2017 Skoda Superb facelift to gain 286bhp range-topping engine

The Skoda Skoda Superb will be facelifted in 2017, and these spy pictures offer a first glimpse of the changes to come.

The flagship hatchback has only been on sale for a year, so the aesthetic updates it gets for 2017 will be minor. However, as the photographed test car shows, there will be a restyled nose with a new front grille that features a centre section and smoother bumper design.

There look to be even fewer changes at the rear, but the presence of camouflage on this test car suggests there the bumper’s design will receive some adjustments.

Inside, the 2017 Superb’s cabin and dash layout will be the same, but its infotainment system will likely sit within a plusher-looking display surround – as previewed by the new Kodiaq – that swaps grey plastic buttons for piano black touch sensitive ones.

Skoda has remained tight-lipped on what, if any, technical changes will be made to the car. Our sources think that the third-generation model’s young age means the facelift will most likely retain the current car’s full line up of turbocharged four-cylinder engines, but power will almost certainly be increased in the range-topper.

The current top-spec car uses four-wheel-drive and features the 276bhp powertrain of the Seat Leon Cupra 280. The facelifted car should inherit the uprated turbocharged 2.0-litre unit of the Cupra 290, which produces 286bhp.