Skoda Auto has produced 100,000 third-generation Superbs. The milestone vehicle ran off Skoda’s assembly line in Kvasiny on May 11. Since the model was introduced in 2001, the Czech manufacturer has produced more than 850,000 Superbs. The Czech automaker launched the third-gen Superb in India in February this year.
Commenting on the milestone, Michael Oeljeklaus, Skoda Auto board member for Production and Logistics said, “The production of this highly modern car is a testament to the outstanding competence of the Kvasiny plant and its employees. The name Superb represents one of the best and most successful models in the automotive mid-class. This third-generation model will continue the Superb’s success story in the coming months and years.”
The third-generation Superb is more powerful than its predecessors and up to 30 percent more economical thanks to the new EU-6 engines. It was also given the ‘Red Dot Award’ for its product design.
First launched in 2001, the new generation Superb has been Skoda’s flagship model ever since. The second generation arrived in 2008 with new, versatile uses, more technology and elegant design. The Superb has also been available as an estate since 2009, and the third-generation estate version of the Superb has been running off the production lines since June 2015.
At the Kvasiny plant, the company made significant investments ahead of the new Superb’s start of production. A total of CZK 1.7 billion (Rs 476 crore) went into the new body-construction line alone and the Kvasiny site is being prepared for the brand’s SUV campaign. By 2018, the automaker intends to invest a total of CZK 7.2 billion (Rs 2,015 crore) into Kvasiny and create 2,000 new jobs. The production capacity will be gradually increased to 280,000 vehicles annually.
In India, Skoda Auto is targeting sales of 17,000 units in 2016. The Superb sold 657 units in the period from April 2015 to January, down 37 percent. However, the company expects the new Superb to garner sales of around 2,000 units in 2016.