2023 Skoda Superb 206TSI Sportline review

It's not a broad-appeal SUV, it's not a niche-loving wagon, and it's not electrified in any way. And to make matters worse, there's a replacement model coming through soon.

The 2023 Skoda Superb 206TSI Sportline doesn't hit many notes that Australian car buyers are seemingly obsessed with these days, but one cannot help but see the bright side of this Czech liftback/sedan after spending some time with it.

There are the typical things that cars of this shape and size do so well: a good combination of ride quality and handling, family-friendly amounts of interior space, and a sleek, low-slung look.

However, this highly specced Superb Sportline – with a $2000 more expensive wagon being your only option – goes hard on powertrain, technology and inclusions, making it something of an all-you-can-eat affair for those who have yet to be blinded by SUV one-eyedness.

The less expensive Style variant has been stripped out of the local Superb line-up recently, leaving only this top-spec Sportline as the choice for Australian buyers. And being priced from $69,990 drive-away, the value quotient of this car has been eaten away by constant price increases over the years.

Back in 2017, a Superb with the same 206kW powertrain and similar specification levels was a $50,000 (plus on-road costs) car. While standard spec levels have gone up in the modern day, you're looking at around $20,000 more in asking price in comparison.

So while the Superb wowed many reviewers when it first launched with (don't say it...) impeccable value for money, that blade has been dulled considerably in the present day.

The Superb is now offered as a drive-away deal at $69,990. It wants little for upgrades and misses out on just about nothing, but that price now pins the Superb against a wide range of competitors. There's better performance on offer with the Volkswagen Tiguan R (from $73,790 plus on-road costs), and significantly more space in the Hyundai Palisade (from $66,800 plus on-road costs). The Volvo V60 ($74,990 +ORCs) is worth cross-shopping, as is the box-fresh Hyundai Sonata N Line ($55,500 +ORCs). There's the gorgeous Alfa Romeo Giulia (from $64,450 +ORCS), the highly efficient and comfortable Lexus ES300h ($from $65,540 +ORCs), old-but-cheap Mazda 6 (from $36,140 +ORCs), or even the Korean electric twins – the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6 (from $65,500 and $72,590 +ORCs respectively).

While feeling like a unique offering, the Superb has a broad cross-section of foes.

Buyers will need to consider whether they want to ante up the extra $2000 for a wagon in comparison to the liftback we have here. Boot space grows from 625/1760 litres, depending on whether your seats are folded or not, up to 660/1950L with the wagon.

There is plenty of kit on offer here. Aside from the upgraded front seats and sunroof, the interior of the Superb feels great. Partial leather seats look and feel premium, offering good levels of adjustment and ergonomic enjoyment. There's heating and ventilation, but the massage function isn't that impressive. It uses the adjustable lumbar support and just seems to push at your back, rather than the more sophisticated set-ups you see elsewhere.

The sound system is of decent quality, and the combination of a digital instrument cluster, decent infotainment display, and details like the small bin and umbrella in the door only adds to the overall appeal.

Including separate child lock buttons for both rear doors is handy, and would be appreciated by parents with flighty kids.

There are plenty of nice materials on offer, with a faux carbon-fibre going against the grain of piano black around the highly trafficked gear shifter area. Suede covers the doors, and there are soft pads for your elbows.

The steering wheel in the Superb feels quite nice, with heavily perforated material, exposed stitching, and a nice layout of buttons and dials. It makes the cabin feel quite premium and befitting of the asking price.

The 2.5 cupholders (with room for a piccolo in the middle) are on the small side, so don't expect American-sized drinks to fit into the European vehicle.

Power outlets include a single USB-C and 12V outlet near the wireless charging pad, along with a second 12V plug hiding in the flocked centre console.

Below the infotainment display is something that puts the Superb at odds with some Volkswagen vehicles, with a traditional array of buttons and dials to control your air conditioning. This setup might not be the last word in the world of avant-garde interior design, but it is easy for users to approach, understand and use. The same cannot always be said for fancy capacitive-touch panels and other integrated setups.

The second row of the Superb is impressive as well. Firstly, there's loads of space for big adults to sit behind big adults. Or in my case, a space-sucking rear-facing baby seat to slot in behind the passenger and not have their knees driven into the dashboard.

There are air vents and a 12-volt power outlet in the back, and the separate controls can be locked off if your kids are the kind that don't listen to instructions. Surely it's not only me?

There are more nice features as well, like sunshades built into the doors and a tablet holder on the passenger seatback.

The boot is yet another strength. While the wagon is bigger, this sedan bats above average for storage space. Its 625L is squared off and easy to access with the liftback-style opening, while dropping down the second row offers up 1760L of space.

From our point of view, a pram (along with the mountain of gear a newborn and two older kids force you to take along) was easily absorbed.

There's a gesture function available to open the powered boot lid with a swipe of your leg, but watch out. Standing right at the back of the vehicle (as you reach in for that thing hiding right in the back), we found the boot had a habit of closing on top of you, attempting a slow decapitation as it beep-beeped its way down.

Also, watch out for the striker that sticks out low on the boot lid. It's right at head height for many, and can startle you as you busily pack or unpack the boot. It's like a towbar, but for your forehead.

The 9.2-inch infotainment display in the Superb is known as 'Columbus', but you don't need to explore so far to find the most common functions. This includes capacitive-touch buttons on the side for some functions and volume controls, while there's a volume dial on the steering wheel for faster, easier adjustment of decibels.

This system includes wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection, digital radio, AM/FM reception and native navigation.

The navigation system works well, and is repeated in map style on the digital instrument cluster in front of the driver. Google Maps and Waze cannot make their way onto the cluster, however, which is something I haven't yet seen on any vehicle (though some CarPlay-equipped cars can display Apple Maps lane instructions and turn prompts). Surely it will come, especially considering how prolific digital displays like this one are becoming.

The Skoda Superb is currently unrated by ANCAP, owing to a 2015 rating that has since expired. It's worth noting, however, that the now-expired rating was five stars and ran up until January 2022. Since the original 2015 test date, ANCAP has added or updated a number of side impact and pole tests, and advanced driver assist systems tests, making it impossible to compare previous results with newer five-star scores.

Back then, the Superb – received an 86 per cent score for Adult Occupant Protection and Child Occupant Protection. Pedestrian Protection was rated at 71 per cent, while Safety Assist received a 76 per cent score.

The Superb is well-sorted with safety equipment, but it's also not as comprehensively equipped as some of the newer examples of sedans and SUVs that this kind of money buys.

There's rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assistance, low-speed manoeuvre braking assistance in forward and reverse, while the autonomous emergency braking system covers cars and pedestrians, but it doesn't cover cyclists, motorcycles or junctions.

There's also tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, driver fatigue detection, traffic jam assistance, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality.

There's no head-up display here, but the dusk-sensing LED headlights (with automatic high beam) are punchy. There's also no 360-degree camera system in the Superb. Instead, there is a regular old reversing camera in this top-spec model.

The most cost-effective way of maintaining your Superb is to roll either three or five years' worth of servicing into the purchase price, with prepaid packages available. However, it's still a bit on the expensive side overall. Five years at $2200 works out to be $440 per year, while seven years averages out slightly more at $457 per year.

This might seem contradictory, but don't forget the cost of servicing a vehicle only grows as it gets older. Especially when things like engines and gearboxes need more comprehensive maintenance carried out.

Insurance for a Superb Sportline is set at $1572.46 per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

A seven-year warranty is a strong point for the Superb, and will give buyers a little bit of extra confidence in comparison to a five-year offering. This warranty covers the 12V starter battery, while the paint of the Superb only gets warranted for three years. Some kind of ceramic coating might be a good idea, then.

Against a claim of 8.0 litres per 100 kilometres, we saw a number higher than that at 10.5L/100km. This number did include a few longer highway sessions, but was also offset by some more spirited back-road driving that utilised the full 350Nm on regular occasions.

Still, if you're going to be doing mostly suburban driving, meeting the claim of 8.0L/100km seems unlikely.

It's also worth noting that this Superb opts for the good stuff at the bowser, with 98RON unleaded being the recommended minimum.

While it's no doubt a rapid car, the Superb leans towards ride comfort over outright razor handling, which for my money better suits the purpose of this large sedan.

It's not vapid and uninteresting to drive, however, quite the contrary. With a punchy engine, all-wheel-drive grip and adaptive damping, there is plenty to explore from behind the wheel.

And, of course, in comparison to an SUV, the lower seating position and centre of gravity yield a more natural, more connected driving experience.

The all-wheel-drive system, which uses a Haldex set-up similar to Volkswagen's 4Motion-branded vehicles, is well-sorted for confidence-inspiring levels of grip. The car never seems to feel out of sorts on twisty (or even slippery) roads, apportioning torque smoothly and seamlessly.

The system works by using a clutch pack mounted on the rear differential, which is electronically controlled to progressively dial in and out torque to the rear end. Throw on torque vectoring by brakes, and the Superb feels indefatigable in most conditions.

Volkswagen Group's long-serving and well-loved EA888 turbocharged four-cylinder engine gets another guernsey here, with a stout 206kW and 350Nm on offer. When the Superb first launched, this matched the Golf R of the day for power.

The new Golf R has more grunt once again these days, but the Superb never gets left feeling wanting for any additional tickle of power. Once boiling under boost, which doesn't take long thanks to that near 4000rpm flat range of peak torque delivery, it feels impressively rapid.

It's not the lightest car around at 1735kg, but it's still able to shift along with good pace when you want to.

However, as the powertrain chooses low-RPM operation for as much driving as possible in its regular driving mode, you can get a slight feeling of delay after you depress the pedal. Pushing the gear shifter into S mode, or choosing your own gear ratios, does help solve this problem, along with choosing a more aggressive driving mode.

The engine really seems to wake up after 2000rpm in particular, and it can shift cleanly through its six available ratios when on the move. This six-speed dual-clutch transmission, which uses a wet-clutch set-up, seems to be one of the more durable and longer-lasting units according to a bit of an internet search, which should be good news for long-term owners.

However, that low-speed haphazardness is still present, particularly in reverse and on hills. It might not be something you encounter often, but those with mechanical sympathy might be grinding their teeth, and the clutch packs grind against the inherent speed differential at low speeds.

The adaptive damping of this Superb does firm up the ride noticeably when in the sporty driving mode, but not so much to make things untenable. As is often the case, keeping the dampers in a softer setting can be more beneficial on some twisty roads, especially when there are rougher surfaces and undulations to contend with.

When you start to push a little harder, you'll notice that the steering does start to feel slightly slow, but there is a good reason for that. Because around town, along highways and through the 'burbs, there is plenty of comfort and compliance dialled into the chassis of the Superb, and for the purpose I reckon that is quite important.

The Skoda Superb 206TSI Sportline is not unique in its offering, but does come together feeling special in the combination of specifications. There's good power, all-wheel drive, lots of tech, and a sharp look.

For those looking to upgrade from a hot hatch into something more spacious and comfortable, this Superb could be a wonderful compromise. There's enough room on board for a small family and the boot is huge.

Although, I'd have to lean towards the wagon for outright practicality and appeal if I were the one buying.

It's not the sharp value offering that it once was, and the Superb won't be able to compete on cost with a Sonata N Line or Mazda 6. But that doesn't stop it from feeling like a well-rounded and well-executed car with few flaws to find.

Like I mentioned before, the only option Superb buyers need to consider is going for the wagon or the liftback, as well as adding in a sunroof and upgraded front seats.

For those looking to find one to buy, Skoda Australia has a helpful stock finder on its website for searching through the available inventory that's already on local soil.

When we had a cursory look, there were 30 Superb Sportline sedans and 68 wagons, which means buyers can find something to test drive and start to phone around between dealers for the sharpest deal.

A test drive is always important, and you can find your local dealership at Skoda's local website. You can also find Skodas for sale at Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.

We'd recommend test-driving the Superb against a few rivals like the Sonata and Mazda 6, and search around for a similarly priced Volkswagen Passat while you are at it.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.