Skoda upgrades Superb flagship

FRANKFURT - Skoda has released details and pictures of its latest-generation Superb flagship, claiming the midsize model is the best car it has ever made.

The Superb, which will debut at next month's Geneva auto show, is an important image carrier for the brand and in Germany it has often been considered a "better Passat" than its VW sibling model thanks to its high level of content offered at a lower price.

Skoda wants the Superb's updated appearance to be more appealing to buyers. To give the car a clean and crisp look, designers incorporated elements from the Vision C concept that was unveiled at last year's Geneva show.

"As an important pillar of our growth strategy, the new Superb points the brand’s way into the future and will attract new business and private customers to Skoda,” brand chief Winfried Vahland said in a statement.

The car is the second Skoda after the Octavia underpinned by VW Group's MQB platform that is also used by the new VW Passat and compact models including the VW Golf and Skoda Octavia.

Although its wheelbase is 80mm longer than the current car, the new Superb weighs 75kg less and is up to 30 percent more fuel efficient thanks to its lighter weight and improved aerodynamics. The Superb GreenLine version uses 3.7 liters of fuel per 100km and has CO2 emissions of 95 grams per km.

The Superb's rear is accentuated by horizontal lines. Its two-part, broad and narrow taillights have LED technology as standard.

The Superb will be the first Skoda to offer Dynamic Chassis Control, optional three-zone air conditioners, a new SmartLink that offers seamless connectivity for SmartPhones using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a superfast 4G Internet connection in the top line model – a first for the brand.

It also comes with two umbrellas stowed away in the front doors, an ice scraper on the gasoline tank cap, tablet holders in the rear, a new electrical parking brake that replaces the classic handbrake and lots of small storage spaces for items such as 1.5-liter bottles.

Buyers will be offered a choice of five gasoline engines ranging between 125 hp and 280 hp, and three diesel engines with 120 hp to 190 hp. Four engines will be available with Haldex four-wheel drive.

The Superb was the third best-selling mass-market midsize car in Europe last year behind the VW Passat and Opel/Vauxhall Insignia (see chart below), but ahead of the Ford Mondeo, whose latest generation is currently rolling out in European markets.

The Superb accounted for about 9 percent of Skoda sales last year.

The Superb will go on sale in Europe a few months after its March 3 Geneva debut. Skoda did not disclose pricing for the Superb, nor a specific launch date for either Europe or China. Roughly 38 percent of the 560,000 second-generation Superbs on sale since 2008 went to customers in China.