Skoda Superb preview

Words: Ouseph Chacko
Skoda got the name spot-on with the Superb — a pair of strong engines, more space than the average Indian would ever want, great build quality and a healthy dose of cleverly engineered practicality (remember the twin-door mechanism for the boot/ hatch?) made the Superb what it is. This new third-generation Superb promises to take the formula of its predecessor to the next level of Superbness.

At the unveiling of the thirdgeneration Superb at Prague, Jozef Kaban, Skoda’s design chief and the man behind the way this new Superb looks, said the aim was to convey aesthetics and functionality elegantly and that sums up what the new car looks like. Taking inspiration from the Vision C concept car that Skoda showcased at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, the new Superb loses its predecessor’s slightly awkward proportions and instead looks more balanced, more muscled and stronger. Sharp character lines, a broad grille, beautifully detailed headlights and a multi-layered bonnet move the Superb’s design in-line with Skoda’s new family look, one that we first saw on the new Octavia.
There are plenty of appealing details like the bonnet shutlines that have moved outward over the front wheel arches and are part of the strong shoulder line of the car that runs along the length of the car and ends in the crisp ‘C’ shaped LED tail lamps. Most importantly though – this new Superb is easy on the eyes – it doesn’t look excessively long like the current one does and that we’re sure, will appeal to a lot of potential buyers.

Under that sharp skin is an all-new chassis based on the same MQB platform as the Octavia and the chassis is expected to offer more torsional rigidity while being lighter and that should make it even better to drive than it already is.
The dimensions have changed – the new Superb is wider and longer with a wheelbase that’s stretched 80mm over the current car. This last bit and the wider track has made the interiors even more cavernous than the old Superb’s – Skoda says there’s more head room, leg room and shoulder room. Interior quality is still up there with the best although there is a very familiar theme running through the cabin; it’s one we’ve seen in the new Octavia. Stuff that owners will like are features like the front passenger seat can be electrically moved forward by the rear passenger via a switch on the bolster, both front doors get built-in umbrellas; it’s a very practical cabin with plenty of storage and the boot is even bigger the before. This new car with the rear seats up gets you 625 litres of boot space (30 litres over the current car) and a whopping 1760 litres with the seats folded! Sadly, that cool twin-door feature hasn’t made it on to the new Superb but, with the electrically operated bootlid, you shouldn’t have problems manhandling and shutting that large hatch.

Skoda’s offering a wide choice of five petrol engines and three diesel in other markets. India however, is likely to get the 1.8-litre TSI (now making 177bhp) mated to a twin-clutch automatic and the bread and butter engine of the VW group, the 2.0 TD I with 147bhp. However, Skoda will not be offering all-wheel drive versions that are available in international markets. The cars will come with driving modes – comfort, sport, normal, eco and individual – that alter engine response and steering weight among other things. This Superb will also be the first Skoda to offer Dynamic Chassis Control which features adjustable suspension setting, although it’s as yet unclear whether this feature will make it to India.

What will probably make it to India are the seven airbags, an electronic locking differential on the front axle as well as tyre pressure monitoring. We’re not sure if the new radar based safety systems like the lane assist and blind spot detection will make it to India though.
Skoda says the new Superb will reach Indian shores by the second half of next year and that it could possibly cost a fair bit more than the current car – our estimate is around Rs 2 lakh more depending on the variant. Whichever way, the new Superb is a well thought out, cleverly engineered car that is simply, there’s really noother way to say it, Superb.