With the Ford Mondeo, Opel Insignia and Renault Talisman gone, the VW Group hopes the next-generation Passat/Superb twins will generate strong sales. It is still a difficult task as SUVs continue to be popular in Europe and other parts of the world. It is likely that the last mainstream midsize car with a combustion engine from the conglomerate is due in 2023 and will be made by Skoda in-house in the Czech Republic.
In the meantime, there’s still a lot of testing to do and remove all the tangles. Our spies just spotted the new Superb, and once again, the prototype depicts a more practical wagon. The regular liftback has been officially confirmed to remain in production, but rumors have it that VW will phase out the Passat sedan and will therefore only sell real estate. From the looks of it, this vehicle has a full production body as well as final lights.
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While the exterior seems to be playing it safe with changes by taking an evolutionary route, a peek inside the cabin reveals a completely redesigned dashboard. Just like the Enyaq, the 2023 Superb has a tablet-like touchscreen that protrudes from the center console. The screen looks bigger than what you’ll find on the Octavia, and the panel underneath may contain touch-sensitive controls. That fully digital instrument cluster will likely become standard across the range given how effective it is as a Skoda flagship car.
In an interview with Auto Express about a year ago, former CEO Thomas Schäfer briefly spoke about the cabin of the Superb 2023 saying it would “bring our new user language, which extends to what you touch and feel. Great will get it first, and then [the second-generation] Kodiaq after.”
He went on to say some bits would be adapted from the Enyaq, so the freestanding screen could have the same 13-inch diagonal as in the electric SUV. Hopefully there will still be some traditional buttons and/or knobs instead of having to control everything exclusively via the touchscreen. That said, Skoda’s new Vision 7S concept features a simplified interior.
The Superb and Passat should get the latest developments from the VW Group combustion engine in petrol and diesel variants. Logic tells us that the ICE has been engineered to meet Euro 7 regulations which will arrive in a few years as these two cars are likely to be on sale until at least 2030. A plug-in hybrid powertrain is coming soon, but a pure electric Passat won’t be as the role has been. associated with ID. Aero. There’s no word on an equivalent Awesome EV at this point.
