The name ‘Superb’ suggests either confidence or arrogance, depending on whether the car delivers. In this case, Skoda has been justifiably confident.

Our judges were impressed with the Superb from the weight class below, with a few reservations. This one has all the strengths of that version and addresses its weaknesses.

In place of the other model’s old-tech engine, in comes one of the new common-rail Volkswagen Group engines. This smoothes the sharp edges in the power delivery and gives extra mid-range and top-end performance. The 30-60mph sprint took just 13.2 seconds, so overtaking will be calm and relaxed. It’s a quiet engine, too, staying in the background even under hard acceleration.

Although the two-wheel-drive Superb felt a little loose when slowing down from high speeds, there was no trace of this with the 4×4. The car also stayed firmly in control of the caravan through the lane-change test until we tried one more run at higher speeds. To be fair, though, in many cars we wouldn’t have tried the manoeuvre travelling so quickly.

On the 1-in-6 hill, the handbrake held car and van, provided it was pulled on firmly. The combination of a strong engine and four-wheel-drive made for an easy, undramatic getaway.

The £24k price tag may seem high, but the well-built, roomy cabin is upmarket enough to justify the cost. The innovative Twindoor allows the boot to be opened like a saloon’s, so passengers aren’t exposed to bad weather, or like a hatch, which provides a larger opening.

2019
Category Winners
2019 Up to 1400kg

Škoda Octavia

Hatch 1.5 TSI 150PS SE L DSG

2019 1400-1549kg

Seat Ateca

2.0 TSI 190PS FR DSG

2019 1550-1699kg

Volkswagen Arteon

2.0 TDI 150PS Elegance DSG

2019 1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2019 1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 SDV6 HSE

2019 Best Budget 4x4

Dacia Duster

1.5 dCi Ambiance 4x4

2019 Best Plug-In Hybrid

Land Rover Range Rover Sport

P400e HSE Dynamic

2019 Best Ultralight Tow Car

Seat Arona

1.0 TSI 115 FR

2019 Fuel Economy Award

Ford Focus Estate

1.5 EcoBlue 120PS Titanium X

Previous Winners
2018
1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2017
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 Td6 HSE*

2016
1400-1549kg

Skoda Superb Hatch

2.0 TDI 150PS SE Business

2015
1400-1549kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI BMT 150PS SE Business DSG

2014
1400-1549kg

Nissan Qashqai

1.6 dCi (130PS) Stop/Start System Acenta Premium

2013
Up to 1424kg

Skoda Octavia

2.0 TDI CR 150PS Elegance

2012
1725–1899kg

Jaguar XF

2.2D Premium Luxury

2011
1425-1574kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI 170 Bluemotion Sport

2010
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery 4

3.0 TDV6 XS

2009
1900kg+

Volvo XC60

D5 SE Geartronic

2008
1575-1724kg

Ford Mondeo Estate

2.0 TDCi Titanium auto

2007
1575-1724kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI Sport 4Motion

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