Monday 4th September 2023

Skoda previews next Superb

Even bigger than before - and cleverer, too - the fourth-gen Superb is coming very soon

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It says a lot about how topsy turvy the automotive world currently is that the headline for Skoda’s upcoming Superb is as follows: ‘The fourth generation of the Skoda Superb will once again offer a hatchback’. Not so long ago, that was a given - now nobody really knows what to think. The new Passat is estate only, the days of mid-engined Porsches with engines are almost done, and the Ford Fiesta is finished. So, actually, some clarity is quite welcome. There will continue to be a Superb hatchback which is, as we all know, the perfect car to make a 560hp sleeper from…

Amazingly, this Superb hatch is going to be the biggest ever, which will be great news for minicabbers and parents across the country. The Mk4 Superb is going to be another 43mm longer than before, taking it beyond 4.9m (4,912mm) for the first time and close to exec saloon territory. It’s also 12mm taller, at 1,481mm, with more headroom for both front and rear passengers. That increase in length means an even larger boot (now 645 litres with the seats up), even if the wheelbase (2,841mm) and width (1,834mm) have remained unchanged. This is going to be a properly vast five-door hatch. The wagon is presumably going to be ginormous.

Even with the reveal a little way off, the engine line up for the Superb has been confirmed. There will be three petrols - a mild hybrid 150hp 1.5, plus 204hp and 265hp 2.0-litre - alongside a pair of diesels with either 150hp or 193hp. Every engine is paired to a seven-speed DSG, and the most powerful petrol and diesel are all-wheel drive. With a drag co-efficient now down to just 0.24, expect good refinement and efficiency. There have been stories of carefully driven current diesels showing 875 miles of range on a full tank…

Skoda is very excited about what’s coming for the new interior, but won’t reveal any of it just yet. We’re promised a central screen of up to 13-inches, a head-up display for the first time in a Superb, plus a feature called Skoda Smart Dials. Again, it feels odd to suggest that rotary pushbuttons are newsworthy, but it’s a funny old period. They sound a bit like the old Jaguar controls, with different functions on the same twirly dial, but welcome nonetheless. They’re 32mm diameter and said to provide ‘quick and easy access to many vehicle functions.’ That sounds like good news. The gearshift is now on the steering column, freeing up even more space; Essence and Selection spec kick the range off (and aren’t biscuit boxes), with more familiar Sportline and Laurin & Klement set for the Superb as well. Expect to see it in full very soon.

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• Up to 265hp from all-new, much larger VW Passat
• Skoda Octavia vRS Bonneville | PH Heroes

[V 02]

So it’s going to be absolutely enormous!


Don’t really see the point in the hatch at all but good to see it still exists and the option is there for those who want it.


I can imagine cabbies will be all over this now that the Prius is dead here (imports will probably still arrive) - probably as a rival to the MG EV’s and Enyaq cabs I see a lot


Surprised an iV model is not going to be available at launch. Wasn’t the Passat GTE the best selling Passat?

[kambites]

V 02 said:

Don’t really see the point in the hatch at all but good to see it still exists and the option is there for those who want it.

Looks, drag, wind noise,... minor things really but then the hatch isn't much less practical unless you want to carry either very big single objects (like white goods) or very big dogs.

[ChocolateFrog]

The same 99% as good as the Passat for 90% of the price?

Weird that Skoda gets hatch but not deemed worth it on the VW.

[anonymous-user]

My Superb 2 is a hatch (well you can either open as a hatch or the boot on its own) Tarely use the boot option tbh.

[ChocolateFrog]

kambites said:

V 02 said:

Don’t really see the point in the hatch at all but good to see it still exists and the option is there for those who want it.

Looks, drag, wind noise,... minor things really but then the hatch isn't much less practical unless you want to carry either very big single objects (like white goods) or very big dogs.

I think you're in a minority if you think the hatch looks better than the estate.

[kambites]

ChocolateFrog said:

I think you're in a minority if you think the hatch looks better than the estate.

I don't have any preference at all really, but I know when we bought our Octavia my wife was dead-set against an estate car.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

I like the Superb, but does it really need to be any bigger? It's already a big lump on UK roads. Agree with the usefulness of the hatch. Now that 'estates' have become 'tourers' with sloped rear windows they aren't much more use than the hatch anyway.

[IJWS15]

Having had two Superb hatches you appreciate them when you have them.

Able load carrier without the estate shell, easy to fit child seats, all the practical things you need and very few things (e.g. 3 seat sofas) won't fit in.

[Shabaza]

I worked at Skoda for a few years as a sales exec and sales manager.
Retail customers largely preferred the hatch. Id say 1 in 3 Superbs I sold were estate.
Business customers much preferred the estate, (often much more basic spec examples).

[British Beef]

Great family car, I chose mainly due to 6ft 4in son that likes to complain when in cars.

However as for all Skodas they used to be a budget premium option, eg the Superb used to be E class size for less than C class price.

Now they are nearly as expensive as the German premium brands.

[P-Jay]

ChocolateFrog said:

The same 99% as good as the Passat for 90% of the price?

Weird that Skoda gets hatch but not deemed worth it on the VW.

Based on my experiance of my old Mk3 Superb, it won't be as clear cut as that. Superb will have some hard plastics in odd places, like the door pockets whereas the Passat will be softer, and probally have a bit of cloth to cut down on rattles, pretty much everywhere else, the Superb will be better - model for model and £ for £, it will be more car.

The whole Passat not coming in anything but an estate is a bit misleading. The Aerton, whilst called a 'coupe' is pretty much a Superb with a 3cm lower roof. The new Passat has been sized up a bit to match

[epom]

A massive departure from the old models design.

[911Spanker]

That looks amazing. Love it.

[BigChiefmuffinAgain]

I thought some pictures of the interior had already been released, or of the equivalent Skoda 4x4 with the wonderful revolutionary heater dials...

[GreatScott2016]

911Spanker said:

That looks amazing. Love it.

Camouflage aside, I thought it looked a bit boxy and drab. Hopefully better in the flesh

[dundarach]

It looks like the old one, which looks like every other car sadly.

[Hairymonster]

Nice paint job

Skoda Superb Bukkake

[asci.white]

dundarach said:

It looks like the old one, which looks like every other car sadly.

That's the point.

Hit the desired market dead centre and undercut by a small margin. Worked before so why not now...

[Slowboathome]

Hairymonster said:

Nice paint job

Skoda Superb Bukkake

I hate it. Why can't we have cars in normal colours like red and green any more.

[ex-devonpaul]

Looks great - always up for a large Estate.

Hopefully on this one they'll make the load area flat so you can slide things in, but.....

"Smart Dials"?????

Hopefully something you don't need to concentrate on.