Skoda Superb face-lift breaks cover

The second generation of the post World War II era Superb from Skoda has been around in India since 2009. And in that time here it has become widely acknowledged for being a well made, luxurious and extremely spacious car for its price.

Skoda has now given the Superb a facelift to freshen up its appeal while all its competitors have jumped to their next generations, apart from the Nissan Teana. 

The basic architecture of the facelifted Skoda Superb remains the same with alterations to the front limited to the grille, headlamps, bumper and fog lamps. The Superb remains identical from the side apart from the new alloy wheels. At the back, the most prominent change is the relocation of the licence plate from the bumper to the boot lid, which retains the chrome strip on its lip. The attractive new tail lights are also fairly prominent. Skoda has fitted a new rear bumper with reflectors and the tail pipes are now located on the left side of the car. 

After the unveiling of the new Octavia in December 2012, it looks like Skoda is trying to make its uniquely shaped front grille with the centre bonnet groove a family trend. 

Interior changes to the facelifted Skoda Superb include a new four-spoke steering wheel, gear lever and interior colour scheme that retains the lower beige colour of the door pads, dashboard and centre console but adds a brown colour finish on top of the dashboard, door pads and the steering wheel. 

Two new features worth mentioning about the face-lifted Skoda Superb include an automatic park assist system and the front passenger seat can now be moved forward electrically via a button on the backrest, to make more legroom at the back. 

The facelifted Skoda Superb will continue to be powered by the current range of engines and gearboxes comprising a 1.8 litre-petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel mill. The 1.8 TSI engine is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DSG autobox while the 2.0 TDI engine is mated to a six-speed DSG automatic gearbox. 

"The Skoda Superb is the pinnacle of our model line-up and proves its capability as a manufacturer. The present comprehensive facelift has made our top model even more attractive,” said Skoda CEO Winfried Vahland. “The Superb offers comfort beyond the middle-class standard. This means lots of room, excellent functionality, high comfort, top safety, great value for money and timeless elegance. We are always intent on offering our customers a little bit extra car.” 

Skoda has not announced when it will bring the facelifted car to India but it is likely to make it here by the end of 2013. 

In terms of price, the Superb competes against the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Teana, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat and the Toyota Camry. 

However, as aforementioned, the Skoda Superb due to its spacious and luxurious interiors as well as its attractive price tag is known to threaten entry-level luxury sedans such as the Audi A3, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Volvo S60. 

Also read: New Skoda Octavia Sings to Life!