Skoda Superb may be axed as part of Volkswagen's model cull

The wonderful run of the Skoda Superb may come to an end as the Volkswagen Group looks to cut its model range in half and reduce variant complexity by 75 per cent by 2035.

When asked if the brand's sales success and high profit margin insulated it from the German auto conglomerate's sweeping cuts, Klaus Zellmer, Skoda's CEO since 2022, told Autocar: "That's not a given".

Skoda's model range is the largest it's ever been, with the brand offering 11 models in Europe. Mr Zellmer said he has "no doubt" that the "end game is electric", so some of Skoda's model trimming might come through natural attrition as electric vehicles (EVs) fully replace similarly sized combustion cars.

Later in the interview Mr Zellmer said: "The big question is going forward: saloons and limousines [sedans] and combis [wagons] are not on the rising path".

Currently, the only sedan and wagon models offered by Skoda are the Octavia and Superb. Although Golf-class vehicles aren't as popular as they used to be, the Octavia remains Skoda's best-selling model, with 186,141 sold in 2025, down 12.8 per cent.

Sales of the Superb, meanwhile, grew slightly (3.9 per cent) to 75,551 last year. Whereas once there were wagon competitors from Nissan, Opel/Vauxhall, Ford, Toyota, Peugeot, Citroen and Honda, buyers have largely migrated to SUVs or sedans from luxury brands, leaving the Superb and the closely related Volkswagen Passat virtually alone in the segment.

The next all-new generation of the Octavia is expected to be based on the Volkswagen Group's much-delayed all-electric SSP architecture. 

While Mr Zellmer noted SSP has "wiggle room to go up to Superb dimensions", he hinted the new Octavia might grow, as the company is currently debating "whether we still need the full monty, or whether we will have a smart way to cover both segments and target groups".

It's not clear when Skoda needs to make a decision by, as the current Superb made its debut in 2023, while the fourth-generation Octavia dates back to the end of 2019.

The Superb made its debut in 2001, and was based on a stretched Volkswagen Passat platform. Now in its fourth generation, the Superb has always shared a close link with the Passat.

Starting with the current generation, that bond is even tighter as the two cars now share most of their sheetmetal, with visual differentiation limited to front- and rear-end styling, and unique dashboards. They are also produced side-by-side at Skoda's factory in Bratislava, Slovakia.

For much of its life the Superb has served as Skoda's flagship, but the Kodiaq and the electric Peaq SUVs both have similar footprints and offer three rows of seating. 

MORE: Explore the Skoda Superb showroom