[moralfibre]

The facelifted Skoda Superb has been launched in India at a price of Rs. 18.87 - 25.20 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• Rs.50 lakh luxury at half the price. Rear seat easily a match for more expensive luxo-barges
• Facelift brings smart, elegant styling with clean lines. Solid build quality too
• Extremely roomy. Oodles of cabin & boot space
• Loaded to the brim with features & technology. Also, lower Ambition variant gets more kit now
• Competent engine range. High-tech DSG is smooth & quick
• Balanced ride & handling package. A mature suspension setup
• 5-Star Euro NCAP rating. Safety kit includes 8 airbags, ESP, traction control, ABS and more

What you won't:

• Merely a cosmetic facelift of the B6 Superb. Not much else that's new
• DQ200 DSG transmission has a problematic history. Superb's long-term reliability is inconsistent as well
• Skoda’s ill-famed after sales service & dealer network
• VW's Passat got the higher tune 168 BHP / 350 Nm motor. Why not the Superb?
• No air-conditioner settings or audio controls for rear passengers
• Rear seat isn't as wide as that of some competitors (e.g. Camry). Best for 2, rather than 3
• Space aside, heavy product overlap with the fresher & lower-priced Octavia

This review has been jointly compiled by Moralfibre & Rehaan

[moralfibre]

It isn't a piece of cake to be competing in the D2 segment today. With cut throat competition, there's no room for errors by manufacturers. The 1st-gen B5 Superb when launched offered class leading space and comfort. Despite that, the Superb tanked and was labelled as an Octavia lookalike. The B5 Superb didn't get any customer attention for the five years it was on sale.

Enter 2009, the 2nd-gen B6 Superb created quite a stir. Many a sahib considered the Superb to be reason enough to ignore entry-level luxury segment cars for the sheer backseat space that the Superb offered. Unlike the 1st-gen car, the B6 Superb was well-priced, premium looking, had class-leading equipment levels and was marketed aggressively. Since the time of its launch, the B6 Superb has been a runaway success, dominating the D2 segment.

The Accord is phased out, the Passat has ceased production and you barely get to see a Sonata, Teana, Camry or Kizashi on the road. The only close competition, if there was any for the Superb, had been the Accord and its own sibling from the VW family, the Passat. Still, for every Passat sold in 2013, Skoda moved two Superbs. Interestingly, the Petrol v/s Diesel story for the Superb seems quite proportionate as well. A large part of this can be attributed to the better pricing & refinement levels of the petrol variant.

The facelifted B6 Superb was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in April '13. Considering the car has been on the run since '09, the changes are welcome. The looks have been reasonably refreshed. Do note that the facelift is a stopgap arrangement till the B7 generation comes around. Apart from a new front & rear end and an altered 3-spoke steering wheel, the car remains exactly the same. Overall, the dimensions might have changed by an mm or two, but that's only to accommodate the design changes.

For a large wheelbase car, the stance is imposing with well thought out lines. Similar to the BMW 5-series, the bonnet has a neat F1 style crease running down the length of it. The new two-tone logo which found its way on other Skodas is present too. It's integrated as part of the hood, as opposed to against the grill like it was earlier. A piano-black finish grill lined with thin stripes of chrome dons the front of the car. Most significant are the completely redesigned headlamps housing 20 LEDs each, for the bright white DRLs.

Overall, the car loses its curvy edges & rounded treatment. The lines are sharper and straighter now. There are no unfinished edges or odd panel gaps that you could point to. Typical of a European car, the Superb is built tough with thick gauge sheet metal. From the side, you can't tell the difference with the older variant, unless you look closely at the new 10-spoke alloy rims, or spot the new lights merging onto the side. The wheel well gaps are noticeably large. International variants get an option of 17" and 18" wheels that would fill up the space nicely. The 16 inchers we get keep the ride quality plush on Indian roads. The rims have spokes that are angled to make the wheel look like a turbine. The Superb has decent ground clearance of 159 mm. We drove through some pretty rough country terrain with 4 onboard and the car didn't scrape anywhere.

The most significant change is at the rear. The Superb's tail-lamps now sport LEDs with their trademark "C" lettered illumination. Design wise, they appear to have been flipped vertically, with the innermost part of the tail-lamps now at the top (instead of at the bottom). The tail-lamps appear slightly larger as well. Like the Octavia and Rapid, the tail-gate has a prism cut design. The outgoing Superb had a relatively bland, boring rear. The new one looks tighter and much better defined. The number-plate moves up to the tail-gate (from the bumper). The font used for the 'Skoda' as well as 'Superb' monograms is new and similar to that of the Octavia.

Just like the current Superb, there's no telling a diesel from a petrol variant. Even the chromed twin tail-pipes point straight. Usually in diesels, the tail pipes are angled downward.

New face. Visibly different. Notice the wider air dam:


Mask the lights and alloy wheels and you can't tell the pre-facelift Superb from the updated one. Headlights have a distinct resemblance to the Jetta from the side:


Tail-lamps look bigger than the outgoing car's:


Number-plate moves up from the bumper to the boot. No petrol / diesel badging. Bumper gets two reflectors on the far ends:


Clean and timeless design. The lines are now sharper and straighter:


Bi-xenon headlights with auto leveling mechanism. The Elegance variant gets an Adaptive Frontlight System (AFS):


Daytime running lights are LEDs, a new addition. The 'Superb' embossing has been omitted from the lamps this time around:


The new grille finished neatly in piano black, with fine chrome lines on the slats. The logo moves to the bonnet:


F1 style crease is nice to look out over:


The sunroof seems rather small on a car of this size!


Wing mirrors get puddle lamps:


New 10-spoke 'Helix' alloys. They look similar to the Octavia's rims, but aren't identical:


Flaps placed ahead of the front wheels aid aerodynamics:


Tail-lamps illuminate with a trademark "C" shape light. A classic Skoda trademark. All lights are now LED:


Unusually low hanging exhaust end-can on the petrol and diesel, both:


Chrome tipped exhaust. Piano black finish on the lowermost panel of the rear bumper does a great job of hiding the parking sensors:


Subtle lip spoiler on the trunk:


There are two buttons on either side of the number plate lights...


Press the left one to open the boot lid:


Use the right button to open the entire hatch. More accessible for larger cargo:


Superb in white emphasizes the sharper styling:


The tail-lamps lit up:


Notice how long the car is compared to its smaller sibling, the Rapid:


In motion:


Parting shot. Looks incredibly Euro:

[moralfibre]

The sheer length of the Superb translates into abundant in-cabin space. The Superb pips the 5-Series, E-Class and A6 in this department; this enormous legroom has clearly been one of the contributors to its success. The doors open far & wide offering easy access for ingress and egress. Although the Superb looks like a low slung sedan, the seats are placed higher up to facilitate a more convenient seating position. You do have to bend down a bit to enter the cabin, but it isn't a back breaker. The driver's seat offers 3 memory positions which can be customized individually for height, lumbar, pitch, fore and aft electronically. The co-passenger's seat does get electronic adjustments, albeit without memory settings. While setup for a six footer, there was adequate under thigh support offered by the front seats. The seat compound is on the firmer side and offers great overall support. All seats are wrapped in Nappa leather.

If you've been in the old Superb, well....you've been in the new, except for a smaller 3 spoke steering wheel and a new AT lever shared with the new Octavia, there is no other change. The steering offers height as well as reach adjustment. The reach adjustment in particular is useful, when the seat is pushed all the way back. Surprisingly - for a Euro car - the horn button is softer to use, although you do have to stretch your hand to reach the button. Steering controls are a breeze to operate due to the presence of jog dials for adjusting the music volume (left jog dial) and MFD navigation (right one). Press the jog dial inward to either mute the volume, or make an MFD selection. Navigating through the MFD menu can be performed using the jog dial alone. I'd rate these as the easiest-to-operate steering controls I've ever come across.

The dash and door panels get a mix of soft touch & regular plastic. With a combination of beige + black, the interiors are well put together. Thankfully, the carpets are black (and not beige as per current trends). You'll save yourself half the trouble of keeping these interiors clean. On the flip side, the beige portions are still a task to maintain. Within 600 kms of use, the driver's seat was already showing signs of stains and muck.

The stereo system comprises of 8 speakers driven by the same ol' Bolero headunit. The headunit takes 6 CDs, an SD card slot and AUX-in for media. You could also stream music over Bluetooth from your smartphone. That said, leaving out a USB input is a glaring oversight for a car this expensive. To pair your smartphone, the Superb needs to be stationary. We tried to pair our smartphones via the HU with little success, until we realized that it could only be done from the MFD menu. The overall sound quality is excellent by OEM standards, with firm and powerful bass and a clear sound-stage, owing to the placement of the speakers. The headunit also doubles up as a display for Climatronic settings (air-con) and showing distances communicated by the optical parking system.

The large size center armrest (for the driver) can be adjusted for height and reach, both. The deep compartment underneath is useful for storing personal items away from prying eyes. It also houses the AUX port for the stereo. The AT lever is surrounded by several dead buttons. The glove compartment flanked by an XL-sized lid is shallow and small. It does get felt lining and a pull-out knob to cool the glovebox by directing A/C flow inside.

The Superb carries over the same dual zone A/C system from its predecessor. While it does a fair job in keeping the cabin cool, being winter time, we couldn't really tell if it's an improvement from the otherwise sub-par air-conditioners of Skoda cars. Passengers in the back seat only get air-con vents with flow control on the B-pillars. There's no option to set the temperature at the rear.

Even with a 6-feet driver, you'll still have plenty of room at the back to stretch & move. Then, the XL sized windows let in sufficient light. The Superb is one car where you'll miss having sunfilm. However, manually operated pullout blinds for both rear windows and the rear windscreen do a great job of keeping unwanted light out. The window blind even covers the large quarter panel area that stretches all the way back. As good as the legroom is, the Superb isn't an exceptionally wide car. Seat width is lesser than say, a Honda Accord. A high floor hump makes the fifth occupant unwelcome. Add to that, the seat has a receding cut in the center portion of the back seat. The rear seat folds down in a 60:40 split. While we don't see you using that owing to the fairly large 565L boot, it doesn't hurt to have flexible storage capacity.

Closer look at the all-new steering wheel, which is the one of the two interior changes on the facelifted Superb:


Steering controls are a pleasure to use:


Paddle shifts behind the wheel. Keep the RHS paddle pulled for more than a second to switch back to auto mode:


MFD displays which specific door is open. The hood / trunk get a white highlight if left open. 6,500 rpm redline tells us this is from the revv-happy petrol:


Well-bolstered front seats offer great overall support:


Engine start / stop button was a later addition even to the pre-facelift Superb. The start / stop button needs to be pressed and held for the engine to fire up (unlike other cars where a single tap does the trick):


A thinner AT lever with a host of blank buttons around it. A side push enables 'manual mode':


Reasonably wide footwell. Dead pedal is useful:


A look at the center console:


8 speakers driven by a Bolero headunit. 6.5" touch-screen for all controls. USB input is conspicuous by its absence:


Optical parking sensors in action. You could turn off the beeps if they annoy you. Parking sensors can be manually turned on/off via a button next to the AT lever:


Dual-zone A/C has 2 individual rotary knobs for temperature control:


LHS switchgear with cruise control:


Euro-spec headlight switch to the right of the steering wheel. Dial is for adjusting instrument cluster brightness:


The MFD is an interface for tons of vehicle controls. Among others, you get a display of average fuel consumption, digital speedometer, distance to empty, pairing menu for your cellphone, turning various features on & off, vehicle service status, audio track display etc:


Wide armrest can be adjusted for reach & height. Two 500 ml bottles can sit next to the handbrake:


Reasonably deep storage under the armrest. Aux input for the stereo is in here. A small light illuminates the area:


Shallow space in the fairly small glovebox with felt lining, covered by an ultra large lid:


Little storage in the door pockets. All four doors can take 500 ml bottles at best:


ORVM control on the driver's door. Rotary knob is to fold the mirrors or heat them up. All windows have one-touch up / down functionality:


Sunroof controls & the front cabin lights. Notice the 2 small LEDs that illuminate the gearshift area (ambient lighting):


Internal mirror gets auto-dimming feature. Thick C-pillars and high parcel shelf obstruct the view, creating blind spots:


Driver's side ORVM is flat. Passenger's side is convex, but not split with a curved mirror at the far edge (like the Laura's):


'Sofa' seat at the back. Comfort levels are enormous. Recessed cut in the center and tall floor hump make 5th occupant unwelcome:


Front seat moved all the way back. Still have enough legroom to stretch my legs out. Headroom above me (6 feet tall) is about 2 inches:


Rear A/C vents on the B-pillar with flow control. No temperature control at the back:


A digital clock with outside temperature display and a 12v charging socket. Small storage space to leave that cellphone on charge:


565 liter boot. Numerous hooks to hang plastic bags or for bungee strings to strap down luggage:


Open the entire hatch for wider access:

[moralfibre]

2.0L Diesel AT

The Superb diesel uses the familiar 2.0L common-rail engine which does duty on a host of VW group cars like the Yeti, Jetta, Laura, Passat and Audi A4. This is VW's trusted workhorse, going by the popularity it enjoys across multiple models. Some of them share the same output figures of the Superb too; 138 BHP @ 4200 rpm and 320 Nm torque @ 1750 - 2500 rpm. The Superb and the lower-positioned Octavia might run similar displacement engines. The Octavia however gets 3 horses more with its all-new EA288 motor. Even though the Superb's engine does a good job of lugging the massive 1644 kgs around, we wish Skoda had used the same tune that the Passat has (168 BHP @ 4200 rpm & 350 Nm torque @ 1750 rpm) in the same mill.

Fire up the diesel engine and there is no vibration whatsoever inside the cabin. The diesel feels refined and smooth, even during cold starts. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into filtering out typical diesel clatter & harshness from the cabin. Strangely, there is a slight, distinct engine hum that was heard more on the backseat as the revvs climb. Instantaneous torque delivery at the lower end of the power band makes turbo lag appear non-existent. It doesn't take much of an effort to potter around the city due to its good low rpm power delivery and preemptive dual-clutch transmission. Despite the length of the car, distances are fairly easy to judge from the captain's chair. With a respectable turning radius (5.4 m) for a car of this size, making U-turns is a breeze.

On the highway, the motor comes into its own. While there is no "punch" that pushes you back into the seat, the Superb diesel is no slouch. On comfortable cruising, you'll barely notice the quick upshifts of the DSG gearbox which moves quickly to D6 (top gear) for fuel economy. The engine has nice mid-range punch, but doesn't offer much beyond 4500 rpm. You'll find the sweet spot right between 2000 - 4500 rpm. In kickdown mode, the DSG makes the engine rev all the way to its 5000 rpm limiter, with blazing quick shifts too. Acceleration is linear and you won't see the gearbox hunting for gears too often during normal driving patterns. You can engage Sport mode to get a bit more of that adrenaline rush. Here, the car holds on to a gear for longer, is more eager to downshift and keeps the engine on the boil. Although if you are driving through narrow countryside roads, it's best to avoid sport mode. The aggressive nature of the gearbox to shift down and up, coupled with its tendency to hold and upshift at higher rpms, makes the car overthrow itself around corners. Regular drivers won't like the experience but for enthusiasts, this is indeed the perfect way to enjoy the car .

Typical of a diesel engine, you'll move between 1600 - 2000 rpm while cruising on the expressway. The engine is completely at ease in this situation and makes the car travel comfortably between 100 - 120 kph. A fair bit of wind noise, coupled with an audible engine note, does filter into the cabin at high speed. Also, the Superb makes considerable hoopla once the needle ticks past 140 kph. The high speed is felt by occupants only due to the increased NVH levels at these speeds, even if the ride isn't as unsettling as it would be in a Japanese sedan. The 2.0L diesel feels a little stressed when pushed hard as well. The Superb is a heavy car; its nearest sibling, the Passat, is a full 89 kilos lighter and has more power under the hood too.

On 16" wheels, ride quality is plush and planted. Our test car was shod with 205/55 R16 Goodyear Eagle NCT5s. To my surprise, they didn't squeal or complain under hard cornering. The broken roads around Pawna lake were also handled well. They do generate road noise at high speed on concrete surfaces though. The car feels planted and sure footed, coupled with a steering that offers an excellent balance. The steering weighs up nicely as you progress through speeds and provides adequate feedback for a luxo-barge. There is no vagueness or twitchiness around corners where your right foot is buried into the floor. Add to that, the anti-slip material on the steering wheel provides a sufficient level of grip. The Superb drives absolutely flat. You won't get thrown around in the seat or feel car-sick as you would in some of the Korean / Japanese cars. There is some understeer on the limit, but that was more apparent on the front-heavy diesel than the petrol counterpart.

From the media cars, the diesel's brake pedal felt spongy to use. It does a competent job of stopping the car, yet I prefer a quicker bite from the brakes and more pedal feel (the latter was lacking). A host of electronics including ABS, EBD, ESP and TCS work in sync to keep the Superb on its intended path.

A single pneumatic strut holds the hood up. Observe the sound damping material deployed for the Diesel:

1.8L Petrol AT

A refined engine, better pricing and a higher power output are responsible for the petrol Superb coming so close to the diesel on the sales chart. The turbocharged 1.8L TSI puts out an impressive 158 BHP (@ 4500 - 6200 rpm) and 250 Nm torque (@ 1500 - 4500 rpm). Its advantage is obvious the moment you step inside. NVH levels are noticeably lower than in the diesel, especially when on the move. Power is transferred to the wheels via the notorious DQ200 7-speed DSG - Yikes.... The Superb petrol is lighter than the diesel by 46 kilos. Most of the weight difference is in the engine bay alone.

The 1.8L TSI's driveability is even better than the diesel within the city. It pulls from idle almost instantaneously - sans any noticeable turbo lag - thanks to the low rpm torque output of the motor. Yes, direct-injection turbo petrols can offer diesel-like pull down the revv range. The engine packs a punch as you accelerate through the gears with solid mid-range grunt as the turbocharger kicks in. Climb up the revvs and refinement levels stay well within acceptable limits.

Sport mode with the TSI motor is something else. The way that the petrol engine holds revvs longer is addictive! The engine is revv-happy and redlines clean to 6500 rpm. With the punchy power delivery, the Superb can be entertaining on the open road. It feels less nose heavy compared to the diesel, the difference is evident when attacking corners. The petrol's 7-speed DSG has a 'dry clutch' system as opposed to the 'wet clutch' of the diesel's (more reliable) 6-speed DQ250 transmission. I did find the 7-speed to have smoother gearshifts. Under hard acceleration, the gearbox shines in a class of its own with lightning quick upshifts that are impossible to replicate in a manual transmission. The petrol & diesel, both, are equipped with paddle shifts on the steering wheel. Honestly, you'll rarely use these, given the efficient shift-logic of the DSG.

I prefer the brakes of the petrol variant. They appeared to have a sharper initial bite, compared to the diesel.

Under-hood damping material has been omitted on the petrol:


A solid plastic box over the battery, with integrated fuses for the 1.8L TSI. Diesel's battery gets a felt cover:


95 RON octane recommended:

[moralfibre]

Other points:

• Skoda Shield is highly recommended for any car equipped with the DQ200 DSG. 4 years of warranty coverage as part of the package.

• Thanks to Gannu_1 for sharing the owner's manual download link. Immensely helpful to existing & future Superb owners.

• The facelifted Superb is a stopgap arrangement until the all-new 2015 model is introduced.

• Well-equipped, value for money Ambition variant gets new alloy wheels, LED lamps, Bolero stereo (8 speakers), Bluetooth connectivity and 4-spoke steering wheel with paddle shifts. No AT TSI engine option on the Ambition though.

• Magnetic Brown, Brilliant Silver and Metal Grey are the 3 new colours on offer. Our test car (Magnetic Brown) gave an illusion of being black under certain light conditions.

• Rough road package is standard on the Superb. Offers complete underbody and engine protection plates.

• ARAI certified fuel efficiency: 13.1 kpl (TSI MT), 13.7 kpl (TSI AT) and 17.2 kpl (TDI AT). The AT variant is more fuel efficient than the manual!

• The Superb comes with an umbrella tucked in the rear left door (à la Rolls Royce). Don't forget to get yours from the dealer at the time of delivery.

• A big shoutout to Rehaan for accompanying me on this drive and for his brilliant photography.

• Disclaimer : Skoda invited Team-BHP for the Superb test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[moralfibre]

The Smaller yet Significant Things:

Classy interior at dusk. All buttons are backlit:


60:40 splitting rear seat results in cargo flexibility. The rear seats completely fold down to take the trunk capacity to an impressive 1700 liters!


A manual pull-up rear blind keeps the harsh sun out:


Pull-out blinds of the rear windows are very useful, more so after the recent ban on sunfilm:


The rear-left door has a self-draining slot for an (included) umbrella. Remember?:


Shallow & square storage box in the rear seat armrest. 2 cup-holders snap out when it's coffee time:


Useful bag hooks on the B-pillar:


Nifty hooks on the grab handle to hang your coat:


The boot flooring can be raised & hung onto a hook of the parcel tray...a well thought out touch. What's more impressive is that, when you close the boot, this flooring automatically detaches itself from the hook! Spare is NOT an alloy wheel:


The complex 'Twindoor' trunk hinges are housed in plastic cladding to avoid any interference with the luggage:


While most luxury cars are moving to shark fin antennas, here's a button-sized unit:


Raised footrests for rear seat passengers. They stick onto the floor mat with velcro. Of course, you can remove them if you so prefer:


Ambient lights lend a nice, warm feeling to the cabin:


Bluetooth module placed under the driver's seat:


Nifty storage net in the front passenger's footwell:


Cornering lights in action (note: the Xenons also provide this functionality on the move):


Rain sensor placed on the IRVM mount. Observe closely and you'll spot the light sensor on the back of the IRVM:


A total of 8 airbags, including 2 side airbags:


Pullout storage (to the driver's right) for the loose change:


OBD2 port right under:


Clip for your toll / parking tickets on the windscreen:


Sunglass holder is rubber-lined:


Both sunshades have a vanity mirror + light. Driver's side gets a band for holding tickets etc:


Small storage cubicle (ahead of the AT lever) for something the size of a cigarette pack:


Trademark Skoda / VW flippy key:


Pre-drilled threads to mount a roof rack. You won't need one, what with that enormous boot!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Official Reviews. Thanks for sharing!

[Akshay1234]

Great review Kiran and Rehaan.

Skoda has done a great job with the facelift looks wise. I think the FL Superb looks great, and those wheels too look nice though a tad bit small.

I find it surprising that they have added no equipment to the car, I was expecting them to go all out with the facelift. They should have added a parking camera, and other things which the Passat had.

Also I find it odd there are no mechanical changes either, I too was hoping that the car would get the upgraded engines the Octy got. But going by Skodas way of doing things I think they will upgrade the engines soon.

[dkaile]

Absolutely fantastic review moralfibre and Rehaan. Rated 5 star.

I am surprised they have not added the front seat movement button for the rear passenger which is there in the Euro spec car, I presume. The rear looks stunning though I feel the previous front end was better looking. The LED's in rear and DRL's are a welcome change.

Any news on the pricing? I hope the 1.8TSI MT is retained because I wouldn't touch (or recommend) the DQ200 by a bargepole.

[gurramvimal]

The most noticeable changes are an all-new ‘butterfly’ grille with the new, two-tone Skoda logo, reshaped head- and fog lamps, and a re-profiled bumper and bonnet.

Cosmetic changes are more compared to the metal Engine.

Finally Skoda has revised all its car's with a new Look in India.

[Mpower]

Good job guys.

Personally feel the front end has lost its regal look. Used to look like a baby S-class and now they've riced it out with smoked headlights and LEDs that are a little overdone. Grille is less proud.

Good job on the rear with the lights.

Whats the price difference between petrol and diesel? I recall the last time it was something absurd like 4 lakhs?

[S@ndy]

A clap for this awesome review! Rating the review a well-deserved 5-stars!

The King of the D2-segment is here! I can't recollect how many times I've recommended this to many of my fella's. Superb backseat, astounding levels of comfort, great levels of quality and how could I leave this one, The Umbrella in the rear door ! This car tops the VFM quotient! Hats off to Skoda for providing 50 lakh luxury at 20 lakh! Just wish they improve upon their A.S.S. though...

P.S. Is the horn Skoda's paamp-paamp type? (Just curious )

Keep revvin'
S@ndy

[dkaile]

Here's how the Skoda Umbrella would look in that slot, in case anyone's interested, from my ownership thread here - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...t-destiny.html

[Marauder]

Brilliant review moralfibre and Rehaan

Awesomely detailed and compiled thread for a facelift

As things stand in the D2 segment, the biggest competitor for the Superb is its smaller sibling, the Octavia. IMO,it won't be a surprise if most buyers in this range choose to go with the latter.
The Octavia has almost similar equipment levels, more than enough back-seat space and newer,better engines which make it a compelling package.
The pricing has not been announced yet but in all probability the difference between similar variants of the Superb and Octy will be around 5-6 lakhs at the very least.

[vb-saan]

Excellent review as usual!

The refresh looks pretty good. The current one was looking a bit too bulbous after the arrival of the Octavia with the new Skoda design language.

Even though the updates are mainly to the exterior, those seems to be good enough to take the Superb forward for another year or so (until the next gen arrives). Even those subtle changes like the Superb badge in capital letters are a nice touch.