What's all this about?
Skoda has revealed the highlights of its stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which opens on 15th September. New versions of the Superb - Estate, SportLine and GreenLine - will be showcased. Other models sharing the limelight include the Rapid Monte Carlo, Rapid Spaceback ScoutLine, Octavia vRS 230 and Fabia R5 Estate.
Tell me more about the Superb.
The Superb Estate makes its motor show debut in Frankfurt. We covered the details of the estate in June but the highlights are: a load space of 1,950 litres with the rear seats folded, plus features such as hands-free tailgate opening and three-zone climate control.
Both the new estate body and the hatchback will be available in SportLine form, which makes its world debut. All engines bar the base petrol and diesel units will be available in SportLine specification. Key features include suspension lowered by 15mm, 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels and tinted windows from the B-pillar back. On the inside there are sports seats, steering wheel and gear lever plus aluminium-finish pedals and carbon trim elements.
Economy-minded drivers will appreciate the Superb Greenline, again available in both body styles. With a 1.6-litre TDI motor the official fuel economy figure is 76.4mpg; CO2 emissions are 95g/km.
What about the other cars?
Expanding Skoda's Monte Carlo range is the Rapid Monte Carlo; this gets a black finish for its alloy wheels, grille frame, mirror casings, rear diffuser and spoiler. It also comes with extra equipment and sports interior trim.
Another special version of the Rapid is the Spaceback ScoutLine with 16- or 17-inch wheels, black and silver spoilers plus black panelling around the sills and wheel arches.
Anyone who missed the debut of the Fabia R5 Estate at the Volkswagen-related tuning show in Wörthersee, Austria, will be able to see the rally-prepared estate in Frankfurt. With its striking green, white and black bodywork it should prove easy to spot.
Finally there is the Octavia vRS 230, which is the fastest Octavia Skoda has built to date. As the name suggests it has 230hp from a 2.0-litre engine, which drives through a six-speed manual gearbox. It features the company's first use of an electronically controlled limited-slip differential; official performance figures are 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and a top speed limited to 155mph.
John Lambert - 6 Sep 2015