The Superb, just like all other current Skoda models, represents very good value for money. You get a car which is almost the same size as an Audi A6, but only costs about as much as a Volkswagen Passat. However, that is only part of the car’s appeal, and now with a refresh for the 2014 model-year, the Superb has been sharpened up.
When this generation of Superb came out, it took us a while to get used to the shape of the car, and in particular that of the headlights. The years have passed, and now that they are commonplace on the roads of Europe, people have grown accustomed to them. The facelift brings about a restyled front end, which now features the new “family face” as well as a different rear end. It also gets bi-xenon headlights, with integrated LED daytime running lights.
At the rear end, the liftback/sedan version gets new tail light graphics, as does the estate, or Combi, as they like to call it. The exterior changes are complimented by two new colors (metal grey and moon white).
The vast interior has also been restyled to match the rest of the range, and buyers can choose from a total of nine possible variations, including three- or four-spoke steering wheels. Top-spec cars also get a new brown-ivory leather interior – for that upmarket feel.
The range of engines is carried over from the previous model, but some engines reportedly use 19 percent less fuel. Given as an example is the 1.6-liter TDI (diesel) Greenline, which now uses 4.2 l/100km (67.2 mpg UK). However, the best-selling engine is expected to be the 2.0-liter TDI, which gets a manual transmission for the all-wheel drive model for the first time.
The Superb retains its ability to carry passengers and way too many of their bags – both body versions are still “class leading” in this respect, thanks in part to the long wheelbase, the square-ish overall shape, clever packaging and use of interior volume. It gets ABS and ESP as standard (of course), with active adaptive lights (self-dimming) and hill-hold assist being available as options. A tire pressure monitoring system, as well as a total of nine airbags complete the list of safety kit currently offered.
I say that the only thing that lets the 2014 Superb down is the actual restyling job. It could have been more thorough, especially since even this facelifted version doesn’t look as fresh as the new Octavia.
By Andrei Nedelea
PHOTO GALLERY
