Skoda has spent more than two decades turning the Superb name from an aspiration into an accurate description, and the latest plug‑in hybrid estate shows exactly how far it has come.
The Superb Estate iV SE Technology you see here – with a 1.5‑litre petrol engine, an electric motor and a headline electric range of up to 78–85 miles – is one of the most compelling and rational family cars on sale.
Under the bonnet is Skoda’s new‑generation plug‑in hybrid set‑up: a 1.5 TSI petrol engine paired with an 85kW electric motor for a combined output of 204PS, driving the front wheels through a six‑speed DSG automatic gearbox.
Officially, the Superb iV will sprint from 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds and top out at 136mph, which makes it brisk rather than exciting, but the emphasis here is refinement and efficiency rather than hot‑hatch drama.
The star number is the electric‑only range. Where the previous Superb iV’s real‑world electric capability was around 20–25 miles, with an official figure of about 35 miles, the new car is claimed to manage 78–85 miles on the WLTP cycle.
In everyday terms, that means many commutes and school runs can be done without disturbing the petrol engine at all, provided you plug in regularly. Skoda quotes 201.8–235.4mpg on the combined cycle; as ever with plug‑in hybrids, you should treat that as a best‑case scenario if you do most of your driving on battery power and only occasionally venture further afield.
Run a Superb iV as a de facto electric car during the week and you’ll see three‑figure mpg, but if your life is mostly long motorway slogs with little charging, the figures won’t look so favourable once the battery has depleted.
In comparison to the previous model, the new one’s 70‑plus‑mile capability turns the Superb iV into a genuinely viable EV substitute for many households, with the comfort of a petrol back‑up for the occasional 300‑mile family trek.
Behind the wheel, the Superb iV feels much as you’d expect a large, front‑wheel‑drive estate weighing close to two tonnes to feel: composed, secure and largely unflustered. In E‑mode it glides away in silence, with the instant torque you get in most electric cars, and even when the petrol engine fires up it remains quiet and refined. The six‑speed DSG is smooth and unobtrusive; you can take manual control via paddles on the latest car, or through the selector, but there’s usually little need.
Visually, the fourth‑generation Superb doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It’s a very big estate with clean lines, chrome detailing around the grille and dark chrome roof rails in SE Technology guise. The particular car described here is finished in Cobalt Blue metallic and rides on 17‑inch alloy wheels – not the largest rims available, but arguably the sweet spot for comfort.
Inside, Skoda has moved the Superb on from the functional but slightly drab cabin of the outgoing model. The new Loft Design Selection brings a more modern mix of materials and colours, but the real talking point is the tech. A 13‑inch free‑standing touchscreen sits high on the dash, backed up by a 10.25‑inch virtual cockpit. Skoda’s clever new Smart Dials – physical rotary controls with small displays in their centres – give you quick access to core functions such as temperature, volume and drive modes, addressing the criticism levelled at earlier VW Group systems where too much was buried in sub‑menus.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, feeding into that big central screen.
Space is where the Superb has always earned its name, and the estate remains one of the most capacious cars on sale this side of a van. The hatchback version offers 645 litres of boot space with the seats up; the estate is larger still, at around 660 litres with the rear bench in place.
Rear passengers enjoy limousine‑rivalling legroom.
Skoda Superb Estate iV SE Technology
PRICE: £41,575 OTR
ENGINE: 1.5 TSI petrol
ELECTRIC MOTOR: 85kW (116PS)
SYSTEM POWER: 204PS
TRANSMISSION: 6‑speed DSG auto
DRIVE: Front‑wheel drive
PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph: 8.1 seconds (136mph max)
ELECTRIC RANGE: 78–85 miles
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