Commenting on the result Martin Burke, Head of Fleet Sales at Skoda said: “We are very encouraged by the response to the Superb from fleet operators. With strong predicted residual values contributing to excellent wholelife costs it is clear the Superb is the right product for this market. Our customers are seeing the value with the top spec Elegance model accounting for 50.2% of all Superbs sold.”

The Superb is fast becoming the choice of operators and users looking for luxury at a reasonable cost. With the recent launch of the GreenLine edition, Skoda expects its market share to continue to expand.

Until the end of March 2009, the Superb GreenLine is available to fleet customers for just £220 a month for a three year period or 10,000 miles per annum. The GreenLine offers exceptional fuel efficiency, up to 67.3mpg on extra urban, helping businesses keep cost down in ever tightening market conditions.

Unlike other competitor rentals, all models in the range (excluding GreenLine) include metallic paint – allowing fleet customers to get more car for their money.

Other headline business sales deals include:

Octavia Ambiente hatch 1.9 TDI PD 105 bhp from £219 per month (including metallic paint; 2008 model)

Octavia vRS hatch 2.0 T FSI 200 bhp from £275 per month (including metallic paint; 2008 model)

Superb GreenLine 1.9 TDI PD 105 bhp DPF from £220 per month

Superb S 1.9 TDI 105 bhp from £225 per month (including metallic paint)

Superb SE 1.9 TDI PD 105 bhp from £260 per month (including metallic paint)

Superb SE 2.0 TDI 140 bhp from £275 per month (including metallic paint)

Superb Elegance 2.0 TDI PD 140 bhp from £305 per month (including metallic paint)

Skoda’s innovative Parking Assistant beat off opposition from BMW and Renault to scoop the honour in the motoring website’s annual awards. Sky Motoring’s judges praised the Superb’s Parking Assistant system for its ease of use and commented. “It sounds destined for a slot on ‘It’ll never work’, but we tested it several times and, shock horror, it actually works.”

The system is available as an option on all Superb models and works by using a set of ultrasonic sensors placed at various points around the car. These judge whether a space is big enough to be parked in, and also assist in the parking manoeuvre itself.

Once the sensors have detected the space, all the driver needs to do is engage reverse, remove his or her hands from the steering wheel, and control the speed of the car as the system as they would normally. The system steers the car into the space, informing the driver of its progress via the display on the stereo or satellite navigation system and the rear parking sensors. The system costs from £350 as an option.

And it isn’t just the Superb’s self-parking system that gadget lovers should take note of. Among the many high-tech features introduced on the new Skoda flagship model is a new AFS Adaptive Front-Light System. By changing the geometry of the light beam according to different driving circumstances, the Superb’s headlights always illuminate the section of road that’s most important. For example, in Urban mode, the beam is short and wide, lighting up the pavement and junctions for increased visibility. Conversely, in Motorway mode, the beam is long and narrow giving a great view of the road ahead. The system is fully automatic and is triggered by road speed.

Improvements include the fine tuning of the front design to enhance the airflow parameters. Also, by lowering the chassis by 15 mm the forefront area has been reduced creating better airflow under the chassis. The reduction in weight in the new Superb GreenLine has also been helpful in reducing fuel consumption. For example, instead of the spare wheel in the boot there is now a tire repair set on board. These measures result to an avg. fuel consumption of 5.1 lt of diesel per 100 km or 46.1 MPG (US), which corresponds to 136 g/km of CO2 emissions.

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Our exclusive image is the best indication yet of how the new car will look when it’s officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October. Crucially, it’s the first time that Skoda has offered its flagship Superb line-up with a load-lugger.

And our spies caught engineers testing a blue proto-type, which uses the Octavia bodywork to disguise its longer platform and higher roofline. This is the first proof the firm is working on a rival to the Volvo V70.

Inside, the Superb Estate will offer even more load space than the hatch, which has an innovative ‘double opening’ tailgate, as revealed in Issue 1,003. As a result, the newcomer should be one of the class’s largest carriers.

It will be virtually the same length as the standard Superb, measuring around 4,850mm. But because it’s taller and benefits from a revised rear bench, the estate promises far greater load-lugging ability. Drivers will have the choice of six VW-sourced engines: three petrols and three diesels.

Entry-level models get the 105bhp 1.9 TDI oil-burner, while the flagship will take power from a 3.2-litre V6 delivering 260bhp. Five and six-speed gearboxes will be available, although bosses have also hinted that a slick-shifting, six-speed semi-automatic – based on Skoda parent company VW’s DSG transmission – will also be offered shortly after the car is launched.

“The decision to produce a vehicle in the mid to upper range has opened new boundaries for Škoda and significantly contributed to the increase in its prestige. The new Superb brings a fresh outlook to vehicles in the mid to upper range. We believe that customers will undoubtedly be very enthusiastic when they see the spacious interior, the variable design of opening the rear fifth door, and the outstanding performance ratio the car represents,” said Horst Mühl, the member of the Board of Directors of Škoda Auto responsible for Production and Logistics.

The Škoda Superb has its origin in the hundred-year old history of the company. The first vehicles bearing this name were produced in years 1934-1949. Škoda Auto was manufacturing the modern Superb since 2001. As well as the plant in Kvasiny the first generation of the car was also assembled in Ukraine, India, Bosnia and Kazakhstan. In total 133,955 luxury limousines of this name had rolled off the production line by March of this year.

Three petrol and three diesel engines will be available for the new Škoda Superb, and as well as manual gearboxes the offer will include automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive. The assembly of the new generation of the Škoda Superb will be introduced to partner plants in India and Ukraine as early as this year.

Skoda has dumped the current car’s saloon body, bringing in a distinctive five-door shape instead. The move is designed to differentiate it from other models in the VW Group family, such as the Passat. Based on a lengthened and widened Octavia platform, the Superb will offer limousine-like space for passengers in the rear.

Up front, the bold nose takes inspir­ation from the Roomster and new Fabia, with a big chrome grille. At the rear, the angular tail-lights stretch across the boot. Inside, the new car borrows much of its cabin from the Octavia, but has a greater emphasis on soft-touch materials and features a piano black centre console with chrome highlights throughout. The Superb will also be available with a variety of other upmarket trim materials, including classy wood inserts. Leather trim will be standard on most models, alongside a host of equipment, including MP3-compatible CD stereos, climate control and sat-nav.

The Superb will use engines taken from the Octavia line-up. These could include the 1.6 FSI, 2.0 FSI and 2.0 turbocharged TFSI petrol units, and possibly a 3.2-litre V6 FSI, too. A 2.0 TDI diesel with either 138bhp or 168bhp is also set to appear.

A mix of five-speed and six-speed manual gearboxes will be available, as well as a smooth-shifting auto.

Befitting its status as Skoda’s flagship model, the Superb’s driving experience will be biased towards comfort, with a supple ride and hushed refinement. The model is scheduled to get its worldwide debut at the Geneva Motor Show next year, and prices should start from £15,000 when it reaches showrooms in the summer.

Source: autoеxprеss.co.uk

The firm has revealed the new Superb will feature the world’s first ‘Twindoor’ boot opening system. Press a button on the key fob and a standard saloon trunk pops up. But flick a switch and the whole rear screen lifts up just like a hatch!

Skoda has also released the first pictures of the interior. The flagship gets an upmarket look, with a touch-screen multimedia interface and an all-new steering wheel. Legroom is class-leading throughout.

But if the space and novel boot set-up aren’t quite practical enough for you, a new Superb estate is also under development. It should be on sale a year after the saloon, which hits UK showrooms in September

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