The presentation of the new Skoda Superb was accompanied by great expectations. Not only the potential and the success of its predecessor have set the sights at a high level, tradition itself is an obligation. It should be remembered that there was already a magnificent car with the name of Superb, bearing the Skoda badge back in the thirties and forties. Even at that time, the car strengthened the reputation of the long-established Czech company as being among the best car manufacturers in the world. When it was launched in 2001, the first modern Skoda Superb represented a new start, a re-entry into a segment of the market that had been neglected throughout the difficult years of the planned, Communist economy. The first of the modern Superbs came, saw and conquered. It was clearly positioned to compete against mid-range segment cars such as the Renault Laguna, the Ford Mondeo or the Hyundai Sonata. However, the results of a number of comparative tests carried out by independent motoring journals showed that the Skoda Superb has been able to hold its own in comparison to competitors in the upper-medium segment. In masterly fashion it put them in their places and was successful in comparison with, among others, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Peugeot 607, the Alfa Romeo 166, the Renault Laguna and the Jaguar S-Type. In a test involving the Skoda Superb V6 2.8 the magazine Auto, Motor and Sport described the car under the headline „Czech Example", referring to the absolutely unbelievable price-performance ratio of the spacious medium segment saloon - one that none of its competitors could hold a candle to. The top of the range model from Skoda has even established itself in the very conservative fleet market sector where normally only cars from brands already established in the fleet market are found.