Frankfurt show: Skoda Superb Combi uncovered

SKODA has lifted the covers off its Superb Combi that will, according to the Czech car-maker, offer best-in-class cargo space of up to 2000 litres.

Expected to go on sale in Europe in September after its public premiere at the Frankfurt motor show, the Superb liftback and Combi will start rolling into Australian showrooms in the second quarter of next year.

The Combi, or Estate as it is known in the United Kingdom, carries an identical front-end design to the third-generation liftback that was revealed at the Geneva motor show in February and itself inspired by the striking VisionC concept.

Differences are evident from B-pillar back, however, with a gently sloping roofline, steeply raked rear windscreen and tail-lights that are adapted from the liftback.

Some Volkswagen Group influences are evident in the design, with the new Superb carrying its own look, but with hints or previous generation Audi Avants there too.

Built on VW Group’s MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) platform that underpins the current-generation VW Golf, Audi A3 and TT, Skoda Octavia and the next-gen Passat, the Czech brand says the Superb Combi offers the “best interior space in its segment”.

Compared with the outgoing Combi, the wheelbase has been extended 80mm, to 2841mm, while the front and rear tracks are wider at 1584mm and 1572mm respectively.

Skoda says interior space is up in several key areas, with 39mm more elbow room for the driver and the passenger and 70mm more in the rear than the previous model, while headroom is 995mm in the front and 1001mm in the second row.

Cargo volume is up by 27 litres, to 660 litres, and when the rear-seat backrest is folded, the Combi offers 1950 litres.

Volkswagen’s mechanically related new-gen B8 Passat offers 650/1780 litres of space, while the Audi A6 Avant can carry 565/1680 litres, BMW’s 5 Series Touring 560/1670 litres and Mercedes’ E-Class Estate 1950 litres.

In Australia, however, the Superb sits in the sub-$70,000 large car segment alongside Holden’s Commodore Sportwagon that is more cavernous, offering 895/2000 litres of space, while Peugeot’s 508 Touring can take 612/1817 litres. GoAuto has previously reported that pricing for the new Superb should range between $40,000 and $65,000, but official pricing and specifications will be confirmed closer to launch.

In Australia, the Superb range will be powered by a trio of 2.0-litre direct-injection four-cylinder Euro-6 compliant turbo engines, each matched with a six-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission.

They include a 140kW/400Nm TDI turbo-diesel and a 162kW/350Nm TSI turbo-petrol unit as front-wheel drive options, while the 206kW/350Nm TSI 4X4 will be the flagship powertrain.

There is no word yet on whether Skoda will offer an Outdoor version of the Superb Combi. The Outdoor was similar in execution to the Octavia Scout in that it featured all-wheel drive and carried rugged SUV styling cues and was a competitor for the VW Passat Alltrack.