Eddie Cunninghma: Skoda Superb drives me down memory lane as electrified era poses challenge

The Skoda Superb has made a bit impact since the new-era generation was introduced in 2001

Eddie Cunningham

The next Skoda Superb is to be unveiled this autumn. That will make it the fourth generation of the modern era and will mark another milestone since the launch of the first model produced way back between 1934 and 1949.

Many, many years later, in 2001, I was lucky enough to be at the launch of the first of the new-era generation.

And given how quickly things are changing, I thought I’d just recap on how big an impact it has made over the years, as Skoda steer it into the electrified era.

It was hugely spacious and a near-instant hit in the large-car segment because there wasn’t much like it back then.

That went for the second generation (2008) too.

Come to think of it, that claim still applies.

Families bought it, taxi drivers loved it, those who wanted a car to complement their lifestyle liked its adaptability of space.

I remember driving it many times over the years and saying that if I had to buy a new car, I’d buy the Superb with one of its excellent diesel engines and forget about having to buy anything for years and years.

The good thing about it was that it kept improving in the course of revisions.

And the more I drove the Combi (estate) version, the more I liked it.

The third generation – on the market since 2015 – was the first Superb series to be built on the Volkswagen group’s modular MQB platform.

And then in 2019 they expanded the range by including a plug-in hybrid version, called the Superb i.

Would I still opt for a diesel? I don’t know. It would depend a lot on what the electrified options are in the new model. That is the challenge facing Skoda and current owners.