All you need to know about the new Skoda Superb

The Skoda Superb has been in the Indian market for several years, and for good reasons. Although the original model didn’t do any good for the Czech carmaker, the second-gen Superb went on to lead its segment by a considerable margin. Now, there’s an all-new generation of the Superb that’s just arrived in India and with prices starting at a tempting Rs 22.68 lakh (ex-showroom), Skoda is promising a lot.

The Superb is Skoda’s flagship offering and as one would expect, boasts of plenty of space and comfort and a powerful yet efficient range of engines. This time around Skoda has used VW’s flexible MQB platform to develop the Superb and as a result, this new model is not only bigger but noticeably lighter and expectedly, more efficient as well than its predecessor. To be put in numbers, the new Superb is around 20 per cent more powerful and up to 75kg lighter than the old model.

While the new Superb many not look a whole lot different in profile, Skoda has concentrated on sharpening the little details that add up to make a big difference.  The Superb retains the limo-like appearance of the old model albeit with modern design cues taken from the Skoda Vision C concept. Design highlights on the outside include a sharp looking pair of headlights with daytime running LEDs, typical Skoda grille design and C shaped taillights, coupe-like roofline and sharp contours for the wing mirrors, front fender and the bonnet.

The interior, though, not as striking looking as the exterior, is more luxurious and practical than before. While the overall design looks a lot like the one in the smaller Octavia, Skoda is offering several all-new features. For starters, there’s ambient lighting and electrically operable tailgate as standard in the top-spec trim. Speaking of which, the new Superb also marks the return of top-spec Laurin & Klement (L&K) trim for Skoda India. The latter gets a load of equipment such as a 6.5-inch, touchscreen infotainment system, a 12-speaker Canton sound system, keyless entry, puddle lights, electrically retractable wing mirrors, perforated leather seats and lots more as standard. Skoda has been rather thoughtful by introducing fatigue warning and a virtual opening for the boot lid as standard on the L&K trim. As for safety, the new Superb gets eight airbags, multi-collision braking system and adaptive headlights as standard.

Despite being based on an entirely new platform, the Superb continues to be powered the same set of engine options as the outgoing model. While the petrol powered variants get the 1.8-TSI unit which develops 180bhp, diesel variants feature a 2-litre TDI which develops 177bhp. The 1.8-TSI can be had with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, while the diesel only gets a six-speed automatic as standard. Interestingly, the petrol engine synced with a manual gearbox puts out 320Nm of torque while the one with the DSG develops 250Nm as the latter gearbox has been designed for lower torque applications. 

With ex-showroom prices starting from Rs 22.68 lakh for the 1.8TSI Style MT, going all the way till Rs 29.36 lakh for the top-spec 2.0TDI L&K AT, the new Superb commands a noticeable premium over its predecessor. However, if we factor in the all-new platform, a new design and the added equipment as standard, the new Superb offers good value and is on its way to replicate the success of the old model.