Škoda is marking a quarter of a century of the modern Superb, which was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 11 September 2001. Four generations later, the Czech brand says it has delivered close to 1.8 million examples worldwide. The current car is sold as a liftback and a Combi estate, with what Škoda calls the widest engine line-up the model has ever had.

Škoda Auto is celebrating 25 years of the modern Superb, the car that took the brand back into the mid-size class after an absence of more than five decades. The first modern-generation model made its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on 11 September 2001, and the name has stayed in the range ever since.

According to the manufacturer, nearly 1.8 million Superb vehicles have been handed over to customers across four generations. Škoda describes the model as a significant driver of its international growth, and says well over half of all Superb deliveries today are company cars.

A name borrowed from the 1930s

The Superb badge is far older than the current car. It goes back to 1934, when the updated Škoda 640 was given the nickname. Superb models were built in several body styles until 1949 and represented what the company could do technically at the time. The name then disappeared for more than 50 years before returning in 2001 on a saloon known for unusually generous rear-seat space, a wide engine choice and comparatively rich equipment.

Four generations of changes

The first modern Superb set the template that still defines the model: space, comfort, practicality and restrained design. The second generation arrived in 2008 with the TwinDoor rear-opening system, which allowed the bootlid to open either as a saloon boot or as a hatchback. The range later grew to include the Combi estate and all-wheel-drive versions.

The third generation, shown in 2015, brought the biggest technical step: more connectivity, a wider set of driver-assistance systems and a sharper design language. In 2019 the Superb became the first Škoda production model offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The fourth and current generation was introduced in 2023. It uses a redesigned cabin with the brand’s Smart Dials and covers petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid power. Two plug-in hybrid versions are offered, with an electric range of around 120 km (75 miles).

“For 25 years, the Superb has been winning over private and fleet customers alike. With nearly 1.8 million vehicles delivered to customers worldwide across four generations, it has become one of the key pillars of Škoda’s success story. Today, well over half of all Superb vehicles are delivered as company cars. Across four generations, we have continued to develop the model while staying true to what our customers value most: generous space, comfort, practicality and modern technology. The latest generation carries these strengths forward with liftback and Combi estate body styles and the broadest powertrain portfolio in the model’s history, ranging from petrol and diesel engines to mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.” — Martin Jahn, Škoda Auto Board Member for Sales and Marketing

What it means

The Superb sits in a shrinking part of the market. Large saloons and estates have lost ground to SUVs across Europe, and several rivals have thinned out their line-ups. Škoda’s answer has been to keep both body styles and to spread the powertrain choice as widely as possible, which matters most to fleet buyers weighing company-car tax against real-world running costs. The company also points to continued demand from government bodies, public authorities and police forces in a number of countries.

Facts: Škoda Superb

  • World premiere of the modern Superb: 11 September 2001, Frankfurt Motor Show
  • Generations: 2001, 2008, 2015, 2023
  • Deliveries: nearly 1.8 million worldwide
  • Body styles: liftback and Combi estate
  • Powertrains: petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid
  • Plug-in hybrid: two variants, around 120 km (75 miles) of electric range
  • First Škoda with a plug-in hybrid powertrain: Superb, 2019

The fourth-generation Superb remains on sale in both body styles across Škoda’s markets.

Source: www.skoda-storyboard.com