We Indians have a liking to be chauffeured around and any car that offers rear comfort is loved by all. The Skoda Superb is one such car. Tons of space along with features that rival more expensive cars at a value for money price. This, in short defines the Superb. Skoda has been selling the Superb in India since 2004. Two generations of the Superb have been on Indian roads including a facelift version. The company launched the all new third generation of their flagship sedan earlier this year and it comes with a lot of promise. We got our hands on the L&K petrol variant and find out if it carries forward the legacy set by the previous car.
The new Superb is based on Volkswagen’s MQB platform that is also shared by the Octavia. The car is longer and wider than the previous gen car with an increase in wheelbase by 80 mm. The front features the Skoda family grille flanked by sharp cut projector headlamps that come with fantastic detailing. The bonnet looks muscular with bulges. The front bumper has sharp styling and comes with integrated fog lamps. A sharp crease runs along the side of the car ending at the tail lamps. The sloping roof line gives the Superb a very coupe style stance. The tail lamps get C shaped LED elements and look really smashing. The tail lights are one of our favourite design aspects of the car. The rear of this new Superb does look in line with the rest of the car as compared to its predecessor. The L&K version comes with 17 inch multi spoke alloys which look nice considering the dull designs being offered by manufacturers these days. Overall, the design does remind you of the Skoda VisionC concept on which the Superb is based.
Step inside the new Skoda Superb and you will find yourself in familiar territory. At first glance the dashboard layout looks very similar to that of the Octavia. Skoda should have done something different to make it standout from its sibling, considering you are paying more monies from your pocket. That said, the quality of the cabin is top notch and is on par with cars in a higher price range. The dual tone layout comprises of black on the top and beige on the bottom. The piano black finish on the centre console looks much better than the faux wood panelling. The buttons and switches reek of quality and the dashboard has soft touch surfaces. The chrome detailing on the AC controls, AC vents and other areas feel premium too. The L&K comes with customizable ambient lighting in a choice of three colours. The lighting strip runs across the length of the dashboard. The three spoke steering feels nice to hold and comes with paddle shifters. However we wish it came with electric adjust. Front seats are very comfortable and come with 12 way electric adjust and memory function. They also get the cooling feature in the L&K. There is a 6.5 inch touchscreen for the on board infotainment system and with connectivity for platforms that include MirrorLink. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 
The rear of the Superb is the place to be. There’s even more space than before and seats are very comfortable and come with fantastic cushioning. A third passenger could feel out of place due to the high transmission tunnel. Also the L&K gets three zone climate control, meaning that the rear passenger get to control temperature according to their needs. There are no AC vents on the B pillar anymore. Should you need more legroom, Skoda gives you the ‘Boss Button’. With this button, you can slide the passenger seat forward from the rear itself. Nice. The L&K logo is also embossed on the seat upholstery.
Other features include a panoramic sunroof, sun blinds for the rear windows and rear windshield. The L&K gets a 610 Watt Canton music system with 12 speakers. The sound quality should keep audio enthusiasts happy. There’s Aux, USB and Bluetooth connectivity too. There are many stowage spaces to keep bottles, documents and other knick knacks as well. Skoda also gives you two umbrellas instead of one in the new Superb but somehow they were missing in the test car.
Unlike the older car, the boot of the new Superb does not open in two stages. Instead, it opens like a conventional hatch. Standard boot space stands at 625 litres which goes up to a humongous 1,760 litres once those rear seats are folded down. The L&K gets the Virtual Boot Release function. All you need to do is slide your foot under the rear bumper and the boot will open. It is pretty useful when you have your hands full.
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