Skoda Superb (2001): How the Czech Passat cousin was born

Work on the saloon began back in 1995, and some of the extras are still brilliant today

By: Roland Hildebrandt

Mar 5, 2024 at 6:59am ET

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Update from 5 March 2024: We are always pleased to receive reader mail. This is also the case with the letter from Christian Kotter, who was able to afford his first Superb as a young used car at the age of 19 thanks to a lot of overtime. He drew our attention to two interesting details of the saloon: an optional refrigerator in the rear and the fold-out leg pass-through in the front passenger seat.

The former was located behind the centre armrest in the rear. A genuine state saloon, which was actually driven by the then Czech President Vaclav Klaus. We have a picture of this, as well as of the leg pass-through (interesting on light-coloured upholstery with boots ...) and the umbrella in the rear door.

History repeats itself, but under different circumstances: The first Skoda Superb of the modern era in 2001 was still largely a long-wheelbase version of the VW Passat of the time. 23 years later, the new VW Passat Variant is largely based on the fourth generation of the Superb and rolls off the production line together with it in Slovakia.

Now the designers of the Skoda Superb I look back on the development of the saloon, which even became the state saloon in the Czech Republic. Work on the Skoda cousin of the Passat B5 began in 1995 and the VW was launched on the market in 1996.

Gallery: Skoda Superb (2001-2008)

With the Superb I, Skoda returned to the executive class after a long time. The very first Superb with six and eight-cylinder engines was built between 1934 and 1949. "It came as a surprise to me - and I saw it as a courageous step," recalls Jiri Hadascok, who was still a trainee at the time and is now the exterior design coordinator at Skoda. At the same time, he was already deeply impressed by the design draft.

Work on the Superb I had already begun in 1995. An international team led by Dirk van Braeckel developed the design. The Czech Zdenek Cibulka was also involved. He remembers: "At the time, European cars utilised simple lines and proportions, clearly legible, balanced and beautiful - that was the trend at the time." However, this also led to a certain monotony, from which the Superb I was intended to stand out.

Skoda Superb in a sketch from 1996

The first generation of the modern Superb marked the entry into a new segment. Skoda customers could now buy a larger and more comfortable car than before, as the Superb I was based on the long version of the Passat B5 for China, which had been stretched by ten centimetres.

In spring 2001, the near-series Skoda Montreux study made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, and the Superb I was launched at the end of 2001. A year later, the Skoda Tudor (from 1946 to 1952 there was the eponymous 1101 Tudor, also a play on words with "Two Door") showed what an elegant coupé version could have looked like at the Geneva Motor Show. Unfortunately, it did not go into series production.

Skoda Tudor (2002)

The Superb I combined the best of two worlds. Where it made sense, it utilised tried and tested parts and systems from Volkswagen. In addition, specific solutions were developed especially for the model. One of the first clever features was the umbrella compartment in the vehicle door. It is still characteristic of the Superb today.

In the first generation, the umbrella was still stowed in the rear door. Looking back, the design team agrees that the umbrella detail was a pioneering icing on the cake - proof that the Superb I was already a luxurious car.

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With its enormous amount of interior space, luxurious materials, robust safety and powerful engines, the Superb I also offered the best in comfort - a true saloon in every respect. "It is a completely uncomplicated car, a loyal companion that is also a lot of fun to drive," summarises vehicle designer Zdenek Cibulka.

So a classic of the future? Absolutely, after all, only a good 136,000 Superb I models were produced up to 2008 due to the lack of an estate. The saloon is currently available at a very reasonable price, even as a top model with a 2.8-litre V6 and 193 PS. Incidentally, the entry-level engine was a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine with 115 PS, but many customers opted for the TDI engines.