Skodas have traditionally been big on value, and the Czech firm’s sedans don’t come any bigger than the Superb. Skoda has already issued its own carefully choreographed ‘spy’ images of the combi wagon version of the all-new model coming this fall, but another set of real shots that fell into our inbox this week reminded us that there’s a sedan in the works, too.
The third Superb since Skoda brought the WWII-era badge back to life in the early 2000s is closely related to the new Volkswagen Passat, so much so that VW actually tasked Skoda with designing both cars, which will be built at the Group’s Bratislava plant in Slovakia, rather than the Superb’s traditional Kvasiny, Czech Republic, home.
But while VW has opted to ditch its sedan option and will only sell the new Passat as a wagon, Skoda will give its customer a choice of sedan and wagon body styles, though both versions of the Superb will get a lift-up rear hatch, despite what the sedan’s conservative three-box styling suggests.
Related: 2024 Skoda Superb Combi Spied Gearing Up For A Fall Debut
The lower bumper of this sedan looks a little different from the last one we saw, but we suspect that’s down to how the camo wrap has been applied and that the two cars’ bumpers, with their pronounced vertical intakes at each corner, are actually the same design.
This newer test car is riding on bigger wheels that are far more in proportion with the Superb’s long wheelbase. The current car’s MQB platform already measures 2,840 mm (111.8 inches) between the axles and it’s possible that Skoda could stretch it even further for the new generation. The Passat could also inherit the same generous wheelbase for the first time, rather than being shorter than its Skoda cousin.
We’re also expecting both cars to offer a similar mix of diesel, mild-hybrid petrol, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and to feature floating tablet touchscreens on the dashboard, something you can just about make out through the window of this prototype as it rips around the Nurburgring.
We’ll see both the Passat and Superb before the end of the year, but with SUVs and electric power taking over the car market now and in the coming years will we see either model again once these new cars have had their six years in showrooms? The Superb was Skoda’s flagship for over 15 years, but siblings like the seven-seat Kodiaq have stolen its thunder and the pressure is only going to build when Skoda puts its planned Kodiaq-sized EV into production.
