2014 Skoda Superb gets new look

The face-lifted 2014 Skoda Superb large car has finally landed on local shores, more than 12 months after its European debut, priced from $31,990.

A European rival to the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Toyota Aurion, and significantly cheaper with the revised pricing, the Czech-made car is now exclusively a four-cylinder front-drive affair, with all-wheel drive and V6 variants now axed from the range.

The family car brings a contemporary new look that sees the bonnet, grille, front fenders and headlights redesigned. Both sedan and wagon now have subtle new LED brake lights as standard.

Skoda's "Simply Clever" catch-cry is in full effect for the new model, which features a hidden umbrella in the left rear door, wagon models get a removable LED torch in the back, and sedans come with a dual-stage 'TwinDoor' boot lid, with both liftback and sedan modes now unlockable via the key fob.

The large Czech car can also parallel and now perpendicularly park itself, and dual-clutch auto transmissions are standard on all models – six-speed for the diesel, seven-speed for the petrol.

The front-drive only model range has been condensed to two models and two engine types, a turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel unit offered in either Ambition or Elegance grades.

The 118TSI turbo-petrol four-cylinder unit bangs out 118kW/250Nm and with fuel use rated at 7.2L/100km, making the sedan slightly more efficient than before.
Opt for the turbo diesel 125TDI and the economy gains are much better, its 5.5L/100km a big improvement on the previous model's 6.2L/100km. That engine has outputs of 125kW/350Nm, giving it more oomph than the petrol version too.

Skoda Superb pricing in Australia has been reduced by $2000, although the previous $33,990 was based on a drive-away deal, meaning the new $31,990 model will end up more expensive once dealer delivery and statutory charges are factored in.

The Entry-level Superb Ambition 118TSI turbo-petrol sedan is $31,990, the wagon attracting a $1700 premium for the extra cargo space, 605 litres versus the sedan's 565 litres. Wagon models are also slightly thirstier than the sedan, adding 0.1L/100km to the above figures. The diesel model is also only available in top-spec Elegance, the prices (not including on-road costs) as follows:

Superb Ambition 118TSI $31,990
Superb Elegance 118TSI $39,990
Superb Elegance 125 TDI $44,990

Changes to the interior of the Skoda Superb include two new colours (Metal Grey, Moon White), an newer multi-function steering wheel, eight-speaker stereo, dual-zone automatic climate control and colour infotainment systems are standard on all models.

The entry-level Ambition grade also gets 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, automatic wipers, USB port, Bluetooth, plus SD card and auxiliary jacks.

Elegance models get larger 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive xenon headlights with LED running lights and indicators, auto parking, leather heated front and rear seats, electric front seats, auto-dimming mirrors, a beefier 10-speaker stereo mated to a touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation and a 30Gb hard drive.

The new updated model will keep the Superb ticking over until 2016, when the fourth-generation large car emerges, expected to incorporate Skoda's new design language first seen in the Vision C concept earlier in the year.