[Mahven]

Looks like an Audified Skoda

[amit]

What a redesign by Skoda! Brilliant car. I somehow don't like the looks of the current Superb which looks like a proper chauffeur driven car but this one ticks all the right boxes as a self driven car and I love the small little touches that truly make it into a smart car. The only problem I see is the removal of the dual boot system but it's surely not a deal breaker. I really hope Skoda don't push this too high up in the pricing since they have already indicated that it's going to be costlier.

I am just wondering who in their right minds would buy a Mercedes A class sedan, A3 and the other entry level 'premium' cars?

[rsm97]

Brilliant preview and a lovely car.

All said and done, we in India probably can do without features like seat warming. Good chance that Skoda does value engineering for Indian version.

Because of its badge, it will make a strong case if offered below 30L which seems to be a low probability.

[Rollingwheels26]

My detest for Skoda, because of their horrific A.S.S stories, aside I can honestly say that I have fallen in love with the Czech. Their women and their cars are beauties to behold

Originally Posted by rsm97

Brilliant preview and a lovely car.

All said and done, we in India probably can do without features like seat warming. Good chance that Skoda does value engineering for Indian version.

Because of its badge, it will make a strong case if offered below 30L which seems to be a low probability.

If I am not mistaken this feature will be modified (or probably already has the option) to cool the seats (like how the Elantra SX has cooled seats) to suit our Indian summers.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

International markets get to pick from 16 different engine & drivetrain combinations. What we'll get in India is still unclear:
Attachment 1344145

As you would expect, there's some solid insulation under the hood:
Attachment 1344146............... Attached below are the expanded spec sheets, including the AWD variants.

That was one nice review ! And with its eye-candy exterior and party tricks accessories the Superb is likely to do as well as its predecessor in India.

But a sedan (luxury sedan?) over 4.8m long / over 2.7m wheelbase / 1.6 tons kerb wt - and having only FWD? As I gather from some of the press releases elsewhere, only the top spec version will be graced with an AWD transmission. Sorry, but for this kind of money I'd happily settle for a RWD 1-series BMW any day. FWD on anything more than 4m overall length and a wheelbase greater than 2.4 m is nothing but great packaging efficiency and marketing hype - and also in my humble view, gross engineering.
The Yanks tried it first way back in the 70's with the FWD Oldsmobile Toronado and other cars from the GM stable (including the FWD Cadillac Eldorado), both over 18 feet in length! I remember it had prompted one of the British hacks to write in his review that "GM seems to have gone all peculiar" with their gigantic new FWD offerings.

I believe that aesthetic appeal should go hand in hand with sound engineering underpinnings. Just ask BMW or Porsche.

[599gto]

Originally Posted by shashanka

That was one nice review ! And with its eye-candy exterior and party tricks accessories the Superb is likely to do as well as its predecessor in India.

But a sedan (luxury sedan?) over 4.8m long / over 2.7m wheelbase / 1.6 tons kerb wt - and having only FWD? As I gather from some of the press releases elsewhere, only the top spec version will be graced with an AWD transmission. Sorry, but for this kind of money I'd happily settle for a RWD 1-series BMW any day. FWD on anything more than 4m overall length and a wheelbase greater than 2.4 m is nothing but great packaging efficiency and marketing hype - and also in my humble view, gross engineering.
The Yanks tried it first way back in the 70's with the FWD Oldsmobile Toronado and other cars from the GM stable (including the FWD Cadillac Eldorado), both over 18 feet in length! I remember it had prompted one of the British hacks to write in his review that "GM seems to have gone all peculiar" with their gigantic new FWD offerings.

I believe that aesthetic appeal should go hand in hand with sound engineering underpinnings. Just ask BMW or Porsche.

As much as most of us would want a rear-wheel-drive or an all-wheel-drive at this price point, it looks like more and more manufacturers are coming up with front wheel drive set ups, for example the Mercedes A, CLA, GLA, the Audi A4 range and the 2 litre A6 as well. Maybe because it helps bring down production costs.

As far as sound engineering is concerned, I hear that the Audi A6, similar in size to the upcoming superb and front-wheel-drive, is dynamically very well sorted and handles very well. Also having driven the VW Passat extensively, again similar in size and front-wheel-drive, I can vouch that the car will suffice for most looking for a pleasurable driving experience. Same with the A and CLA I recently test drove.

The Superb is not designed for someone who would also look at the BMW 1 as an option just because it falls in the same price range. After all you can probably fit an entire 1 series in the Superb's cabin plus the 1 series comes with a dashboard that would not look out of place in a Figo perhaps, and these are just two short comings of the 1, I don't even want to get started on the ridiculous pricing!

Engineering has taken a 40 year leap after the 70s, so I genuinely suggest you drive one of these newer FWD offerings, specially from the Germans, they will not disappoint you!

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by 599gto

As much as most of us would want a rear-wheel-drive or an all-wheel-drive at this price point, it looks ..................Engineering has taken a 40 year leap after the 70s, so I genuinely suggest you drive one of these newer FWD offerings, specially from the Germans, they will not disappoint you!

Hello 599 GTO, nice hearing from you and thanks for the suggestions. But as they say about the world at large, the more things change, the more they remain the same, including mechanical engineering! What does change is the marketing hustle and hype.

A FWDer over 16ft long and weighing in at 1.6 tons (such as the new Superb) still has to bear with the wear & tear of the stresses of full traction at full steering lock in a fully loaded car - a situation I face regularly on the hairpins of Uttaranchal in our Scorpio. Plus the risk of traction loss on the same hairpins with the addition of steep inclines (anything over 1:4) and loose surfaces, both common in our hills. Sure, the ESP and EBD may help in the latter situation, but no amount of marketing hype will convince me that a FWDer with the above specs - the 3 pointed star notwithstanding - will be more durable than a comparable vehicle with RWD. Specially considering the pressure on mfrs to slash down on kerb wt in the interests of fuel efficiency. The lighter wt does not auger well for durability; metallurgy hasn't progressed that far yet - no matter how much the boffins at Audi, JLR and Aston wax eloquent about the wonders of their new Al-alloys. And one must remember that we are talking about real world owners like me, not page three cricketers and celebs who have stashed it away by the sackful!

I will admit that as an engineer with decades of hands on experience on heavy m/c of all kinds (a marine engineer's staple!) I have a bias towards RWD and I have stuck my neck out on the issue before in these columns!

[abhinav.gupta88]

A Sureshot winner is what we have here. Kudos to Skoda for addressing all the minutest of details. Now, Bring it on in India ASAP!

[Tushar]

Skoda has revealed the variant wise feature and price list for the 2015 Superb in the UK.

Link to Team-BHP news article

[LandCruiser]

Stunned with the level of details presented and the awesome pictures to go with them. Enjoyed going through every little detail. Overall Skoda seems to have thought the customer at every point of designing this car. If the package works overall (including the DSG) and they really do take care of the customer during after sales service, this is a winner of a car.

Really wish I had the budget to go for this when launched. Most features seem to be really very useful in the real world and make the ownership and usage enjoyable. Wish such features find their way to the lower segment sedans like Octavia and Rapid as well.

Once again excellent work by team-bhp reviewers. Well done.

[Santoshbhat]

So no 1.8 TSI for the new Superb? Great move to get the 2.0 TSI for this large car. Although the AWD petrol seems unlikely for India, I do hope the 187 hp 2.0 TDI AWD makes it to our shores.

[Seacat]

Hi Rehaan,
"Superb" preview. I own a Laura DSG and somehow I cannot help but be skeptical about the fact that more than 50% of the features you have shown will not be STANDARD but Options on the India bound Superb. For example the removable boot light
Any idea on the expected pricing for India ?? keen to know as I am seriously considering this car as the next buy.
Regards,

[phoenix7]

Thanks Rehaan for this amazing detailed writeup!
The addition of 3rd zone of climate control is looking good, believe it will help the cooling for the rear passengers to a huge extent, which is not that great in the present model.
Man this car is making me drool bad!! And being a superb owner i know how bad this car spoils you, looks like i might end up upgrading from a superb to a superb, it really makes those audi's and bmw's look pointless and overpriced!

[Gannu_1]

Production of the new Superb commences at the ŠKODA plant in Kvasiny, CZ.

Originally Posted by Skoda PR

As well as the body production facility that has been put into operation for the production of the new Superb, production buildings and production areas have also been expanded. With its expressive design, captivating technical qualities and generous amount of space, the new ŠKODA Superb is setting the standard in the automotive mid-class segment.

Significant investments in production technologies, assembly and logistics areas have been made in Kvasiny in readiness for the start of the new ŠKODA Superb’s production. A total of 1.7 billion Czech koruna have been invested in the new body production facility alone and ŠKODA is planning to extend the plant further in the coming years.

New era: Production of the new ŠKODA Superb begins

[cedricsg]

Thats an amazing review Rehaan. Surely looks like one should start saving for this one immediately. I am a Skoda Laura TSI owner and cant think of a petrol engine that is as fun to drive as this one and equally refined. I drove the E200 and was surprised that a car costing 30 lacs more gives so much lesser. I hope the 2.0 engine comes here instead of the 1.8, and DQ 250 instead of the DQ200, to put apprehensions at rest. If the pricing is contained inside 30, it would be just awesome. I am also confused with the group strategy, as Skoda cars look better than VW and, especially the petrols are more powerful and cheaper. The only reason one would go for E/5/A6 is brand and possibly it being a RWD.