Al Suttie rings in the new year with an evaluation of Skoda’s flagship Superb Estate.

Škoda Superb Estate SE L 1.5 TSI 150PS DSG

List price (BiK): £40,085 (30%)    CO2: 127g/km    Economy: 51.0mpg    Test efficiency: 43.2mpg

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Monday

Anyone who knows me will attest to my liking for Volvo estate cars. Very little can persuade me to swap from these family focused wagons, but one car that does have that capacity is the Škoda Superb Estate. The latest version pitched up finished in bright red, the best colour for this car in my view, and in SE L trim to give it all the desirable bells and whistles.

Tuesday

The Superb Estate in my care this week has the 150hp 1.5-litre petrol engine attached to the DSG automatic gearbox. With mild hybrid assistance, it does an excellent job of disguising its modest power output in such a large estate car, even when loaded up with all the family. What it would be like with dog, roof box, bike carrier and luggage for a family getaway remains untested, but I suspect it would cope easily enough.

Wednesday

Two elements of the Superb Estate are what draws me to it: comfort and space. The former is in abundance in the SE L model as it has heated front and back seats, heated steering wheel and massage front seats. A gentle pummelling of the spine is a real treat on every drive, but the heated rear seats were a faff as they could only be controlled from the large infotainment screen in the front cabin – not the controls in the rear centre console.

Thursday

Looking to that other key point of the Superb Estate, space, it has this in spades. It offers a substantially larger boot than my own Volvo V90 and proves its worth when packing in shopping, football kit, and a trip to pick up some bookcases from Ikea (shudder… ). With the rear seats tipped down flat, the Škoda gobbled it all up with nonchalant ease.

Friday

The smooth drivetrain of the Superb Estate gives it an easy-going feel on the road, which is matched by the very well-controlled ride comfort. There’s no fidget at town speeds or lull in faster corners. It’s all just judged to perfection for the type of car the Superb Estate is and the people who will choose it. Yes, a vRS version would be handy for swifter overtaking, but I’ll take the cushy ground-covering ability of this SE L every time.

Saturday

Fleet drivers will need to pick carefully when choosing a Škoda Superb Estate. While the model I have on test is excellent in everyday use, it has fallen a bit short of its claimed economy. Škoda says it should give 51.0mpg, while I’ve seen 43.2mpg. Not bad for a large estate car, but it might be worth looking to the plug-in hybrid version. Or you could opt for the cheaper SE Technology model, which is still very well kitted out and offers better economy with the same engine.

Sunday

Many will have you think the SUV has long since won the war, and hearts, among the car driving public. Yet the Škoda Superb Estate proudly flies the flag for the large estate car as the much savvier option. It delivers vast amounts of space for people and cargo, impressive equipment, comfort, and a decent drive. A touch more economy would be welcome, but then how many similarly spacious SUVs can match the Škoda’s numbers?