We compare important news from Škoda: the new Kodiaq and Superb have some similarities, but there are also fundamental differences – Garáž.cz

The debut of the new generation of Kodiaq and Superb was spectacularly received by the car manufacturer from Mladá Boleslav. In order not to, both cars fulfill the role of flagships in Škoda’s hierarchy, at the same time it is supposed to be the swan song of combustion engines. This is also why we predict sales success for both novelties, which could escalate further at the end of the life cycle. If we consider that in some eight years most car companies want to sell exclusively electric cars, the Kodiaq and Superb may be one of the last combustion cars ever. So let’s recall the most important facts.

The unwritten rule of new cars is that they grow slightly larger than their predecessor. Neither the Superb nor the Kodiaq are exceptional in terms of length, but in other dimensions they are surprisingly close to the ground. The wheelbase of both cars has not changed between generations, the width of the Kodiaq is also the same. And the Superb? It even narrowed by fifteen millimeters. No wonder, in the pursuit of low aerodynamic resistance (and thus lower consumption and emissions), every millimeter counts.

Despite this, they have improved their trunks. The Superb liftback has twenty, the station wagon even thirty liters more. Kodiaq with seven upright seats still holds a respectable 340 liters of luggage, with the third row folded it is 845 liters. Of course, the best is the five-seat variant with 910 liters, which is an intergenerational increase of a good seventy-five liters.

While the competition (as well as sister concern models) concentrates the control of most functions on touch screens, Škoda will still offer rotary controls in both models. They’re called Smart Dials, we first saw them in the Vision 7S concept, and as the name suggests, they have smart features.

The temperature or heating and ventilation of the seats are set with the end controls. Through the middle one, you can change the intensity of the blowing, but also the volume of the audio, driving modes or zooming in on the map. This controller is configurable and can be switched between four of six preset functions. Statically – otherwise we haven’t looked at the news yet – it works perfectly. We will see how the smart controllers will perform in the more important discipline, i.e. while driving.

Kodiaq and Superb share the same architecture, so the composition of the power units is unsurprisingly identical. And diverse – the base in the form of a petrol 15-litre, two-litre petrol and diesel (the more powerful ones with all-wheel drive), but also a new generation plug-in hybrid with more versatile use.

The absolute top was reserved for the Superb. We are talking about a two-liter TSI petrol with an output of 195 kW and a 4 × 4 drive. Of course, the typical customer will probably go for a more mundane unit, but we are still glad that Škoda has still managed to achieve something like this. You can familiarize yourself with the individual engines in detail below:

Even the first Czech awards are no longer a secret. The Mladoboleslav team has so far revealed the price list of both cars with a single engine, namely the 2.0 TDI turbodiesel with a power of 110 kW. The other engines can only be ordered in the course of next year. The Kodiaq in this version and in the Selection equipment stands 1,040,000 CZK and as standard it has alloy wheels, traffic sign recognition, a ten-inch virtual cockpit, front and rear parking sensors, a parking camera or three-zone automatic air conditioning.

The Superb (so far only as a Combi) will come with the Selection na CZK 1,035,000 and it basically has cruise control with an intelligent speed limiter or comfortable front seats with partially electric adjustment. You can also order the top-of-the-line Laurin&Klement version, which has a massage function for the front seats, an electrically controlled luggage roller shutter, the option to save a parking maneuver or ambient cabin lighting. At least prepare for the highest equipment 1,235,000 CZK.

If we don’t count the test prototypes around Mladá Boleslav, the new generation of large Škoda cars will start driving on Czech roads at the beginning of next year. Of course, we still have international trips ahead of us, from which we will bring you an initial handful of impressions and insights. However, it is best to test both new products within the framework of traditional tests in the domestic environment. You definitely have something to look forward to!