Some things never change
At a time when a Hummer has an electric powertrain and when Ford puts the Mustang name on an SUV with an electric heart, it is a relief to look ahead at the new Skoda Superb. According to tradition, it promises to be overloaded with cargo space. Some things never change.
Fair is fair: the Skoda Superb is waiting for a technical metamorphosis. After all, from 2035, only fully electric cars may be sold in the European Union. But the calendar is only set to 2022, so the Superb has at least one more generation to wait with combustion engines. Nice and traditional, which in turn is refreshing. That traditional doesn’t just apply to the Superb’s powertrain; it applies to the entire concept of Skoda’s largest ‘classic’ model. Since the introduction of the first Superb, which was developed under Volkswagen in 2001, interior space has been one of the model’s greatest qualities.
More than a Passat+
We would like to take a moment to reflect on that ‘first’ Superb, because that was a special one. It was not just a far-Skoda version of the then current, extended Volkswagen Passat in China. The rear side window that was in the D-pillar on the Passat was integrated into the rear door of this Superb. The first Skoda Superb was ‘Volkswagend’ in China as part of a special interaction, resulting in the Passat Lingye. This curious background information only serves to end with the Superb Combi. Because this Skoda was related to the Chinese, long Passat and no station wagon existed, there was no Combi in addition to the Superb, which was always performed as a sedan at the time. The second generation Superb became a standalone model. For example, thanks to its Twindoor tailgate, it was both a sedan and a hatchback and for the first time there was a station wagon: the Combi. The current third Superb is also available as a Combi, although the only other body style is now just a hatchback. The Combi currently seems to be the constant factor in the Superb range and so Skoda will also stick to that moving ballroom for the next generation. Previous spy photos confirm that. But that wasn’t obvious.
Skoda Superb (Illustration: Andrei Avarvarii)
No EV, but iV
The next generation of the sister model of the Superb – the Volkswagen Passat – only comes as a Variant, which actually makes that station wagon no longer ‘a variant’. No more Passat sedan, but for the new Superb we simply bet on two appearances.
Like its Volkswagen brother, the new Skoda Superb will soon use the existing MQB platform again, although it is a modernized modular base. Will there also be an electric Superb? Probably not, but in any case count on the arrival of one or more plug-in hybrid variants that Skoda hangs on its iV label.
The naturally pragmatic Superb is not given a graceful body full of angles, folds, lines and other frills on the drawing boards in Mladá Boleslav. Although the current Superb, despite its age, still fits well within the Skoda family, the new model with influences from its younger sister model is a bit fresher for the day. The side mirrors move from the A-pillars to the doors and the model also gets a slightly upward shoulder line, which also affects the shape of the rear side window.
No doubt the Czechs are trying to bring more dynamism to the design with this, but don’t let that influence you too much. The new Superb will be a real pack mule again, and that’s a good thing. The current five-door swallows at least 625 liters while the Combi swallows no less than 660 liters, even before you flatten the back seat. Even more than the approximately ten centimeters longer Mercedes-Benz E-class Estate.
The new Skoda Superb can already prove itself during tests as a tow car
Helping hand
We expect the new Skoda Superb on the market in 2024. After the Octavia (111,000 units) and the Fabia (87,000 units), the Superb is the best-selling Skoda ever in the Netherlands. The giga-Czech had its peak year in 2016; then more than 3,000 copies left the Dutch showrooms. In 2021, however, he had to tolerate the Enyaq, Octavia, Kodiaq, Karoq, Kamiq, Fabia and Scala and in 2020 the Superb also lagged behind almost the entire model range of the brand in terms of sales. So he could use a helping hand. And that will come. A new, traditional large mid-sized car from a manufacturer that does not describe itself as premium. Who would have expected that in 2022?
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl