Skoda Superb review

Our opinion on the Skoda Superb

The latest Skoda Superb combines everything we loved about its award-winning predecessor with newfound sophistication. Both the king-size hatchback and massively practical estate car versions are comfortable, hugely spacious, and offer a well-finished interior at an affordable price. There’s also a host of smart and intuitive technology on offer, adding more functionality without overcomplicating matters – in typical Skoda fashion. 

About the Skoda Superb

The fourth-generation Skoda Superb had a lot to live up to. The last one was such a brilliant all-rounder that it won our Family Car of the Year award an impressive four times. That was no mean feat against a sea of talented alternatives and underlines the car’s strengths as a tempting option for modern families that are inevitably also having their heads turned by SUVs.

Like before, the Superb is offered as a five-door saloon-cum-hatchback and a hugely practical estate car. It’s such a strong package that we’ve named it our Estate Car of the Year. This review focuses on the hatchback, but if you’re more tempted by the latter, we also have a dedicated Skoda Superb Estate review…

Thanks to its combination of upmarket appeal and sensible pricing, the Skoda Superb has managed to live on while so many competitors have fallen. Traditional rivals, like the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia, have kicked the bucket, and even its sister car, the Volkswagen Passat, has had its range trimmed and is now offered exclusively as an estate. Newer alternatives like the Peugeot 508 and Citroen C5 X have come and gone after a fairly short amount of time on the market.

Used - available now

2023 Skoda

Superb

60,542 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £12,428

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2023 Skoda

Superb

40,747 milesManualDiesel2.0L

Cash £14,766

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2024 Skoda

Superb

68,914 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £13,484

View Superb

2024 Skoda

Superb

20,683 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L

Cash £26,443

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Given the importance of the Superb, we’ve tested this car in a wide variety of ways. We have covered over 21,000 miles in Skoda’s flagship hatch as part of our long-term test fleet, giving us real insight into what this car is like to live with every day. The Superb also beat back the Citroen C5 X in our real-world twin test, thanks to the sheer level of space and value for money it offered over its now-defunct rival in the UK market.

Skoda Superb prices and latest deals

The Skoda Superb stands out because of its impressive value, with prices for the hatchback starting at around £36,800. At the top of the line-up sits the fanciest Laurin & Klement trim, which ranges from £46,500 to £50,000. If you prefer a touch of sportiness over outright plushness, the Sportline variant is slightly cheaper, priced between £43,500 and £48,700.

Build your perfect new Skoda Superb through the Auto Express Buy a Car service, and you can save an average of £3,600. We also have a number of brand-new Skoda Superbs in stock, along with some very tempting used Skoda Superb deals. We can also help you sell your car.

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The Skoda Superb is not an exciting car to drive, but it is comfortable, refined and ultimately very relaxing. 

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The slowest Skoda Superb is the entry-level 148bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, with a 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 137mph. This engine does come with mild-hybrid technology, so while acceleration is more leisurely than on other models in the range, this engine is smooth and has a slick start-stop system that works well when driving in town. The engine produces a rather unpleasant drone during hard acceleration, and it tends to hang on to the lower gears a bit too long while accelerating, but it fades into the background when you lift off once up to speed.

Next is the 148bhp 2.0 TDI, with its extra torque over the 1.5 eTSI petrol helping shave a little off the 0-62mph time, which drops to 9.2 seconds. It’s not the most refined diesel engine at low speeds, but it is a responsive engine that pairs well with the standard seven-speed DSG automatic. Opt for the more potent 190bhp version, and its additional power and traction advantage of four-wheel drive cuts the acceleration time to 7.5 seconds, and goes on to a top speed of 147mph. 

The quickest Superb is the 261bhp 2.0 TSI, which has a 5.6-second 0-62mph sprint and a 155mph top speed. 

It’s worth noting that only the Skoda Superb Estate is available as a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). This version uses a 1.5-litre petrol combined with an electric motor to provide 201bhp and an 8.1-second 0-62mph time.

Town driving, visibility and parking

The Superb’s steering isn’t completely weightless, but it remains light enough to make manoeuvring this 4.9-metre family car easy, which is especially handy when parking. You’ll still want to double check that any potential space is indeed long enough, but standard-fit front and rear sensors, along with a rear-view camera, help towards preventing any unfortunate knocks. 

One slight pitfall in town is the automatic DSG gearbox. As with many VW Group products fitted with this transmission, it can be hesitant and jerky in stop-start traffic. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it does slightly spoil the Superb’s general refinement.

Country road driving and handling

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The Skoda Superb is a big, hefty car that focuses on comfort, so it’d be slightly unfair to expect a handling masterpiece. Indeed, there aren’t many thrills to be had from behind the big Skoda’s wheel, but there’s enough grip on offer for it to manage twisty country roads with aplomb. The front end did start to protest when we pushed it particularly hard, though.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

You can tailor how the Superb rides with the optional ‘Dynamic Chassis Control Plus’ on SE L trim cars and above (standard on Laurin & Klement), as this includes adaptive dampers that can be adjusted via the central touchscreen using the same sliding scale as on many high-end VWs. It goes from a superbly supple and refined ride in its comfort setting, to something much tighter in sport mode, which is helpful to keep body movements under control at higher speeds on twisty roads and motorways. 

It isn’t a necessary option, though, because we found that the standard suspension is, on the whole, very well judged. Aside from a slight fidget over rougher surfaces, it softens the impacts of potholes enough to give a cushy ride, yet it remains taut enough to allow the car to feel stable at high speeds and stay level during fast corners. It suits the Superb well, and complements the excellent road noise suppression and substantial reduction in wind noise compared with the previous Superb.

“The 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine lets you make the most of its torque at higher speeds. There’s rarely much need to extend the motor to its maximum, although on the occasions when it’s required, the unit is fairly smooth and muted.” - Alex Ingram, chief reviewer.

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The Skoda Superb is available with pure petrol, mild-hybrid petrol and diesel power. Four-wheel drive also makes an appearance with some of the more potent powertrains. Perhaps frustratingly for some buyers, plug-in hybrid powertrain has been reserved for the Superb Estate, which claims to return an almighty 784.3mpg, though it’s incredibly unlikely you’d ever see this in the real world based on our experience of plug-in hybrid cars.

The mild-hybrid setup in the Superb hatch features a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, working together with a starter generator and 48-volt lithium-ion battery that allows the car to coast with the engine completely switched off, or provides a small boost of power to aid the engine at low speeds. Skoda claims it can return up to 56.5mpg, and during our lengthy test route driving in a more real-world fashion across the countryside and cruising on some motorways, we saw an average of 43.5mpg.

It’s a similar story with the 148bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, too, as Skoda claims it can return up to 56.5mpg. We achieved roughly 50.4mpg overall during our 21,000-mile long-term test. Both the petrol and diesel models have a 66-litre fuel tank, which equates to a near 800-mile for the least powerful diesel, based on our real-world numbers.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

If you want plug-in hybrid power, you’ll have to opt for the Skoda Superb Estate iV. This car claims a pure-electric range of up to 84 miles thanks to its 25.7kWh battery (19.7kWh usable), although we’ll need to drive this version in order to find out how accurate that figure is.

Just like the Volkswagen Passat eHybrid, the Superb iV has a maximum charging speed of 50kW, meaning a 10 to 80 per cent charge from a DC rapid charger could take just 25 minutes. Alternatively, fully recharging the battery using a common 7kW home wallbox charger requires a little under four hours.

Insurance groups

The Skoda Superb will be roughly the same price to insure as its Passat sibling, with the line-up sitting between insurance groups 23 to 34, compared to the VW’s 25 to 34.

It’s not the cheapest car to cover, but compared to fully-fledged executive cars like the Mercedes E-Class (groups 41 to 50), the Skoda’s premiums aren’t the most alarming.

Tax

Company car drivers will be best served by the plug-in hybrid Skoda Superb, so the hatchback is out of the running here. That being said, you’ll save far more money by opting for an electric car like the similarly practical Skoda Enyaq.

The majority of the Skoda Superb line-up surpasses the £40,000 luxury car tax threshold, so you’ll have to pay an additional surcharge from the second time the vehicle is taxed until it is six years old. 

Depreciation

Over a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period, our experts predict that the Skoda Superb hatchback should maintain between 44 to 56 per cent of its resale value, with the best performer being the 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology. It’s a similar story with the estate car, which maintains 45 to 52 per cent.

These figures are similar to the closely related Volkswagen Passat (46 to 48 per cent), which is a fine result considering the Passat is slightly more expensive to begin with. 

To get an accurate valuation on a specific Skoda Superb check out our free car valuation tool...

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To our eyes, the Skoda Superb's sculpted bodywork could easily pass for something with an Audi or Mercedes badge on it, yet it still allows the big Skoda to fly largely under the radar. The designers and engineers have also refined the latest model’s aerodynamics, whittling the drag coefficient down to just 0.23Cd for the hatchback and 0.25Cd for the estate version. This means both versions cut through the air better, helping improve fuel efficiency and emissions.

Interior and dashboard design

While the exterior styling is an evolution of what came before, the interior is completely redesigned. The three 'Smart Dials' nestled in the centre console are the biggest display of how the Superb skillfully balances clean, modern design and functionality. 

Each houses a sharp 32mm display, and pressing them toggles between various functions they’re responsible for. The outer dials control the cabin temperature and heated/ventilated seats, while the middle one can handle up to four functions, from fan speed, fan direction, map zoom, and drive mode selection. Using them feels natural after just a few miles, and the setup provides lots of functionality without masses of buttons cluttering the dashboard. We’re grateful this set-up has been used on the Superb rather than relying on a large central touchscreen, as with the Volkswagen Passat.

Materials and build quality

We’ve mainly driven mid-range versions of the Superb, and for the price, the interior is awash with plush materials. However, our long-term test car started to reveal some build quality concerns after covering a few thousand miles. 

A key problem was the trim surrounding the infotainment screen being very squeaky, and we could only drown out the irritation by turning the music up. While interior squeaks and rattles can be inevitable on older, higher-mileage cars, we were rather disappointed that this happened in such a factory-fresh, high-spec car. That being said, the issue was rectified when we took the car to a Skoda main dealer. 

On occasion, one of the map reading lights in our test car would switch itself on for no apparent reason, and while this was more of an oddity rather than an outright inconvenience, it was rather distracting when driving at night.

The top-of-the-range Superb Laurin & Klement adds full-leather upholstery in either cognac brown or black, a heated leather steering wheel with shift paddles, and a panoramic sunroof. However, the Superb L&K’s interior quality doesn’t differ significantly from the less expensive, lower-spec models, so we’d suggest avoiding the most expensive trim level to get the best value for money.

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

Every Skoda Superb comes with a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit driver’s display and a 13-inch free-standing touchscreen. The central screen is impressive not simply because of its size, clarity or sheer responsiveness, but because it’s running a largely intuitive and highly customisable menu system, including some clever shortcut buttons so that the driver can get instant access to their most used functions. Skoda has also incorporated a place to rest your hand when interacting with the system. 

Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto are standard across the range, and fill the monolith of a touchscreen almost entirely when connected. Meanwhile, the digital driver’s display is clear and offers various layouts, including a full-screen map view. We’re also impressed by the quality of the optional 13-speaker Canton sound system, which is a near £800 option on mid-range SE L, or comes as standard on Laurin & Klement trim. A wireless phone charging pad is standard across the range.

“The USB-C charging point that’s designed for plugging in dash cams was used once and then dropped inside the headliner, meaning I had to have the charging cable hanging down the windscreen to keep the dash cam powered up when driving.” - Pete Gibson, senior photographer.

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It’s the little details that help set the Skoda Superb apart from its rivals, and that includes the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ convenience touches. There are no fewer than 28 of these helpful features throughout the Superb, with familiar examples including the umbrella hidden in the driver’s door, and a handy ice scraper (both of which are made from more sustainable materials). However, there are some new innovations, including the customisable Smart Dials, a screen-cleaner block, a cooling function for the wireless charging pad to prevent your smartphone from overheating, and a tablet holder built into the middle-seat armrest.

For the latest Superb, Skoda also moved the gear selector to the steering column, as has been done with the Volkswagen Passat, freeing up more space in the centre console. The covered front compartment houses the wireless charging pad and two cup-holders, while under the split-opening armrest is the ‘Jumbo Box’ with 5.5 litres of storage in there alone.

Dimensions and size

The latest, fourth-generation Superb Hatch measures 4,912mm long and 1,481mm tall, while the Superb Estate is 4,902mm long and 1,482mm tall. Both models are 1,849mm wide.

The Superb is slightly longer and taller than its already large predecessor, which has helped create more interior space, as well as an increase in luggage capacity. The wheelbase is the same as before at 2,840mm. 

Seats & passenger space

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Those considering a Superb will have been drawn by the amount of space it delivers, particularly the yawning chasm in the back seats and boot. Even with the tallest driver at the helm, there’s enough room for a six-foot tall adult to stretch out behind them. There’s masses of legroom and headroom to spare, plus space under the front seats for passengers to tuck their feet in.

Boot space

The Skoda Superb hatch has a cavernous 645 litres to offer, while the estate version boasts an enormous 690 litres of load space – up 20 and 30 litres, respectively, over the equivalent version of the old model.

Fold the seats down to increase luggage capacity to 1,195 litres in the hatchback or 1,920 litres in the Skoda Superb Estate. Unlike the hatchback, the estate is available with an electric sliding parcel shelf, and a height adjustable boot floor. We wish the latter were offered on the hatchback, because there’s a substantial load lip without it.

Towing

The Superb’s mild-hybrid petrol engine allows for a maximum braked load of 1,600kg. If your caravan or trailer is heavier still, diesel-powered Superbs can haul up to 2,200kg. Skoda also offers an electrically deployable tow bar with an adaptor on the Superb for a little over £1,100, or a shade over £1,200 for the same electric tow bar with a trailer assist system to help when reversing.

“The bit I like most is the removable fabric tray that sits under the hard parcel shelf. It’s just the correct size for my tripod bags or light stands, and helps me keep the boot nice and orderly. It’s also great for the weekly shop, taking bottles or smaller bags that would otherwise move around.” - Pete Gibson, senior photographer.

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The latest Skoda Superb hasn’t made an appearance in the Driver Power best cars to own rankings yet, but the brand did finish in 12th place out of 31 brands in the most recent best manufacturer scoreboard. This isn’t a particularly impressive score, but it did place Skoda ahead of its parent company, Volkswagen (27th), as well as its sister brand, Audi (19th).

According to safety experts Euro NCAP, the latest Superb is a very safe place to be. Based on testing of its structurally identical sibling, the Volkswagen Passat, the Superb got the maximum five out of five-star rating, scoring maximum points in the side and pole impact tests. Indeed, the Superb did better than the far pricier BMW 5 Series for adult and child occupant protection, which is impressive.

Its high score is also due to the Superb coming with all the safety assistance technology needed to satisfy the current testing criteria. That includes Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection to avoid or mitigate low-speed collisions with other vehicles and vulnerable road users. There’s blind-spot detection to inform you of other vehicles alongside you when you signal to change lanes on the motorway, and lane keep assistance to help keep you within your lane.

You can add rear side airbags to your Superb as part of the Simply Clever Family Package, which costs just under £700. A tyre pressure monitoring system costs an extra £155.

• Best buy: Skoda Superb SE Technology 2.0 TDI 

The Skoda Superb is a plush car even in base SE Technology spec, so unless you want the absolute works in terms of luxury, you should find this trim level’s kit list to be more than enough. Of course, you could adorn your entry-level Superb with some options if you so wish, but we’d urge you to measure up the cost against moving up a trim level. 

Due to the lack of PHEV power in the hatchback, we’d stick with traditional diesel here, as the 2.0-litre TDI provides a healthy blend of performance and efficiency. It can tow its fair share, too.

Skoda Superb alternatives

As we mentioned earlier, lots of the Superb’s direct hatchback competitors have faced the axe, so for a similar level of prestige, you’ll need to look towards the executive car market. Inevitably, this will incur higher prices, but cars like the Mercedes E-Class and BMW 5 Series do come with a lot of attractive features.

If you’re considering the Superb Estate, a few more competitors come into play. The Volkswagen Passat is directly related to the Skoda, so this is an obvious consideration. You could also consider the Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer if you’re thinking about going electric. On the subject of EVs, the Skoda Enyaq is another strong offering from the Czech brand, but it’s an SUV rather than an estate car.