Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI

It takes a lot of confidence and a very straight face to call your new car the Superb. In the Thirties, Skoda used the name on a luxury saloon, but when the Czech firm’s Volks­wagen Passat-based executive appeared wearing the same badge in 2002, the world did a double take. For a company that had only just shaken off its cheap and not-very-cheerful image, this seemed rather ambitious to say the least! But the Superb sold well. Now, six years after it arrived, a replacement is here.

And it’s a luxury saloon with a difference – a full-size hatchback with a boot that opens separately. The rear hatch has electro-mechanically locking hinges halfway along its length. On the bottom edge are two buttons. The one on the left pops the bootlid, but if you press the other first and wait for the high-level brake light indicator to stop flashing, the left-hand button opens the entire hatchback. It sounds contrived, but works fairly well when access via the bootlid is re-stricted, even if it is slow to operate.

Elsewhere, the Superb mixes old and new Passat platforms, plus parts from the current Octavia. The big news is that Skoda expects to sell a high proportion of 4x4 variants, so the rear axle comes from VW’s 4MOTION system. The two-wheel-drive versions also get a new axle which is claimed to produce a quieter, more comfortable ride.

It’s a not particularly distinguished-looking car, but inside the Superb is classy with smooth soft-touch plastics, a well organised and designed dash, and lots of cubbies in the front.Room in the rear is very generous, with more leg space than you’d ever need and thoughtful touches such as umbrellas that slot into the doors, a trick inspired by Rolls-Royce’s new Phantom. Headroom in the back is fine for anyone up to six feet tall.

Air-con is standard, while up to nine airbags and electronic stability control bolster safety. The Superb also debuts VW’s optional adaptive lighting system. As well as illuminating round corners, it extends the beam spread at low speed and increases the range as the pace picks up.

Three petrol engines will be on sale from launch: 123bhp 1.4 and 158bhp 1.8 four-cylinder units, plus a 256bhp 3.6-litre V6. There will also be three four-cylinder turbodiesels: a 103bhp 1.9, 138bhp 2.0 and a 167bhp 2.0-litre. The most powerful oil-burner is the latest twin-cam, four-valve, common-rail powerplant from VW, as used in the new Audi A4.

Skoda thinks that the single-cam, 138bhp turbodiesel option will be the most popular. It comes with six-speed manual or optional six-speed twin-clutch DSG semi-automatic. Either gearbox works well with the refined engine, which provides brisk acceleration and low noise.

© Source: autoexpress
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Skoda’s Superb Estate revealed

Czech giant Skoda is set to join the space race with an eagerly anticipated estate based on the huge Superb. Our exclusive image is the best indication yet of how the new car will look when it’s officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October. Crucially, it’s the first time that Skoda has offered its flagship Superb line-up with a load-lugger.

And our spies caught engineers testing a blue proto-type, which uses the Octavia bodywork to disguise its longer platform and higher roofline. This is the first proof the firm is working on a rival to the Volvo V70.

Inside, the Superb Estate will offer even more load space than the hatch, which has an innovative ‘double opening’ tailgate, as revealed in Issue 1,003. As a result, the newcomer should be one of the class’s largest carriers.

It will be virtually the same length as the standard Superb, measuring around 4,850mm. But because it’s taller and benefits from a revised rear bench, the estate promises far greater load-lugging ability. Drivers will have the choice of six VW-sourced engines: three petrols and three diesels.

Entry-level models get the 105bhp 1.9 TDI oil-burner, while the flagship will take power from a 3.2-litre V6 delivering 260bhp. Five and six-speed gearboxes will be available, although bosses have also hinted that a slick-shifting, six-speed semi-automatic – based on Skoda parent company VW’s DSG transmission – will also be offered shortly after the car is launched.

Speculation has been rife that the marque will introduce a four-wheel-drive version of the latest-generation model, but Skoda has not yet provided official confirmation of this. The Superb Estate is due to go on sale in UK showrooms early next year, and buyers can expect to pay a premium of around £1,500 over the hatchback. That would see the entry-level Classic version start from about £15,500.

© Source: autoexpress
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Skoda Superb

Worthy and reliable as it shall doubtless be when it goes on sale in the UK this autumn, the new Skoda Superb isn't the easiest car to get excited about.Especially when it looks, well, not vastly different to the current Superb.

But wait. Because round the back of the humble Superb lurks a technological innovation that could change the face - or at least the arse - of motoring. And that innovation is called Twindoor.

Patented by Skoda, Twindoor is a nifty tailgate that allows you to open just the bootlid to load small items, or the entire hatch - including the rear window - for bigger stuff. Which, we guess, makes the Superb half saloon and half hatch. A haloon, perhaps. Or a satch.

Still not enthused? Well, how does a 3.2-litre V6 tickle your fancy? Still nothing? Touch-screen DVD? Flappy-paddle gearbox? No? Fine, be apathetic. But don't come crawling to us when you've got an awkwardly shaped flat-pack wardrobe that won't fit into the back of your saloon.

© Source: topgear
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