Contents Show
Genghis Khan carries the mink inside!
First “seat test” in the new Škoda Superb
Carry the mink inside. A phrase about humility. Those who do not show off their wealth, their luxury and their level are wearing the “mink inside”.
And Genghis Khan?
Moscow, Moscow, throw the glasses on the wall … and? Right melody in your head? You could see it as an additional sign of the self-confidence with which the Czechs present the new Superb. If Leslie Mandoki, who actually appeared as “Musical Director” of the Volkswagen Group for VW and Audi, now also at the premiere of the flagship Mlada Boleslav the stage rocks, then the thing with the “reluctance” seems to have finally done. A sign of the quality and the demands of the new Superb? Perhaps.
One thing is certain: The Škoda Superb has always been a big car. Now it has grown again.
The Superb uses the VW Group's MQB and is therefore a very close relative of the new Volkswagen Passat under the sheet metal. And while this flagship company car from Wolfsburg is not exactly small, the Superb can boast an additional 5 centimeters in length. The inmates feel that. Leslie Mandoki could have placed his drums in the predecessor. Installed in the footwell of row 2, loose. The new Superb gains another 8 centimeters and now really shines with ample space in the XXL format.
The hatchback of the Superb looks more like a notchback, but Škoda wouldn't be the “practical” beauty from the Czech Republic if the big boot lid hadn't been insisted on. Including a trunk with a volume of 625 liters. The fact that the large tailgate also swings open electrically if desired - you would have guessed it.
The new Superb drives the full group range in terms of comfort features and assistance systems. Adaptive dampers? Is there. Three-zone climate? Naturally. LTE modem with WLAN and Smart Link connection for Apple Car Play and Android Mirrorlink? Yes. There are also clever ideas such as the adjustable tablet holder in the rear middle armrest. The assistance systems package ranges from light assistants (including high beam masking), emergency braking assistants and lane keeping assistants to traffic sign recognition.
But Škoda wouldn't be Škoda if you didn't saddle up the free program: the already mandatory ice scraper in the fuel cap? Logo. But how about an umbrella in the door? Stowed drip-proof? Good idea? Then you will like that Škoda brought this idea to the Superb twice. Which also seems logical - such a big car? You want to share that with friends - or with the family. Or at least with the secretary.
Prague seat rehearsal
Yes, I was in the new Superb. No. There is only one picture of how I stand in front of it. The rush at the presentation in Škoda’s home was enormous. And by that I don't even mean the stars and starlets who accepted the invitation. It was the journalists and automobile professionals who, in principle, were channeled through the three existing Superbs every minute. Sit down, start playing, play on the large touchscreen of the “Columbus” multimedia system, open the gas cap, close the gas cap, open the trunk, close the trunk. There wasn't really time for a “shoot”.
The first impression?
This Superb will make it really difficult for the Passat. But not just that. Space and workmanship could also make Audi A6 drivers weak. A4 company car pilots anyway. But it can also position itself as a competitor to the BMW 5 Series GT. And once the station wagon comes, the Mercedes E-Class will also have to stretch. In short: The new Superb is convincing in all respects!
Comfortable? Probably. Generous space? In any case. Somehow premium already? Yes, somehow. But still a Škoda. Modesty on the outside, luxury on the inside. The new Superb stays true to its style and carries the mink inside.
Facts: Market launch will be in June 2015. There will be 6 different engines at the start. Diesel engines from 120 to 190 hp and petrol engines from 125 to 280 hp. There will no longer be a six-cylinder, 6 and 7-speed DSG and 4 × 4 drive are available early. The prices are not yet known. (Download technical data - click!)
Most beautiful detail
This hood joint. If it initially runs vertically in the area of the headlamp - as usual - it pulls horizontally towards the windshield, giving the bonnet a more plastic appearance. A great design element. And it leads to a bonnet that swings elegantly upwards and slightly forwards. Great!
Not such a nice detail
And that doesn't work at all: In the picture, the upper bracket for the blinds for the rear doors: A rough plastic thing, cheekily standing away from the door frame! Not nice!
Škoda - Still an underdog?
The Škoda brand has long since ceased to be called an “underdog”. Much more likely from a very successful newcomer. At the latest with the youngest Octavia and Fabia Škoda has established itself as the third, high-quality group brand and has lifted itself out of the shadow of the parent company Volkswagen.
The success of the brand? Among other things, it comes from the fact that with a Škoda you get the quality of a Volkswagen, combined with the factual, unexcited, but technically sophisticated design of the Lower Saxony - and while processing is on a subtle crawl towards Ingolstadt. And anyone who sees the new Superb could get the impression that Škoda Head of Design Jozef Kaban has the happier hand in the group. While Audi frantically combines a technoid premium look with large radiator throats, the new Superb shows how elegant an Audi A6 could look if you left the design of the front to the Czechs.
