The new Superb is the most luxurious car Skoda has ever built - a vehicle that sets new standards for quality, practicality, design and value.
Plus marks to Skoda; they have delivered one of the most desirable cars in the sector, in terms of packaging and value for money.
The design is more up to date than the previous model. The new Superb was created at the Skoda Design Centre in Mlada Boleslav and it showcases a number of new technologies.
Built using an innovative new modular platform strategy, the Superb has taken the best elements from Octavia and Passat and combined these with bespoke elements; the Superb’s chassis has been engineered to meet the requirements of the design, rather than the other way around.
It also features the world‘s first production Twindoor boot facility, a function that gives the Superb a hatch and saloon opening in one car, along with Park Assist; an ingenious system that assists any driver wanting to parallel park their Superb; this an option.
Skoda‘s innovative Adaptive Front-light System is also available to Superb buyers. This feature, standard on the Elegance model, adapts the spread and angle of light according to road speed and weather conditions, complementing the Superb‘s comprehensive safety credentials. My test car was fitted with this system and on narrow country roads late at night, it proved very useful.
The interior is both more spacious and much better appointed than the previous version and the change to a transverse engine layout has allowed Skoda‘s design and engineering team to create a larger cabin. Front and rear seat passengers have even more room. In fact, the Superb is so spacious in the back that it offers more legroom than a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
There is a comprehensive range of engines, three petrol and three diesels, this means that the Superb can meet the demands and requirements of a much broader range of customers.
Another plus, Superb is offered with four-wheel drive for the first time ever on the 1.8 TSI petrol, 3.6 petrol and 2.0 TDI CR 170bhp diesel models along with two DSG twin-clutch automatic gearboxes.
The range consists of three trim levels, S, SE, Elegance as well as GreenLine. All models feature air-conditioning as standard, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), seven airbags, including driver‘s knee airbag and, of course, the innovative Twindoor variable boot system.
I had the Superb in my keep for one week and as the days went on it grew on me, I have to admit I was in two minds about this the Superb; should Skoda not restrict to building smaller cars, but it dawned on me that this is a good value, well appointed large car, one that can rival the offerings from some more prestige manufacturers.
True the Superb has proved popular with buyers in our market and the earlier Superb played its part in transforming the Skoda image.
There is no doubt in my mind that the new version, with its broader range, more sophisticated design, innovative features and even better value for money, will see the Superb further increase its market share in the competitive upper-medium sector.
The Superb’s comprehensive diesel line-up will also be appreciated by owners who cover high annual mileages. Thanks to a combination of a cost-effective entry-level engine 1.9 TDI PD, familiar 2.0 TDI PD 140bhp, and a new common rail unit 2.0 TDI CR 170bhp, the majority of Superb sales is going to be diesels.
So who is Superb throwing the gauntlet down to? Competitors in the upper-medium sector include the Ford Mondeo, Citroen C5, Renault Laguna and Vauxhall Insignia. Having driven all of these cars, I have to say the new Superb presents a very strong case.
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