Skoda Superb Production Hits 1 Million: 8 Decades Of Heritage

The Skoda Superb is not just an ordinary car, it has superpowers. It has the power to make bigger cars than itself feel cramped, make luxury cars feel cheap and more powerful cars feel sluggish in comparison. And all of this, though outrightly evident in the third-generation model, has been prevailing ever since the 1930s when the flagship was first introduced. Now, Skoda has produced over a million units of the Superb sedan and a quarter of these have been the current-generation car. We have covered everything you need to know about the third-generation Superb in our review, but let's dive deep into the past when the first one rolled out of the factory 83 years ago and take a look at how the flagship has transformed through the ages. 

It all began with the Skoda Superb limousines which were under production from 1934–1949 under the guidance of Skoda's founding fathers - Václav Laurin and Václav Klement. The two worked under the principle of "only the best is good enough for our customers" and the limousines they produced were a testament to it. Skoda managed to sell 2,500 of these models during its production period, which, at the time, was a respectable number. The 640 Superb used a 2.5-litre, six-cylinder engine in which the driveshaft passed through the tube frame of the car. It also had an independent suspension setup which replaced the rigid axles making a huge difference in ride quality. Towards the end of its production cycle, Skoda also offered an 8-cylinder model which were limited to just 10 units. 

After a long stretch extending over five decades, the ‘Superb’ name was resurrected in 2001 with the first-generation sedan. It was this sedan which started the tradition of having umbrellas hidden in the door panel. It also came with other modern convenience features like an option to adjust the front passenger seat from the rear. Skoda managed to sell 13.6 lakh units of the first-gen Superb in its 7-year lifespan from 2001–2008. 

The revolution came in 2008 with the second-generation Superb, which became a serious rival to luxury marques from across the globe. It was in production from 2008 till 2015 and Skoda sold a massive 6.18 lakh units in the 7-year span.

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Since 2015, the third-generation Superb has taken over the role of being Skoda’s flagship product with a total of 2.5 lakh units being sold till date. In India, it is powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged TSI petrol engine which makes 180PS of power. Paired to the petrol is a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission. The cars equipped with the 6-speed manual produces 320Nm of peak torque compared to the 250Nm of the automatic variant. The diesel engine is a 2.0-litre motor producing 177PS and 350Nm which is mated to a 6-speed DSG automatic.

In India, the Skoda Superb competes against the likes of the Toyota Camry but is also on par with other luxury cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Audi A3.