Skoda Superb

The Skoda Superb was introduced to the Indian subcontinent almost a decade back. Known for its supreme comfort and space, the luxury sedan has evolved to be an executive saloon – a car that gives you the bells and whistles of a Mercedes E-Class or a BMW 5 Series. The newest Superb that has arrived is a new generation car and is based on the versatile MQB platform.

Exterior

The Skoda Superb design is influenced by the Vision C concept car. While the overall design of the older car has been more or less retained, the lines are sharper. The lines have now moved from slightly rounded to being completely angular. The fascia gets a new bumper, revised Skoda proprietary grille and a seemingly longer hood. The projector headlamps get cornering function and have integrated daytime running lamps.

Moving over to the side, the roof line has been lowered slightly while the shape remains same as the older car. It gets a new design for the alloy wheels as well as the wing mirrors. The angularity continues to the rear with the crease on the boot lid getting prominent and the chrome strip getting a miss. The wrap around tail lamps are all LED with integrated fog lamps.

Interior

The Superb is known for the cabin space and the new Superb carries the legacy forward. Leather upholstery is standard along with a panoramic sunroof with a bounce back function. The top end Laurin and Klement trim gets a three-zone automatic climate control instead of the standard dual-zone system. The front seats are power adjustable with memory function reserved for the top spec car.

The in-car infotainment system gets a touch-screen TFT display and comes with MirrorLink, Apple Car Play and Android Auto for the seamless integration of your smartphone. The top spec car gets a 12-speaker audio system from Canton. The Superb also gets ambient lighting for the interior along with an optional rear entertainment package.

Engine and gearbox

The Superb is being offered with the same set of engines as the current car. On the petrol front, the engine will be the 1.8-TSI which produces 180bhp while the diesel on the other hand is the 2.0-litre TDI which produces 177bhp and 350Nm of torque. The 1.8-TSI tuned for 320Nm of torque output is mated to a six speed manual while 250Nm setup gets the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The diesel gets the six-speed automatic option only.

Price and competition

The 2016 Superb has been launched with the Style trim with manual transmission as a base variant while the top spec variants called L&K. The Skoda Superb competes with the Volkswagen Passat, the only other car with a diesel option with the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord fighting with the petrol variants. As for the price point, the top-spec Superb also goes against the Audi A3 and the Mercedes CLA amongst the premium cars and top spec variants of SUVs like Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Hyundai Santa Fe.