2016 Skoda Superb unveiled in Prague
Introducing the new Skoda Superb, the latest iteration of Skoda’s flagship sedan based on VW’s MQB platform has been officially unveiled today. Offered on the 2016 Superb, are 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 launch 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.
The biggest talking point on the new Superb has to be the all-new chassis which is based on the same MQB platform as the Octavia.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 flagship sedan has been launched with a range of five petrol engines and three diesel motors, though when the car arrives in India, it will almost certainly get the 177bhp 1.8-litre turbo-petrol and VW’s bread and butter diesel, the 147bhp 2.0-litre TDI. Both engines will drive the front wheels via the six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic, there won’t be an all-wheel drive option in the country though.
Skoda says the new Superb will be in 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 no other way to say it, Superb.
