2025 Skoda Superb 2.0 TSI Sportline | UK Review

A perennial PH favourite is back - and better than ever

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 15 May 2025 / Loading comments

While it’s easy to bemoan the demise of the hot hatch or the affordable sports car - since their demise is more keenly felt by enthusiasts - there’s been another recent victim of the car industry’s current malaise: the family wagon. The big family wagon, that is. There are still Astra, Focus, and 308 estates, sure, but choices are very much more limited if you want a genuine load lugger. The Mazda 6 is gone, as is the Peugeot 508; the mainstays from Vauxhall and Ford disappeared with one streamlining or another a little while back, meaning those who want a proper holdall - and don’t want to spend 5 Series, V90, or E-Class money - are limited to choosing between VW Passat or Skoda Superb. Any others must be a well-kept secret.

While that lack of choice is disappointing, both VW and Skoda are bigger and better than ever before. We’ve already been impressed by the former in PHEV trim; now it’s time to assess the latter with the powertrain that’s made it a cult classic in the past decade (and which the Passat doesn’t get): the 265hp 2.0-litre TSI. From racing classic supercars to the ultimate sleeper build, the Skoda Superb that wants to be a Golf R has never been far from the PH headlines since its launch. The flagship combustion engine sits atop a comprehensive range of Superb powertrains, a pleasant surprise given the slimming down of lineups everywhere. There are petrol, diesel, and hybrid estates offered (the latter isn’t on the hatch), as well as the more lux-focused Laurin & Klement alongside the sportier, um, Sportline. Talk about covering all the bases. A 265hp Superb Sportline is from £46,695, or some way from the £32,745 a 280hp Superb cost less than a decade ago. As is the sad state of new cars right now. But when an E-Class estate, with its piddling 615 litres of boot capacity against a Superb’s 690, can cost £90,000 in E450d spec, perhaps £50k isn’t the end of the world.

Unsurprisingly, the engine and gearbox pairing feel much as they always have, which is to say decent - though nothing more than that. It’s always nice to be going faster than necessary (and expected) in a Skoda Superb, easier than ever now with a useful torque boost, plus the sound is less faked than in some other EA888 installations. On the other hand, the seven-speed DSG isn’t the smoothest or smartest. And, well, this is probably the most reviewed 2.0-litre turbo on the internet; it gets the job done without ever bowling the driver over with its enthusiasm. Which, say, a Civic engine might do. Nevertheless, it remains nice to have, without worrying about the additional weight and compromise of a hybrid. Put it this way: this review could easily have been a Cars To Be Thankful For feature - look, a 155mph Superb still exists - as much as a conventional first drive. Plus we know how well this engine responds to tuning; it’d probably leave a more favourable impression with almost 400hp than almost 300hp.

Especially as this is a smarter Superb to drive than ever before. Standard kit on a Sportline includes Dynamic Chassis Control plus; we’re familiar with VW’s DCC dampers, as they’re often a useful option to have. The new plus system introduces separate valves for the compression and rebound stages of the damping, which it’s claimed ought to deliver a greater bandwidth across the driving modes. And while it would always be nice to have a back-to-back on these things to be sure, this fast Superb felt keener and better controlled than any previous version did. Those moments where it starts to feel like a near-five-metre-long car, just a tad reluctant in direction changes, are now a much rare occurrence - and more fleeting when they do occur.

It's a nicely sorted chassis generally, in fact, with agreeable levels of both comfort and decent body control. There’s a slight hollowness at low speed, with perhaps more commotion than might be expected, though by and large it achieves everything a Superb buyer is going to need and more from a driving point of view. Notable is the fact that neither steering nor ride is spoiled by fiddling with modes, as can be the case. The fitment on our test car of Goodyear Eagle F1s was a welcome turn-up, too, and must have contributed to the general feeling of precision. The Superb is an excellent ‘making progress’ car, swift and unassuming without totally detaching the driver. Those who are especially picky might want the Skoda to cruise just a wee bit quieter.

The rest of the package is even more impressive. The interior is properly ginormous; the 40mm gain in length from before is in the overhangs, with a carried-over 2,841mm wheelbase, and the Superb makes great use of every single millimetre. The traditional silhouette is great for rear-row headroom, meaning tall passengers can sit behind tall drivers easily, and you really have to see a near-700-litre boot to believe it. With complicated rear axles robbing so many wagons of boot space (an M5 Touring has almost 200 litres less room), having so much real estate - no pun intended, honest - under the rear lid is a pleasant surprise.

For the first time in a long time, here’s a product from the VW universe that’s better than what came before. Only took however many years. The new rotary dials are really clever, with different functions a press away like the old Jaguar equivalents, and the vent that stretches the width of the dash - underlined in this one by a suede insert - is a really smart touch for lifting the ambience. This is no longer just a VW with some more legroom. Doing away with a gearlever means loads of storage in the centre console, the latest touchscreen is responsive, and the ADAS is easily disabled via actual steering wheel buttons. They’re the sort of neat solutions we’ve come to expect from Skoda, meaning the usual new car frustrations are appreciably lessened. If only perceived quality could be just a little better: the ID-style drive selector and those central dials lack a bit of substance and solidity.

Finally, while Superbs are probably never bought purely as items of desire, it would be hard to say that this one is a more appealing bit of exterior design than its predecessor. Fundamentally not much has changed - it being an identical kind of car on the same architecture, with comparable dimensions - it’s just that this one doesn’t look quite as sophisticated as the old one. Where once the Superb seemed to set the tone for the rest of the lineup looks-wise, it now seems that the SUVs are the primary influence. And it doesn’t work as well. More distinctive than the Passat, undoubtedly, and hardly bad to look at, if resembling an Insignia Tourer more than is desirable. With strange wheels.

Still, when the major criticisms are subjective design ones and a brake pedal that can be just a little hard to modulate at low speed, clearly the car in question is a very well-sorted one. This has always been the Superb’s appeal; you wouldn’t necessarily relish every journey, though arrival at your destination would be greeted with the quiet satisfaction of using the best tool for the task. Didn’t matter if that was to the dump or to the Dolomites. That’s most certainly still the case for this latest version, complete with a bit more breadth to the ride and handling dynamic as well as a smart interior upgrade. Perhaps it’s a good job so many of the mainstream makers have exited this part of the market; they’d be doing very well indeed to create a better big family bus than the quickest Superb.

SPECIFICATION | 2025 SKODA SUPERB SPORTLINE ESTATE

Engine: 1,984cc, four-cyl turbo
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 265@5,000-6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@1,650rpm-4,350rpm
0-62mph: 5.7sec
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 1,710kg
MPG: 36.4-35.7
CO2: 177-180g/km
Price: £46,695 (price as standard; price as tested £50,065, comprising Carmine Red metallic paint for £680, Simply Clever Family Package for £575, 18-inch steel space saver for £190, Winter Package for £610, Head-up display for £540, Canton Sound System for £775. All prices accurate as of Jan 2025)