► It’s the new 2015 Skoda Superb
► New third generation
► Now a hatchback, estate to follow
You’re looking at the new 2015 Skoda Superb. And the big news is the lumbering Czech space-wagon is even bigger than before, making it a leading contender for the best way to transport growing families, chunky Mafia dons or inebriated revelers back from a weekend discotheque.
Truth be told, space – and oodles of it – has always been at the heart of the Superb’s appeal, and Skoda’s not mucking around with the recipe much after two successful modern generations.
How much bigger is the new 2015 Skoda Superb then?
It’s an incidental 28mm longer and a waist-expanding 47mm wider than before – plus the wheelbase stretches an extra 80mm between the axles.
Which helps explain how Skoda has liberated an additional 30 litres into the boot, for an impressively echoing 625 total.
Remember: this is the Superb hatchback – an even bigger estate will follow later in autumn 2015, and that car is likely to account for most Superb sales here. Nearly two-thirds of all Superbs sold in the UK are wagons…
What’s underneath the new Superb?
No surprises here: it’s another off-shoot from the hyper-flexible, and ever-increasing, MQB architecture. This is the box of oily bits that you’ll find under everything from a VW Golf Mk7 to an Audi TT, not to mention Skoda’s own inhouse rival, the Octavia.
Lightweight materials mean that weight is actually saved to the tune of 75kg, despite the growth spurt. Which is good news all round.
And despite the fact that 98% of all Superbs sold in the UK are diesel, Skoda will persist with petrol engines. This is excellent news for fans of consumer choice, and they’ve even smuggled in a rather rampant-sounding performance version with 276bhp. Perfect for Mr Minicab in a rush!
The engine line-up looks like this:
1.4-litre petrol 148bhp with cylinder deactivation
2.0-litre petrol 276bhp with 4wd and DSG transmission
1.6-litre TDI 118bhp, 6spd manual or 7spd DSG
2.0-litre TDI 148bhp, 6spd manual or 6spd DSG
2.0-litre TDI 187bhp, 6spd manual or 6spd DSG
Spec, details of new Superb range
UK sales start in September 2015, priced from around £20,000. Skoda will persist with S, SE, SE L and Laurent & Klement trim levels, while CO2-strangling Greenline models will be added later.
All Brit-spec Superbs will get the VW Group’s latest touchscreen infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity, alloy wheels (from 16in in girth) and DAB digital radio.
And – perhaps the best bit for fans of curio geekery – Skoda will continue to offer an umbrella in the front door (now on both sides, in fact). And if that doesn’t speak volumes about Skoda’s practical touches, we don’t know what does. See the new Superb in the metal at the 2015 Geneva motor show on 3 March.