MiniAutoHobby: Skoda Superb I & II

Saturday 19 September 2009
The first generation of the 'modern' Škoda Superb (B5, Typ 3U) manufacturered by Škoda Auto following it's acquisition by Volkswagen Group is effectively a rebadged Volkswagen Passat Lingyu - a four-door five-seat Passat saloon/sedan, but with a longer wheelbase that was derived initially for the Chinese market under the name Passat Lingyu, and rebadged ultimately under the Škoda marque for European markets.
The Superb used the Volkswagen Group B5 PL45+ platform from 1999 B5 Volkswagen Passat LWB, "long wheelbase" 10 centimetres (3.9 in) longer - which was produced by Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive. This Passat Lingyu appeared two years before the release of the European Superb, and, although now discontinued in the European market, is still available in the Chinese market, although now updated.
An all new Škoda Superb (B6, Typ 3T) was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in early March 2008.
Based on a stretched version of the latest B6 Passat platform, the Volkswagen Group B6 PQ46+, this new Superb is a five-door five-seat liftback saloon/sedan, with an innovative tailgate that can double as a regular separate saloon boot, and full liftback, known as 'Twin-Door'. Being as it is based on the Passat B6 platform, this latest Superb now utilises a transverse engine layout.