Review: Skoda Superb Estate
Julie Marshall discovers that Skoda’s luxurious estate car is as Superb as ever
I last drove the third-generation Skoda Superb three years ago and loved everything about it.
In 2024, generation four was launched and is reviewed here.
The previous model was renowned for having a cavernous interior. But the latest version is even longer, which translates to a phenomenal amount of legroom, in both front and back.
There are also loads of storage with large door bins, a useful centre console and practical compartments in the boot. One nice touch is a sort of hammock effect that secures shopping bags and prevents them from rolling around.
Estate cars are used as workhorses, but they don’t have to look like them. Despite its massive wheelbase, the Superb manages to look sleek and sporty and not at all estate-like.
Boot capacity is 690 litres, and with the rear seats folded, we used it to transport an electric mountain bike, which we could almost fit in without removing the wheel.
We drove the SE L with a 207bhp 1.5 TSI plug-in hybrid petrol engine. It averaged 49mpg over a mixed 365 miles during the week we had it.
If we’d charged it up each night and utilised the 79 miles of electric-only range, then that would have been a considerably higher figure.
Other powertrains available are the 1.5 TSI with mild hybrid technology - a first for the Superb - two petrol and two diesel engines.
Seats are comfortable all round with heating, lumbar support and even a massage function for the front seats with ten different settings. Rear seat passengers are not left out completely; they get heating, but sadly, no massage.
The 13-inch infotainment display, which controls most functions, is free-standing with clear graphics. We linked our iPhone and used Apple CarPlay most of the time. Fast charging is wireless, and there is space for two phones. As a bonus, it has ventilation to keep your phone cool while charging. We also liked the three knobs under the screen, which can be configured for different functions.
The green lighting strips on the door are a nice touch: they turn to red when the door is opened.
SE L trim has LED adaptive headlights as standard. This means you don’t need to keep flicking off your main beam on and off along country lanes; the system does it for you.
Visibility is excellent all round, and parking proved far easier than anticipated, thanks to the front and rear parking sensors and rear view camera.
The Superb has retained some of its most quirky features: an umbrella which lives in the door panel and an ice scraper in the fuel cap.
The price of our iV SE L estate started at £44,930, and with the addition of the winter pack: heated steering wheel, seats etc (£610), metallic paint (£680), family package: to include rear headrests and a tablet holder (£610) and the head-up display (£540) this came out at £47,335.
Skoda Superb iV SE L Estate
Price: £44,930 (as tested 47,335)
Engine: 1.5 TSI
Power: 201bhp
Torque: 295lb/ft
Transmission: Six-speed DSG
Top speed: 136mph
0-62mph: 8.1 seconds
Economy: 47.1-56.4mpg
CO2 emissions:123-127g/km