The Motorola StarTAC. It was the first of the mass market flip phones.

You had to pull out an aerial to get a decent reception. Opening it could be done in two ways. Either slide your finger under the top section and lift it, or, with a bit of a flourish, flick your wrist and it would open…just like Captain James T. Kirk did on Star Trek. Oh, and for pub quiz lovers, what did the T stand for?

Tiberius.

Of course, space was what Star Trek was all about…and the same applies to the Skoda Superb Estate…acres of it. Climb in, go for a walk and admire the view. The figures are impressive as well, with a capacity of 690 litres even when the rear seats are in place. Flop them into the floor and that climbs to 1920 litres. Wow.

But if you think this estate car is all about space, you’d be wrong because it’s good to drive, comes loaded with kit and has a seriously premium feel about it. The Superb oozes class.

Fourth generation Superb is a bigger proposition

This is the latest version — a fourth generation of the Skoda Superb. Visually, you’d struggle to tell this model from the previous one and there’s nothing particularly wrong with that. It’s understated in a handsome way. The only problem might be finding a parking space big enough to fit in. See, you don’t get all of that interior room without having a long car. Skoda plainly thought the Superb Estate needed a bit more carrying capacity, so this latest version gets an extra 30 litres with the seats up and 20 litres with the seats down. Okay, that gives you more space to carry a chest of drawers, but it also means there’s ample legroom for five adults.

Powertrain Options

Let’s go through some of the figures.

You have a decent choice of six engines, which, shock, includes the one I had….a diesel. There’s a 1.5 litre petrol unit with a mild hybrid set-up, producing 148bhp. There’s also the same engine but with a plug-in hybrid facility, which, when you add the engine and electric motor together, gives you just over 201bhp. Need something more beefy? Choose from the pair of 2.0-litre petrol engines with either 204bhp or 261bhp.

And finally, you get a choice of two 2.0 litre TDI diesels developing either 148bhp or the one I had, producing 190bhp.

My advice would be to go for the lower power models if you only intend travelling with a load on the odd occasion, but if you plan to make your Superb Estate work for its living, go for the bigger engines. This certainly applies if you intend to tow. The bigger powertrains can manage 2.2 tonnes, which should be sufficient for anyone with a horsebox…and a decent sized horse.

Performance Stats

The entry level 1.5 litre engine is no slouch, managing the 0-60mph sprint in a shade over 9 seconds. My bigger diesel shaves that down to 7.6 seconds, while the full-fat 2.0-litre petrol model manages 5.7 seconds. All-wheel drive comes with the more powerful engines.

As for economy, the 1.5 litre petrol should give you a recommended 51.4mpg…the smaller 2.0 litre petrol model gives you a shade over 41mpg while the smaller diesel stretches the economy to 55.4mpg. The pick of the bunch in terms of saving you money at the pump is the PHEV 1.5 litre, which should get you close to 100mpg if you can fully use the hybrid system and trundle around at low speeds using battery power alone. The major plus for this model is that it can manage over 80 miles on battery power alone.

Prices

Not every engine is available with every trim.

As of September 2025, the entry-level 1.5 litre model with a 7-speed DSG gearbox in SE in base SE Technology trim will set you back £37,225.

The top of the pile is reserved for the 1.5 litre PHEV at £41,575 in the same trim. If you have a daily round trip commute under 80 miles and can therefore use the battery to its full extent, the PHEV makes sense. Do the sums. It could be attractive to company drivers.

I reckon the pick of the bunch, however, is the Superb Estate 148bhp 2.0 TDI diesel at £37,730. Yes, I had the more powerful 190bhp TDI (£44,820), which means you need to move up a level to SE L trim, but for the majority of you reading this, we’d go for the cheaper model.

Standard Kit

Skoda has given even the entry-level SE Technology trim a cracking level of kit. You get a 13-inch touchscreen which includes sat nav. There’s also heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, predictive and adaptive cruise control, LED front and rear lights, wireless phone charging, DAB radio and 3-zone climate control. All of which makes the Skoda Superb Estate….err….superb value.

You also get neat touches like an ice scraper in the fuel flap, an umbrella in the driver’s door…and pockets on the back of the front seat headrests, which will take a mobile phone. Neat huh?

As for the interior itself, it’s got a good feel and look to it. It should be hard-wearing too. The seats are comfy, and everyone has loads of head and legroom. It’s good to see that the central touchscreen has a row of buttons and dials beneath.

Effortless Cruising

Head out onto the road and you’ll enjoy one of the most silky-smooth rides. The Superb even handles tidily when you hustle it through a corner. All-wheel drive in the more powerful versions makes the car surefooted even when fully laden. It’s quiet too, even in the diesel. Effortless cruising comes to mind.

The Skoda Superb Estate ticks so many boxes. Masses of carrying capacity, roomy cabin for the occupants, well equipped, good to drive and reasonably priced. The diesel gives you plenty of load-lugging power and good economy.

I can’t think of a better workhorse and holiday express at this price.

words: Graham Courtney

Skoda Superb Estate - A Bigger Proposition