2025 Skoda Superb Sportline review: Australian first drive

They once dominated our roads like four-wheel apex predators hunting in ever-growing packs. But, like all apex predators eventually, their time at the top of the food chain came and went. Large family sedans and station wagons, trampled by the SUV stampede, are a dying breed.

But one car maker is holding on for dear life, and the car you see here, the 2025 Skoda Superb, is the last of the breed in Australia – at least at the mainstream end of the market. The Skoda Superb is the only large family car in what was once the dominant new car segment.

What ‘affordable’ means in 2025 is different to 20 and 30 years ago. Today, the large car segment is defined by Under and Over $70,000. And while the Over $70K bracket still sees plenty of options for buyers, from the premium brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW, it’s the Under $70K segment where Skoda has the sandpit all to itself.

It’s worth looking back to see how far the large family car has fallen. Twenty years ago, in 2004, Australian bought large cars at the rate of 181,678, spearheaded by the Big Three – Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Mitsubishi Magna. In 2024, that number had fallen to a scant 192. To put that decline even more starkly, 2024 sales in the same category are 0.1 per cent of what they were just 20 years ago.

And yet, an all-new Skoda Superb returns to Australian dealerships in the face of declining large car sales, the Czech brand firmly believing it can carve out a niche for its family sedan and wagon in an SUV world.

“We see this is an opportunity,” said Skoda Australia boss Lucie Kuhn. “Because you have customers who simply want something different; they don’t want to have an SUV.”

Available in Australia as a single, highly specified Sportline variant, as either a sedan or station wagon, the all-new fourth-generation Skoda Superb is built on the Volkswagen Group's MQB platform.

It’s powered by a slightly higher-tuned 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, as found in the latest Volkswagen Golf GTI. Power is the same across the two models at 195kW, but at 400Nm, the Superb has more torque than the GTI hot hatch (370Nm). That results in a better 0–100km/h claim for the Superb, 5.6sec (sedan) and 5.7sec (wagon), trumping the latest Mk8.5 Golf GTI's 5.9sec claim.

It's priced from $67,990 before on-road costs (or $73,990 drive-away) for the liftback sedan and $69,690 before ORCs ($74,990 drive-away) for the wagon, representing increases of $4000 (sedan) and $3000 (wagon) compared with the outgoing model.

However, the new Superb is fitted with extra specification and standard equipment valued by Skoda at $10,900, helping to cushion the blow at the dealership.

Both the sedan and station wagon come highly specified, with leather-appointed upholstery, 19-inch alloy wheels in a new design, and an upgraded 13-inch (up from 9.2 inches) touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

You can read our full breakdown of what’s new and improved in our comprehensive pricing and specs story here, but the headline acts include a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, updated matrix LED headlights, LED tail-lights with dynamic indicators, heated and ventilated front seats with massage functions, heated outboard rear seats, and tri-zone climate control.

There are no options to be had other than a $1900 panoramic sunroof, available on the wagon only, and a single shade of Carmine Red premium metallic paint at $770. The rest of the seven-colour palette – Graphite Grey, Pure White, Desert Green, Pebble Silver, Cobalt Blur and Midnight Black – are available at no extra cost.

Outside, the design changes are subtle, an evolution of the outgoing model. The most obvious changes are a new 19-inch alloy wheel design, slimmer headlight treatment, while the grille is more upright than on the previous Superb.

Leaning into its large car status, both the sedan and wagon are longer than the models they replace. The new Superb sedan adds 43mm in length, although loses 15mm of width while gaining 12mm in height.

Similarly, the new Superb station wagon is 40mm longer, yet 15mm narrower, while its height gain is only 5mm. Both variants sit on an unchanged 2841mm wheelbase.

It’s in the cabin where the updates are most keenly felt. Skoda’s interiors have always presented an understated quality. And that philosophy remains in place, although the Czech brand has upped the ante, both in terms of design and materials. The end result is a more premium execution inside, one that looks and feels like a circa-$70K family car should.

Soft-touch materials abound – on the dashtop, doors, armrests, everywhere hands and fingers are likely to contact – while interesting design elements (such as the fascia that runs the length of the dash and blends seamlessly with the air vents) bring coherence to the cabin.

The perforated leather sports seats with integrated headrests are comfortable and supportive in all the right places. Along with heating and cooling, the seats are power-adjustable, with massage functions and lumbar support.

Skoda has moved the gear selector to the right-hand stalk on the steering wheel, and that change of address has freed up the centre console that now looks and feels uncluttered.

The are cupholders (of course) a decent-sized storage bin and a 15W wireless smartphone charging pad with integrated cooling. No more hot phones when on the charge.

Ergonomics haven’t taken a back seat in the new Superb. Three large and very tactile dials located under the screen serve multiple masters. The two outer dials adjust the AC’s temperature, while the central dial can variously, simply by pressing the dial (which changes what it controls), adjust fan speed and volume, as well as cycle through the Superb’s drive modes. It’s a clever feature; a fact not lost on Skoda, which has dubbed the setup ‘Smart Dials’.

The second row is spacious with decent amounts of room in all key measures – foot, knee, leg and head, certainly when plonked in the outboard seats. The middle position does lose out on foot space thanks to a large AWD drivetrain tunnel.

Amenities for the second row include cupholders in a fold-down armrest, which is also fitted with a neat little holder for your smartphone, great for kids wanting to watch the latest episode of their favourite show. The second row also scores its own climate controls, along with seat heating for the outboard pews.

Out back, the Skoda Superb sedan offers 589 litres of luggage capacity, expanding to a massive 1795L with the second row folded away. The Superb wagon, unsurprisingly, trumps its sedan sibling with 634L behind the second row seats or 1920L with the back row stowed. That trumps some large SUVs, such as the Toyota Kluger’s 552L and 1150L, and is on par with Hyundai’s Santa Fe that claims 628L and 1949L. Impressive in what is, after all, a passenger car.

Infotainment and tech haven’t gone untouched in the new Skoda Superb. At its heart, a new 13.0-inch touchscreen hosts Skoda’s infotainment system. It brings a refreshed interface that is clean and uncluttered, and simple to navigate. The screen itself is responsive to touch inputs, while connecting to Apple CarPlay wirelessly proved simple and quick. There’s also wireless Android Auto for those who sing Google’s way.

Native satellite navigation is included, while the addition of DAB+ digital radio is a boon.

The 10.0-inch digital driver's display can be configured through several layouts and provides a wealth of driving data. We like the full-screen map display, augmented by a smaller digital speedo but for those racy vibes, traditional looking, albeit digital, speedo and tacho dials hark back to simpler times. A crisp head-up display adds more options for driving data.

There’s wireless smartphone charging, boosted by 15W power and inbuilt cooling, while the USB Type-C outlet count runs to five: two up front, two more in the second row, and an additional one in the rear-view mirror housing.

Skoda has also boosted the Superb’s suite of safety and advanced driver assist systems, with almost every piece of tech upgraded or totally new. The only safety technology that carries over is the tyre pressure monitoring system.

New inclusions are lane-centring assist, emergency steering assist, side exit warning, traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree surround-view camera, and traffic jam assist, while improvements and enhancements have been made to features like adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, and parking sensors.

While Australia’s safety body ANCAP is yet to confirm the Superb’s rating, this all-new model scored a five-star Euro NCAP safety score in 2024. Expect that to make its way to locally delivered models.

One aspect where Skoda has always stood tall amongst its European counterparts is with its warranty offering. That hasn’t changed with the Superb, backed by Skoda’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre surety.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and can be prepaid at time of purchase with either five-year/75,000km ($3000) or seven-year/105,000km ($3700) packs available.

So what’s the new Superb like to drive? In a word, great. Let’s break it down.

The Skoda Superb shares its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with the hot hatch Golf GTI. And despite both outputting 195kW, the Superb trumps its Volkswagen cousin’s torque number, 400Nm against the GTI’s 370Nm. In the real world that translates to the big family hauler outpacing the ostensibly sportier Golf GTI with a 0–100km/h claim of 5.6sec (sedan) and 5.7sec (wagon), trumping the latest Mk8.5 Golf GTI’s 5.9sec.

But, it’s not all about straight-line speed, because what Skoda has done with the Superb in this new generation is imbue it with finesse and comfort. Yes, it has enough get-up-and-go to leave any ardent driving enthusiast smiling, but it also does so with an impressive level of comfort and refinement.

Standard-fit adaptive dampers with Skoda’s reworked Dynamic Chassis Control (now labelled DCC+) do a great job of keeping things on an even keel. Road nasties are dispensed with aplomb, the two-valve dampers – which work independently on compression and rebound – deal with imperfections beautifully and easily.

And hustling through some corners – as I was able to at launch – highlights the work that has gone into the chassis. The Superb remains calm and unflustered even when faced with mid-corner lumps and loose surfaces. Body roll is kept nicely in check too, while grip levels, thanks to Skoda’s all-wheel-drive system, are never in doubt. Yes, this is a family car, but one that can provide enjoyment and engagement aplenty.

The steering is nicely weighted too, with direct responses to inputs that inspire simple confidence.

The new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT) is an improvement over the older model’s six-speed iteration, and as good as it is, it can leave you feeling a touch wanting. That hesitancy from take-off dual-clutches are known for has almost been eliminated, resulting in smoother acceleration from standstill. On the move, the DCT can feel a little lazy, while using paddle-shifters doesn't offer the instant gear changes you might expect.

It’s a minor gripe, felt most noticeably during more spirited driving, the DCT perfectly fine when tackling urban roads and traffic or stretching the Superb’s legs on the motorway.

Skoda says the Superb will sip either 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres (sedan) or 7.8L/100km (wagon) of 95-octane premium unleaded. My drive in the station wagon at launch, taking in some suburban traffic and a good dose of rural back roads, returned an indicated 7.7L/100km, bettering Skoda’s claim by 0.1L. Not too shabby.

So what are the downsides? There really aren’t many. It arguably looks a bit too conservative from the outside, and we’d love the DCT to be that little bit sharper. And at over $70K drive-away, the new Superb is nudging firmly into premium territory.

But those minor brickbats are soon overcome. Spend even a little bit of time behind the wheel and you’ll come away impressed by the Superb’s refinement, handling and performance. Add in a cabin that not only feels pretty special but is also eminently practical, and the Superb starts to live up to its lofty nameplate.

Our pick would be the station wagon because, well, why not? And it seems buyers agree, with the historical sales split between wagon and sedan in Australia sitting at 80:20 firmly in favour of the long roof.

The Skoda Superb might be the very last of the breed, but it’s a compelling option for buyers who are looking to defy the current SUV zeitgeist. The Superb rewards with a practical package that is well equipped and also engaging and enjoyable to drive. You can’t ask for much more than that.

Rob Margeit is an award-winning Australian motoring journalist and editor who has been writing about cars and motorsport for over 25 years. A former editor of Australian Auto Action, Rob’s work has also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Wheels, Motor Magazine, Street Machine and Top Gear Australia. Rob’s current rides include a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a 2000 Honda HR-V Sport.

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