The new Skoda Superb flaunts a sportier design, has several luxurious features, and even more space than before.
Škoda has always made no-nonsense functional cars. The designs are simple, the interiors are spacious and most of their cars are well kitted. At the start of the new century, when Škoda was almost ready with the launch of the first generation of the Superb, media was shocked at the grand plans of the first luxury car from the Czech manufacturer. The first generation Superb looked like an enlarged image of Octavia, but despite the criticism and lack of confidence on the brand to create a luxurious car, the car sold in decent numbers. A lot of improvements in design and other shortcomings of the previous generation were rectified in the second generation, which helped Škoda get a lot more attention from buyers in the mid-class luxury segment. Škoda has sold over 7 million Superbs world over, combing the two generations, which is a marvelous feat for the brand.
With the 2015 Superb, Škoda wants to take the game even further. The car borrows a lot of design elements from the bold Vision C concept, shown by Škoda in Geneva last year. The short over hangs, lower grille and unique headlights give it a very sporty look. The roofline is more rakish than a standard sedan and the rear tail lamps finally look like they were designed for the 21st century. This car looks more balanced than any other generation of the Superb thanks to these small design details. On the inside though, there hasn’t been much progression. Škoda has taken the approach of simplicity in the interiors and it looks like a slightly more elegant version of the current Octavia.
The interiors might be naive looking, but there is no dearth of technology and features. A continued tradition of umbrellas in the front door, three zone air-conditioning, panoramic sunroof, electric tailgate, electric parking brake, reversing camera and many more generous loadings means that one cannot complain about the luxury factor. Škoda’s infotainment system offers the very recently developed Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for connectivity and sync with smartphones, which means you can make the perfect use of the 12 speaker canton sound system.
[Tweet “The Superb has gone on a diet and lost 75 kg, which means better economy and performance.”]
The Superb has gone on a diet and lost 75 kg over the previous generation, which means better economy and performance. This is not surprising as almost all the new generation cars are shedding weight due to tighter Euro norms and constant efforts to improve efficiency. What is surprising is the effort to improve the interior space even more over the old generation. It’s highly doubtful that any of the old Superb owners would have ever complained about the space, yet Škoda has added another couple of acres in the rear.
I assume Škoda will continue to use the same proven 1.8 TSi and the 2.0TDi engine for the Indian market, which will be carried over from the current generation. A little jump of power can be expected in both the engines, which should improve the drivability. But what I am more interested in is Škoda’s first effort to offer adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control and Driving Select Modes. What this would mean is that character of the car can be slightly tweaked depending on your mood. The details available are limited and only a proper test drive of the car would justify the description, but I am sure these features will make it sporty and more comfortable to tackle our roads.
Škoda has definitely made Superb more desirable than ever; it looks better proportioned and sportier than ever before. The comfort creatures and features on offer are enough reason to love this car immediately. The performance should be ample, considering we know these engines well now. But, Škoda has done very little work when it comes to providing the right service back-up to complement their cars in India. I hope this new Superb comes with better acclimatisation for India and offers better service than ever before.
We should see the new Škoda Superb in India by early 2016.