Czech giant Skoda is set to join the space race with an eagerly anticipated estate based on the huge Superb.

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.

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The first serially manufactured Superb rolls of the production line. Today Škoda Auto launched the serial production of the new generation Superb at its plant in Kvasiny.

“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.

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Czech carmaker Skoda has announced the launch of a new sport package for its new Fabia II supermini. Named “Dynamic”, the new sport kit adds a front spoiler, a chromed exhaust tip, a roof spoiler, tinted rear windows and a diffuser like rear bumper add-on along with standard air-condition all for the price of 990 Euros or about $1,500 in Germany.

Motorists need look no further than Skoda after this week’s budget. With family cars firmly in the firing line, Skoda offers some budget busting options thanks to a range of models that produce less than 151g CO2/km.

From 2009, cars producing less than 131g CO2/km will be exempt from road tax for the first year giving drivers of the Fabia 1.4 TDI PD (120g CO2/km) and the Fabia GreenLine (109g CO2/km), which already fall into VED Band B, a reason to be cheerful.

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Going on sale next year, the Superb will be the big brother to the Octavia and sit at the top of the Czech company’s range. The mag’s pictures show it boasts an all-new look and will offer even greater practicality, thanks to the fact it’s now a hatchback.

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

While we would have preferred it if the Fabia pictured above was an RS version fitted with the VW Group’s 2.0 TFSI petrol unit (the one found in the Golf GTi, TT-S etc), this is the first prototype of the Fabia Super 2000 Rally car that will compete in the Super 2000 category. The race-prepped Skoda is based on the second-generation Fabia and, in compliance with the FIA regulations, is equipped with a two-litre atmospheric four-cylinder petrol engine, a six-speed sequential transmission and a four-wheel drive system with three mechanical differentials

Skoda Auto’s new concept car – the Skoda Joyster – is having a world premiere at the Paris International Motor Show. Shaped very dynamically, this leisure-time three-door front-wheel-drive compact vehicle is mainly targeted at young people. On top of its fresh-looking design, the vehicle offers a high degree of comfort and smart modern communication solutions. The Joyster concept demonstrates the big creative potential of the company’s young designers led by Jens Manske. The team indeed creates new, simple and sophisticated solutions in the spirit of the company’s advertising slogan “Simply Clever”.

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