Skoda Superb review

It’s the new Skoda Superb, the fourth generation of the Czech firm’s giant, range-topping saloon which we first saw over 20 years ago. And now more giant and range-topping than ever.

Indeed, it’s somehow 43mm longer and 12mm taller than its hardly small predecessor, with more space inside. Even more so if you opt for the ginormous Skoda Superb Estate.

Mind, you’d be hard pressed to tell it apart from the third generation Superb at first glance. It wears a revised octagonal grille, while the slimmer headlights now come in an optional “crystallinium” design, whatever that means. It’s also now more aerodynamically efficient than ever before. All in the detail, see.

Yeah, great, but what about the cabin?

The Superb was quite frankly an already gargantuan car, but now it’s bordering on colossal. Skoda claims this new one offers 20 litres more boot space than the old hatch, with 11mm more headroom up top and 6mm headroom in the rear. Marginal gains, huh?

The other noticeable upgrade is the tech: it now gets a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and 13-inch infotainment display. But wait, because it also gets new physical controls in the shape of customisable Smart Dials - situated below the touchscreen - allowing you to control functions including aircon, infotainment, seat heating/ventilation, and suchlike. They’re a really smart, functional bit of kit.

As ever, you also get Skoda’s usual suite of ‘Simply Clever’ features, with a grand total of 28 to play with here, including a parking ticket clip, ice scraper on the fuel filler cap, USB port in the rearview mirror, and umbrella in the driver’s door. Head over to the Interior tab for the full lowdown.

What’s behind the badge?

Engines are mostly from the VW Group's Sensible Range, and opening the batting is a 1.5-litre mild hybrid outputting 148bhp.

Next up is a pair of 2.0-litre TSIs, with 204 or 265bhp, followed by a similar duo of 2.0-litre diesels offering 150 or 193bhp. The more powerful variants of both get four-wheel drive, while all are mated to a seven-speed DSG as standard.

There is a plug-in hybrid Superb, offering an impressive 62 miles of pure electric range… but it’s available in estate guise only. Sorry.

Boo. What sorta price are we talking?

Starting price is £34,875 (that gets you into the mild hybrid in base-spec trim), with the estate costing £1,300 more. Head over to the Buying tab for the full details.

But really, we should be celebrating the fact it still exists at all, when you consider the fate of the Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6 and Vauxhall Insignia. It does still have some rivals, notably the Peugeot 508, but otherwise you’re limited to more premium options including the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Merc E-Class.

Fundamentally, the Skoda Superb is A Good Car. It knows its place in today’s world, and doesn’t try to be anything that it’s not. It’s not particularly flashy, it can go just about anywhere without being noticed, and it’ll get you there without fuss too. 

With every generation Skoda has made slight improvements, and this Mk4 is the best one yet. The cabin is simply a wonderful place to be - with as good if not better tech than any of its rivals - and the Smart Dials are a superb (sorry) addition. It trumps its competitors for space too.

Given the fate several other saloons have suffered lately, nobody knows how much longer the Superb will survive. Our advice is to get one while you still can.