2026 Skoda Superb Review

What if you want a car that feels premium, without a flashy badge and high price tag — that isn’t an SUV? It's certainly a specific question, one that becomes even harder to answer if you want to choose between a sedan or a wagon. But it's a question that the 2026 Skoda Superb aims to answer. 

There’s nothing I can tell you that hasn’t already been discussed at length about the rise of SUVs. The place of premium marques in an albeit declining medium to large sedan and wagon segment is also common knowledge. 

But even as its Volkswagen Passat stablemate departs the Australian market, Skoda seemingly continues to spare a thought for those buyers that want an understated, premium sedan or wagon with value for money in mind. While this may seem like they’re targeting a small corner of the market, Skoda recognise this as a loyalty opportunity. 

The latest B9-generation Skoda Superb arrives in Sportline trim, entering Australia's once immensely popular large car segment, now vastly populated by six-figure premium offerings. It is also set to do battle with the upper-echelons of the medium car class given its comparable price. 

But does the 2026 Skoda Superb Sportline once again satisfy its sedan and wagon devotees? 

How much does the 2026 Skoda Superb Cost? 

The 2026 Skoda Superb Sportline is priced at $67,990 and $69,690 before on-road costs for the Sedan and Wagon respectively. Relatively speaking, this is extremely affordable for a car of this class considering most of the remaining large cars currently on sale are priced at north of $100,000 for entry-level variants. 

While marking a slight price increase over its predecessor – priced at $65,590 before on road costs – the list of standard equipment on the new Superb would’ve bumped the price of the outgoing model up by $10,900 in optional extras. 

The new Superb even undercuts many of the more up-market offerings in the medium segment, including the Volvo V60, certain trim levels of the Lexus ES and Audi A5 and is well clear of the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class. 

With an extremely impressive list of standard equipment coupled with space that few sedans or wagons can offer at this price point, the new Superb lives up to Skoda's reputation for value for money.  

2026 Skoda Superb Pricing 

• Sportline Sedan: $67,990 before on-road costs
• Sportline Wagon: $69,690 before on-road costs

Options

• Panoramic Glass Sunroof: $1,900
• Metallic Paint: $770

Speaks Softly, Carries a Big Stick

While unlikely to turn many heads, the Superb is a reasonably handsome car. The B9 generation has a more muscular appearance than its predecessor, most notably because of its more angular, front fascia. 

The black 19-inch wheels and black exterior trim such as on the grille, wing mirrors, window surrounds and side skirts elevate the Sportline’s aesthetics above the Superb’s lower trim levels offered elsewhere in the world. They’re certainly effective reminders that this car may carry a slightly larger stick than one might expect. 

Both body styles work, but personally I find myself gravitating slightly more towards the styling of the wagon. Maybe it's the larger glasshouse or how the boot design cascades rather than abruptly ends. Or maybe it's simply the increasing rarity of wagons these days. Either way, visually I feel the wagon is more of an event. 

In any case, both the Sedan and Wagon present themselves as attractive yet understated family cars.

Massage on the Move

Simply put, the front row of the Skoda Superb is an excellent place to spend time. It’s a well-thought-out blend of hardware, software, useful storage and high-quality trim. 

The 13-inch infotainment system and 10-inch “Virtual Cockpit” digital instrument cluster enjoy crisp visuals, with the former being easy to navigate and interact with. With the exception of what appears to be a quite low-res reversing camera display, it's a visually appealing and easy to use system. Most functions are never more than a few clicks away, and with both wired and wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, my phone connected almost immediately when plugged in via a USB-C cord. 

Speaking of which, there are plenty of charging options in the front seat of the Superb, including two USB-C ports in the centre console, one in the rear-view mirror, a wireless charger and a 12-V socket in the arm-rest compartment. 

The heads-up display is also as useful and pleasing to the eye as the two screens, containing speed, cruise control and navigation information. 

The Smart Dials are also a fantastic touch. The dials on the dashboard each contain a small screen that, when pressed, can toggle between different functions that can then be adjusted with the dial itself. With many cars containing so many functions within the infotainment system, having physical dials that integrate both hardware and software to control the air conditioning, seat heating, drive mode selection, volume and the map zoom functions are a breath of fresh air.

The sports seats, along with being easily adjustable with lumbar support and memory, are heated, ventilated and massaging. While not the first car from a mass-market brand to be offered with massaging seats, or even the first Skoda equipped with the feature, I still find it incredible that a reasonably affordable vehicle comes with a feature once reserved for the likes of the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7-Series as standard.

Personally, I would’ve preferred a seat with slightly more bolstering as I found myself moving around more than I would’ve liked on twisty roads, but in fairness, as I have a build that renders me liable to be blown away on windy days, I doubt that this will be a problem for most buyers. 

The touchpoints and materials are all pleasant to interact with, primarily consisting of both real and synthetic leather and soft-touch plastics. The three-spoke, flat-bottom sports steering wheel is an excellent example of this, with a grippy texture that makes it a joy to operate. Adding to this, the aluminium pedals are also a nice touch. 

Interestingly, the gear selector is now column-mounted and is twisted to switch between park, reverse, neutral, drive and sport. This may take some getting used to, especially when attempting to switch between drive and manual while on the move. Admittedly, I made a couple of mis-inputs myself. But I imagine that after a few drives it would become second nature. 

The absence of a shifter in the centre console has done wonders for storage, with convenient slots for cups, phones, keys, and other small items such as the dedicated infotainment screen cleaner, all of which can be hidden with the sliding covers. 

Overall, the front row of the Skoda Superb is convenient, comfortable, ergonomic and high-quality.  

All Good Back Here! 

Second-row passengers are well accounted for in the Skoda Superb. This is where you are reminded that you are indeed in a large car, with plenty of headroom and legroom even with the front seats pushed back. 

The outboard seats are both heated, the controls for which can be found below the rear-air vents and two more USB-C ports. 

There are other creature comforts to enjoy including rear window shades, a phone or tablet holder in the centre arm rest and even fold-out restraints in the headrest, excellent for sleeping on long journeys. 

Much like the front, the second row of the Skoda Superb is a comfortable place to spend time. 

It’s Practically Enormous!

While immense practicality is all but a given for most Skoda products, it is an absolute strength of the Superb. 

When it comes to boot space, few medium or large sedans or wagons can rival the Skoda. The sedan has a boot space of 589 litres and 1795 litres (VDA) with the rear seats folded, while the wagon has a cavernous 634 litre capacity and 1920 litres (VDA) with the rear seats folded. 

It’s not just the space that’s useful, but additional practical touches including the nets, hooks, dividers, pockets, and the detachable automatic roller cover that really drive home the vast array of potential use cases the Superb’s boot really has. 

For anything shy of an SUV, it’s difficult to make a case for anything against the new Superb’s practicality. If space and usability are a priority, this will likely be the car to have. 

It runs in the family

The 2026 Skoda Superb Sportline is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-4 from Volkswagen’s EA888 engine family — shared with the Golf GTI — mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox and an all-wheel-drive system. The power output remains the same as its hot-hatch cousin at 195kW but torque is upped from 370 to 400Nm. 

Power is actually 11kW down from its predecessor, but the B9 Sportline arrives with substantially more torque, up 50Nm. Peak power and torque also arrive at 600rpm and 50rpm earlier, respectively. 

The B9 Superb is marginally quicker than both the outgoing model and the GTI with which it shares its engine, with 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds for the sedan and 5.7 for the wagon, making it 0.2-0.3 seconds quicker than both the outgoing Superb and the Golf GTI.

The B9’s DSG also has an additional gear over its predecessor, no doubt contributing to its fuel efficiency increase, with a claimed 7.7 and 7.8 litres per 100km for the Sedan and Wagon, respectively, compared to 8.0 and 8.1 litres per 100km, respectively, for the outgoing model. 

Partial to Spirited Driving 

The new Superb arrives with Skoda’s updated Dynamic Chassis Control Plus (DCC Plus) adaptive suspension system, using two independent valve-actuators in the dampers to control pitch and roll angles. To many, this may read as nothing more than marketing jargon, but Skoda clearly had a lot of faith in this system when they chose the twisting, technical and flowing roads around the hills of Canberra for the launch of the Superb.  

Their faith was not misplaced. 

The Superb corners remarkably flat for a family car, unfazed by the relentless direction changes of the high-speed roads. The feedback was just right too, with the suspension reminding you of the surface texture without ever being uncomfortable. Combined with Skoda’s progressive steering system, the Superb is an exceptionally easy car to place, and certainly doesn’t feel its size. Dynamically, it’s excellent in any of its driving modes. 

Power delivery from the 2.0 litre turbo 4-cylinder is extremely smooth, effortlessly accelerating the Superb when ordered to do so. Once you've fiddled around with the column-mounted shifter and managed to switch to its manual mode, the DSG responds instantly when a shift is requested via the paddles, as one expects from a dual-clutch system these days.

While the Skoda Superb shares its engine with the GTI, it is not accompanied by the same exhaust theatrics. It’s still vocal when you put your foot down in the way you expect a four-cylinder to be, but no pops, crackles or bangs will be found here. This is a car for grown-ups. 

That seems to be a predominant theme with the Superb’s driving experience. While it’s far more capable than one would expect, it’s supremely relaxed. During normal driving, such as on the motorway, it’s quiet, polite and civilized. The tyre-noise can be slightly pronounced when speeds are upped – most notably in the wagon – although that may have been in-part due to the tyres the car was on, and it was at no point unbearable. As much as the DCC does for the handling, the system also achieves wonders for the damping, offering a very comfortable ride. 

Going into this drive, I thought the Superb might be something of a sleeper or Q-car, an experience akin to finding out your geography teacher is a street racer in their spare time. But in actual fact, this is simply a sensible family car that so happens to be extremely capable, like a businessman who could run a marathon in a three-piece suit. 

A sports car this is not, but when it does eventually arrive at a twisty road — when it's not either commuting or ferrying the family around — you won’t be wishing you were in something else. Want a relaxed, practical cruiser? Sure. Want to go a little faster? It’ll partake. It’s real-world, usable performance. 

My only real critique once again comes back to the seat bolstering. In a car this capable, I wish I wasn’t being moved around so much, especially with how quickly the Superb can corner. However, again, this is unlikely to be an issue for most buyers. 

Nonetheless, this is an easy, comfortable car to spend time in. By the end of my time behind the wheel of the sedan, I was surprised to see I’d actually been driving for nearly an hour. The new Superb will undoubtedly be an exceptional daily driver, but one that’s partial to the odd spirited drive. 

Expect Five Stars 

While the B9-generation Skoda Superb is yet to be tested, it is expected to score a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Safety and driver assistance features on-board the Superb include: 

• Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go
• Travel Assist
• Lane Assist  with Adaptive Lane Guidance
• Front Assist 
• Side Assist with front and rear traffic alert
• Collision Avoidance Assist
• Crossroad Assist
• Emergency Steering Assist
• Exit Warning System 
• Turn Assist
• Traffic Assist
• Manoeuvre Braking Assist - front and rear
• Driver Fatigue Detection
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Predictive Speed Limiter
• Speed Assist
• Surround Camera View
• Park Assist 
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Crew Protection Assist
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring
• 10 Airbags
• Multi-collision break
• Auto light assist
• Dynamic light assist
• Seatbelt reminders front and rear
• ISOFIX child restraint anchors outboard rear seats

It Won’t Break the Bank! 

Skoda’s focus on value for money continues into the ownership costs of the new Superb. 

The Superb comes with a seven-year warranty and a 5-year/75,000km pre-paid, transferable service pack is also offered by Skoda for $3,000 - which includes 12-months roadside assist, re-enabled by each scheduled service.

The service pack can be purchased for new cars up to 15,000km or 12-months or prior to its first scheduled service. This service pack can also be topped up to seven-years for $700. 

Skoda Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) is also available through their finance options.

What you get with the 2026 Skoda Superb Sportline

Standard equipment on the 2026 Skoda Superb Sportline Sedan and Wagon includes: 

• Power folding, electrically adjustable, heated, autodimming and memory external mirrors
• Aluminium pedals
• 13-inch infotainment system
• 10-inch Digital Instrumental Cluster
• Heads-up Display
• 12-speaker CANTON sound system
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless fast-charging with ventilation
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• 12V socket in luggage compartment and centre console
• Smart Dials 
• Voice control
• Digital radio (DAB+) 
• USB-C outlets (2x front, 2x rear, 1x rear-view mirror) 
• Heated, ventilated, power-adjustable, memory and massaging front seats
• Heated rear seats with head restraints, folding armrest and folding backrests
• 3-spoke, heated, multi-function sports steering wheel
• Column-mounted gear shifter
• Tinted rear-side windows
• Keyless entry and go
• Matrix LED Headlights w/ AFS 
• LED fog lights w/ Cornering Function and all-weather light
• LED Tail Lights w/ Dynamic Indicators
• LED Rear Fog Lights
• Electrically operated retracted luggage compartment (wagon) 
• Ambient lighting with customisable colours
• Driver’s door rubbish bin
• Umbrella 1x in drivers door compartment
• Display cleaner
• Window sunshades
• Roll-up sunshade for windscreen (sedan only) 
• Rear-window sunshades

Final thoughts on the Skoda Superb Sportline

Large and medium sedans and wagons are dying breeds, but within the ever decreasing group of loyal buyers that continue to choose them over an SUV, there is a select number of those that will be extremely satisfied with the new Skoda Superb Sportline. 

If you’ve looked at models like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, and have decided to pay a bit more for something with a little more space and a more premium feel, the Superb makes an excellent alternative to both the up-market offerings of the medium segment and a more affordable alternative to the luxury models of the large segment. 

Furthermore, if you appreciate something that’s understated yet quietly brilliant, particularly in terms of practicality, comfort and driving dynamics, then few offerings do it better than the Superb. This is a thinking person’s car, but it doesn’t shout about it. 

So, sedan and wagon loyalists, are you satisfied? I think you should be.