India-bound Skoda Superb facelift to be revealed on 23 May

-    A plug-in hybrid version is likely to be called the Superb iV.

-    The updated Skoda flagship will get new design details and technical features.

-    India debut is expected to happen either in late 2019 or early next year.

Skoda has discreetly revealed the launch details of the new Superb facelift while talking about their partnership with the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. The updated Superb will be revealed to the world on 23 May, on the day of quarterfinals in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. 

Skoda has already revealed the design sketches of the upcoming Superb facelift. This would be a mid-life update for the current generation Superb which is on sale since 2015. Of what Skoda has revealed so far, we know that the Superb facelift will come with redesigned headlamps with clean-cut lens, revised fog lamps and a characteristic grille up front. Apart from that, the Skoda lettering will replace the brand logo on the rear boot lid, similar to the all-new Scala. The tail lights will have the same design as the current one but there might carry a different lighting signature.  

Skoda says that the new Superb will come fitted with “numerous features from higher-tier segments”. We expect many new segment-first features, which will also debut given that the Superb is a flagship sedan. There might also be a larger infotainment system with added autonomous tech borrowed from other expensive vehicles under the Volkswagen Group. The powertrain is likely to remain unchanged. 

But according to reports, there will be a new hybrid system joining the pack. Skoda might call the plug-in hybrid version as ‘Superb iV’. This will be Skoda’s very first electrified production car and will borrow its mechanical bits from Volkswagen Passat GTE. Which means, there will be a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol motor mated to an electric motor with a combined output of around 250-300bhp.

After it goes on sale shortly after the reveal, the Indian debut of the new Skoda Superb might happen either sometime in late-2019 or early next year. When it arrives at our shore, the Superb will continue its rivalry against the likes of Honda Accord, Volkswagen Passat, and the recently launched new-gen Toyota Camry.