodious estate on the way…). Will that fact put off Irish car buyers, who generally prefer their big saloons to be proper three-box shapes? We shall see.

Underneath, the Superb is based on the same MQB mechanical package that underpins the Octavia (and getting on for every other mainstream VW Group product these days). In spite of which it's significantly bigger in every dimension. It's 28mm longer, 47mm wider (the current Superb has always been oddly narrow) and has an 80mm longer wheelbase. Those figures put it close to a BMW 5 Series in size terms, but the Superb will offer significantly better rear seat space, as has long been one of its strongest selling points.

In spite of the extra size, overall weight has been reduced by as much as 75kg and, thankfully, the fuel tank has grown in size – one of the few criticisms we could level at the current car was its tony tank and consequently truncated touring range.

There’s going to be a lot of high-tech options on this car, befitting its imposing appearance. Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) including Driving Mode Select will allow owners to make their Superbs feel sportier when they fancy it, while a new air-conditioning system, including for the first time three-zone air conditioning will be available. An electric sliding and tilting panoramic roof is optional. Auxiliary heating, heated seats, wireless heated windscreen and heated washer jets are available for the colder months. There’s a rain/light sensor which switches the windscreen wipers on and off automatically and automatically switches between daytime running lights and dipped beam as required.

Instead of one umbrella in the rear left door (long since a Superb tradition) there is now one umbrella in each of the front doors. The new, electric tailgate which can be complemented with an optional virtual pedal, where the customer can open the boot by waving a foot under the rear bumper. The new Superb also comes with the latest generation of Park Assist for automatically driving in and out of parking spaces. In addition, the car features a rear-view camera for the first time. The traditional handbrake is replaced by an electric parking brake as standard.

That’s not even mentioning the new infotainment systems which feature Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto for full smartphone integration.

The engine range kicks off with the 150hp 1.4-litre petrol turbo which uses cylinder deactivation to save fuel, while the mainstay Greenline 1.6 TDI with 120bhp returns a claimed 75mpg and just 95g/km of Co2. Impressive figures for such a big car, more especially so if they can be replicated on the road.

Prices? Nothing official yet, but the UK price is set to kick off at around STG£20,000 which would suggest that the Irish models will start at around €26-27,000. Sales should start in September, with the estate model following on around Christmas time.

Skoda CEO Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland said: “This car marks the beginning of a new era for Skoda. In recent years, we have renewed and expanded our model range. The new Skoda Superb demonstrates our aspirations in the automotive mid-class. In terms of creativity and technology, it reaches a new level of performance, shows Skoda’s reclaimed position and leads the way into the future of the brand. This fantastic car will attract new private and business customers to Skoda.”