Having just acquired a low mileage ex-demo Superb in mint-as-new condition, a significant saving was made against purchasing new. However, some preferred options had to be forfeited. One of which was Retractable parcel shelf.

According to the built your own tool on skoda.co.uk, this option is only an addition £60 on a factory order – does anyone one know what’s involved and which parts are needed to retro fit this?

Do you have a roller parcel shelf fitted now? if so if you press down by the handle does it retract half way?

I would assume the 'shelf' are the same across the trim levels? but it will need VCDS coding to turn the auto retract on.

Yes it retracts half way, but there is no option in Maxidot to enable it to auto retract - my guess was the £60.00 on a factory order was for a couple of solenoids that will lower the locking clips, thus enabling the cover to retract. I can't image that the electrics are built in as standard and just need enabling with VCDS, of course if I'm wrong I'd be delighted!

It's standard with a powered tailgate and I'd assumed it was simply part of that option until I saw it listed as an independent option on Build you own.

Mine has the electric tailgate and there is nothing visible that pushes the edge down - unless it is in the side rails as I have not inspected them closely?

There are a number of options that can be enabled with VCDS, so I would not be surprised if it just needed coding .... I may be wrong though?

My guess was that the retaining clips in the side rails are "pulled" down in some way...

According to the Superb brochure (June 2011) the option ‘Availablefor all models’ is: 'Electrically operated boot with automatic parcel shelfretract (estate only)' £525. There does not appear to be an option for an'electrically operated boot' without the ‘automatic parcel shelf retract’. I assumedfrom this that the 'automatic parcel shelf retract' option at £60 is availablefor those who do not want the 'electrically operated boot' but do want the'automatic parcel shelf retract'. I hope this is the case as I ordered my carfrom this brochure and am expecting it to have the auto retract shelf. Wouldyour car have been ordered at the same time this brochure was current? If so itshould have the auto retract.

John

so are we thinking/do we know if the retractable parcel shelf @£60 is an automated shelf?

I'm not sure if I really need this option

But I'm also not sure what "shelf" comes as standard in an Elegance estate? And whay diffference the option would provide?

I've got the auto retract parcel shelf, and to be honest it isn't worth the money. When you release the tailgate the shelf (blind) retracts to the halfway point, and that's it. You have to either open it all the way or pull it back to the 'shut' position by hand, so all you get is the noise of the blind flying forward at quite an alarming speed to the half way position and that's it! It's a bit like the powered boot only opening using the key fob, but not being able to close it with the fob, half a job! I have disabled the auto retract on the maxidot, and there it will stay.

I have the electric boot and quite like the auto retractable shelf, although I probably wouldn't have specced it on its own.

It is surprising how you get used to something once you have it. My ex demo Combi came with it and I quite like the idea that as soon as I open the tail gate I can remove/add stuff. Once the job is done I close both the shelf (manually) and the tail gate with the button. In pelting down rain it saves the seconds it takes between getting damp and soaked. One other thing I have noticed from this forum is that cars are specced differently in different countries. The Elegance V6 Combi has very few options here in Australia as most of the "extras" come as standard equipment. Maybe this is Skoda's way of breaking into a new market, don't know.