Skoda Superb Estate (2015-2023) - Engines, drive & performance

The Skoda Superb Estate is all about comfortable cruising and it really delivers. It’s not a BMW-style fun-machine, but its priorities lie elsewhere. Instead you'll find the Superb a very agreeable place to sit and let the miles fly by. The gearboxes are smooth, the steering precise and the interior quiet. You’re guaranteed to have a relaxing journey whichever seat you sit in.

However, there are optional adaptive dampers to add a bit of handling prowess to your Superb Estate. With adjustable settings that you can choose depending on the road or your mood, they can make the suspension stiffer for better high-speed cornering or softer if the surfaces are bumpy.

Also available is a four-wheel-drive system to increase grip on wet or wintry surfaces. However, the Superb never feels unsafe without it and four-wheel drive increases fuel consumption, so we wouldn’t recommend it unless you need the maximum possible towing capacity or regularly drive down muddy tracks.

Skoda Superb Estate diesel engines

The 2.0-litre 148bhp diesel is fuel-efficient and is usefully powerful, helping if you're towing or carrying a full complement of passengers and luggage. It can be chosen on all trims and is worthwhile if your budget can stretch to it, with a 0-62mph time to 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 134mph. There’s also a 197bhp model bringing a 7.9-second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 146mph.

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Our favourite combination is the 148bhp engine and the manual gearbox. This slots between gears with precision and minimal effort, and is perfectly suited to the car's laid-back character while being very competitively priced.

Petrol engines

Recent advances in petrol-engine technology have brought petrol back into favour after years of diesel being the default choice for cars such as the Superb Estate. In keeping with this trend, there’s a choice of a 1.5-litre petrol engine with 148bhp or a 2.0-litre with either 187bhp or a huge 276bhp for the top-of the-range models. While that line-up might be surprisingly small, we reckon the 1.5-litre engine is most people will ever need.

It incorporates cylinder-deactivation technology, essentially reducing the engine size when full power isn’t required, and reducing fuel consumption. However, it can still take the Superb from 0-62mph in just 9.2 seconds, increasing to 9.3 with the DSG automatic gearbox, and on to a top speed of 133mph.

The 2.0-litre petrols are unsurprisingly quick, but do involve making a sacrifice in fuel economy and emissions. Choose the 187bhp version with the standard auto gearbox, and 0-62mph takes 7.7 seconds. The range-topping 276bhp version with four-wheel drive is seriously rapid and driving enthusiasts will like the noise it makes under hard acceleration. 0-62mph takes just 5.3 seconds - faster than the SEAT Leon Cupra and Honda Civic Type R. However, it doesn’t quite feel suited to the Superb’s character.

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The Superb Estate SportLine Plus offers a sharper driving experience thanks to adjustable suspension settings and a driving mode selector. This allows you to choose from Eco, Normal and Sports modes, sharpening or softening the chassis, steering, gearbox and accelerator responses accordingly. It’s an appealing model and certainly gives the Superb a sporting appeal it has lacked before.

The SportLine Plus can be paired with most engines, and all come with Skoda’s DSG automatic gearbox. Pick the four-wheel-drive 276bhp 2.0-litre petrol if you’re not too fussed about running costs and purchase price, while the 148 and 187bhp diesels offer enough performance and more palatable fuel economy. For many drivers, the 1.5-litre TSI will also be an ideal all-rounder, with impressive refinement and low running costs.

Hybrid engines

The Superb iV Estate is fitted with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, a 113bhp electric motor and a battery pack. A total of 215bhp is available, getting the Skoda from 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds, which is 0.5 seconds quicker than the Peugeot 508 plug-in. The Superb iV also has the Peugeot licked for refinement, as it juggles electric and petrol power almost seamlessly; you'll often only know which is propelling the car by looking at the power dial on the digital instruments.

There are several driving modes to choose from, including E-mode that prioritises electric running, Hybrid and Sport. These have a noticeable effect on the Superb's character, with its adaptive suspension very soft as standard but firming up in Sport mode.