New Škoda Superb

[CALL_911]

Yeah. Fun to look at, but I don't see that thing ever being useful for me.

[ifcar]

Yeah. Fun to look at, but I don't see that thing ever being useful for me.

It's a lot easier to open a trunk than a big hatch in a garage, and easier to close it in any case. So you have a nice tidy trunk for ordinary items and occasionally swing up the hatch when you need to fit in something big.

[Tave]

I don't see how they could undercut VW pricing here.

[CALL_911]

I don't see how they could undercut VW pricing here.

There is absolutely no room for Skoda in the US, with the market the VW brand currently occupies. This is one of those idiotic things enthusiasts pine for that is not even remotely feasible

[CALL_911]

It's a lot easier to open a trunk than a big hatch in a garage, and easier to close it in any case. So you have a nice tidy trunk for ordinary items and occasionally swing up the hatch when you need to fit in something big.

Maybe it's because I haven't ever used one of these fastbacks or whatever, but I don't see what advantage the bigger opening has for a sedan...?

[ifcar]

Maybe it's because I haven't ever used one of these fastbacks or whatever, but I don't see what advantage the bigger opening has for a sedan...?

Putting in a large box that won't fit in the trunk opening.

[CALL_911]

Putting in a large box that won't fit in the trunk opening.

But would that large box fit in the trunk at all? Is the trunk bigger than your average sedan's trunk?

I'm not trying to be snarky here, I'm not really sure how fastback sedans work (the reach of their bigger trunk openings)

[SVT666]

Trunk openings are not as big as the trunk.  My G37 being a prime example.

[MrH]

There is absolutely no room for Skoda in the US, with the market the VW brand currently occupies. This is one of those idiotic things enthusiasts pine for that is not even remotely feasible

+1

Exactly.  This doesn't make sense on so many levels.

[ifcar]

Trunk openings are not as big as the trunk.  My G37 being a prime example.

This, plus the much bigger open area of a cargo hold in a hatchback versus a sedan.

[Galaxy]

[93JC]

Looks like the map light out of a K-car.

[Raza]

But would that large box fit in the trunk at all? Is the trunk bigger than your average sedan's trunk?

I'm not trying to be snarky here, I'm not really sure how fastback sedans work (the reach of their bigger trunk openings)

My Jetta had an enormous trunk.  Bigger than a contemporary A8.  But the opening was too small to fit anything really big in it.  I once bought a trash can (the type you take to the curb) which would have fit easily, but since the openings (all openings of the car, including the doors) didn't open wide enough to get it in, I had to return the trash can and come back with my mom's old S500, which only had a marginally larger trunk (if at all, I can't remember, but it also had no fold down seats) and put it in that, since the trunk opened wider in that car. 

[Raza]

I don't see how they could undercut VW pricing here.

Why not?  They do it everywhere else. 

[2o6]

Why not?  They do it everywhere else.

Because VW is priced significantly higher everywhere else.

[Tave]

Why not?  They do it everywhere else.

VW is positioned lower in the US market. When I went shopping this fall, they were unloading optioned-out Jettas for < 20K and Passats equipped like the press model Superb in the OP for ~21-22K. There's no way VW can undercut that current model and sell Skodas with leatherette + infotainment for ~15K/compact and ~18K/midsize. They'd have to either: (a) sell Skoda solely as a value brand, replacing the s-models; or, (b) move the entire VW range out of market. Both ideas are DOA as I see it.

[Raza]

VW is positioned lower in the US market. When I went shopping this fall, they were unloading optioned-out Jettas for < 20K and Passats equipped like the press model Superb in the OP for ~21-22K. There's no way VW can undercut that current model and sell Skodas with leatherette + infotainment for ~15K/compact and ~18K/midsize. They'd have to either: (a) sell Skoda solely as a value brand, replacing the s-models; or, (b) move the entire VW range out of market. Both ideas are DOA as I see it.

That's really only because they pushed the Passat and Jetta really down the price scale with the latest generation. The way they were going until recently, they had plenty of room for lower market cars here, but decided to scale up the size and down the price on the Jetta and Passat instead. Right now it might not make sense for Skoda or something like Skoda, but a few years ago, the market was prime for it.

[2o6]

The only way Skoda would make it here would be in place of VW. And if that's the case, It's probably easier to cheapen the Passat to our level

[SJ_GTI]

But would that large box fit in the trunk at all? Is the trunk bigger than your average sedan's trunk?

I'm not trying to be snarky here, I'm not really sure how fastback sedans work (the reach of their bigger trunk openings)

I kind of agree with this. While I liked the utility of having a hatchback, I can't remember ever having room for someone in my trunk that I couldn't it in. Maybe the A4 has a larger than normal opening (I doubt it though), but if I cannot fit it though either my trunk opening or from the backseat pass through, I can't think of anything that would actually fit in my trunk.

[ifcar]

I kind of agree with this. While I liked the utility of having a hatchback, I can't remember ever having room for someone in my trunk that I couldn't it in. Maybe the A4 has a larger than normal opening (I doubt it though), but if I cannot fit it though either my trunk opening or from the backseat pass through, I can't think of anything that would actually fit in my trunk.

Fold down the seats in a sedan and you have only a tiny pass-through. Fold down the rear seat in a hatch and you have a very large area.

[Cookie Monster]

Fold down the seats in a sedan and you have only a tiny pass-through. Fold down the rear seat in a hatch and you have a very large area.

There's only a couple of odd-shaped objects that would fit in a hatch and not a sedan.

[SJ_GTI]

Fold down the seats in a sedan and you have only a tiny pass-through. Fold down the rear seat in a hatch and you have a very large area.

I think we have different definitions of tiny. 

[hotrodalex]

Plenty of awkward shaped objects can't fit through the trunk opening in a sedan yet are small enough to fit in the trunk. Mostly due to the angle of the opening and the floor.

[SJ_GTI]

Plenty of awkward shaped objects can't fit through the trunk opening in a sedan yet are small enough to fit in the trunk. Mostly due to the angle of the opening and the floor.

I am sure someone could create a shape that would theoretically fit in my trunk but neither fit through my trunk opening nor through my backseats. Conversely, I am sure there are some cars with unusually small sized trunk openings (relative to the total volume of their trunks) and in those cases this would be a more common problem.

But it seems like it would be an unusual situation. The "solution" shown earlier in the thread (with the old Suberb dual opening lid/hatch) seems overly complicated for such an unusual situation. A simpler solution would seem to just be to have a larger opening to the trunk. The fact that the newer model went away form the old solution seems to support this.

[hotrodalex]

I agree that it's an unnecessary design, but I've had many items that either didn't fit through the opening or were a PITA to fit through. It's not an uncommon problem.

[Raza]

I kind of agree with this. While I liked the utility of having a hatchback, I can't remember ever having room for someone in my trunk that I couldn't it in. Maybe the A4 has a larger than normal opening (I doubt it though), but if I cannot fit it though either my trunk opening or from the backseat pass through, I can't think of anything that would actually fit in my trunk.

My Jetta had an enormous trunk.  Bigger than a contemporary A8.  But the opening was too small to fit anything really big in it.  I once bought a trash can (the type you take to the curb) which would have fit easily, but since the openings (all openings of the car, including the doors) didn't open wide enough to get it in, I had to return the trash can and come back with my mom's old S500, which only had a marginally larger trunk (if at all, I can't remember, but it also had no fold down seats) and put it in that, since the trunk opened wider in that car. 

[AltinD]

The trunk opening is indeed smaller than the maximum size of what the trunk can hold. I'm surprised how people can still object to that .... unless they lack any spatial awareness

[SJ_GTI]

The trunk opening is indeed smaller than the maximum size of what the trunk can hold. I'm surprised how people can still object to that .... unless they lack any spatial awareness

Jeebus. 

Instead of assuming someone who doesn't agree with you is just too dumb to see the obvious, maybe consider there is a slightly different angle.

Most objects people put in their trunk are not the full size of the trunk volume. It is rare to put one thing in your trunk that takes up the entire volume of the trunk.

I never disputed that it COULDN"T happen, just pointing out that I think it is relatively rare for most people. In the cases where a car has an unusually small trunk opening this will not be the case, but again my point was that the contraption earlier in the thread was overly complicated. Its simpler to just design a larger trunk opening.

[MX793]

I've definitely had instances where I struggled to get an item through the trunk opening where that object filled maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the trunk space once in the trunk.

[Madman]

Why a hatch and/or wagon is better than a sedan, exhibit A: