Skoda Superb Scout 2020 review

I asked for a big car this week because it’s my turn to do the fruit and veggie shop for our local food co-op.

Normally you’d picture a large SUV, but when I found out I was test driving the Skoda Superb my mind was at ease. It’s a wagon, but the boot is biiiiiig. Big enough for 16 boxes of fruit and veg. 

I tested the Skoda Superb Scout 2.0 TSI. It’s a 4x4 which differentiates it from the 'standard' Superb wagon, and costs from $59,490, before on road costs and extras.

It’s in competition with the Suburu Outback and the Audi A4 wagon. Here’s how it did driving with my family of four this week. 

The Skoda Superb Scout 2.0 TSI is a 4x4.

How does it look?

The Scout sits higher than other Skoda Superb wagons, but isn’t as high as an SUV. There is still a long, elegant silhouette, typical of wagons, but it’s less refined, a bit tougher. It definitely looks more off-road ready. 

The Scout sits higher than other Skoda Superb wagons.

Inside is quite premium, with black leather appointed upholstery, a leather steering wheel that feels great under the hands, and a very well thought out centre console design, with the multimedia screen fitting seamlessly into the dash and a digital cockpit in front of the steering wheel that keeps things fresh and modern. 

The leather steering wheel feels great under the hands.

There are some brushed metal trims on the dash and doors and nothing feels too plasticky. It’s clean and simple and very minimalist, without leaning too heavily on the screen for functionality - there are knobs for air conditioning which is always a bonus. 

How spacious is it?

I feels like a much bigger car, even though it’s fairly average-sized. The space is generous in the front with enough leg and head room for tall people, the only real difference between this and an SUV is that you don’t have the height of an SUV. But if you don’t miss that then the Superb delivers on feeling comfortable. 

Space is generous in the front.

Rear passengers have lots of leg space, my two children aged six and eight could easily climb in as it’s not too high and they loved the back seat. I’m 161cm (5'3") and had loads of room, there was also enough space around me height wise and length wise for taller adults. 

Rear passengers have lots of leg space.

The boot was the great spacious surprise, it’s much bigger even than you’d expect in a wagon. There is a good 660L which is bigger than most mid-size SUVs, you’re getting up into large SUV boot space territory with that figure. 

The boot was the great spacious surprise.

It easily fit the CarsGuide pram and will take suitcases, sporting equipment, school bags and groceries without complaining. It would be a great car to travel with on weekends now that many of us are going on driving holidays! 

The boot easily fit the pram and will take suitcases, sporting equipment, school bags and groceries.

How does it drive?

It’s quick off the mark, with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine that positively bounces forward when you hit the accelerator. There’s enough power to make you feel like you’re flying up hills (even though you’re going a sensible speed), and it’s also good to cruise along highways, with plenty of power to overtake on long drives. 

Featuring a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine.

It’s a very smooth drive, you don’t feel like you’re rough riding over the bumps on the road and it’s quiet, too. It’s a 4x4 so you can take it off road and it has better traction on slippery or unstable road surfaces. Hello snow! There is a lot to like about driving the Skoda Superb Scout. 

The Superb Scout is a 4x4 so you can take it off road.

Being a wagon, it’s longer than most mid-size SUVs, so you definitely make use of the high-res reverse parking camera. As long as you accommodate the length of the car, it has easy steering so it’s fine to park.

It’s longer than most mid-size SUVs.

How easy is it to use every day?

The front seats are power adjustable, the boot opens and closes with a button on the key and the tailgate, but you do have to turn the park brake on and off yourself.

There are two cupholders in the front, a centre storage bin, a deep spot for keys and a phone with a 'Qi' (chi) charger so you can charge phones even with your cover on, and bottle holders in the front doors.

The interior is clean, simple and very minimalist.

Rear passengers get two cupholders in the centre armrest and bottle holders in the doors. There are also directional air vents in the back seat which my kids always appreciate.

The doors open quite wide in front and back, making it easy to get in and out of the car.
 

How safe is it?

There’s a full suite of safety tech in the Skoda Superb, including nine airbags (most cars usually have six). There are side airbags for the back row, which as a mum makes me feel like my kids will be protected in a crash.

Typically, the back row gets side curtain (window) airbag coverage but the extra two side airbags here are in the doors, so bodies will be protected, too. All cars should have these. For a family, it’s peace of mind. 

There’s a full suite of safety tech in the Skoda Superb.

Advanced safety includes auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot detection, driver fatigue detection, lane assist, rear cross traffic alert and passenger protection which predicts a collision and tightens front seatbelts plus closes windows to get you in the best position for airbag deployment. 

There are two ISOFIX points and three top tether points for kids car seats and the Skoda Superb got a full five ANCAP stars when it was tested in 2016.

What’s the tech like?

You can connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via your charging cord, which gives you instant access to the main apps on your phone so you can use maps to navigate and Spotify (or a music streaming app) to listen to music or podcasts. It just makes the tech really easy.

The sound is great, too, with 12 speakers throughout the car. Turn it up for surround sound.

You can connect to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

How much does it cost to own?

The Skoda Superb Scout costs $59,490 before on road costs and extras, but because most things are inclusive in this model, the only extra is the metallic paint which costs an extra $700 taking the total to $60,260. 

The Skoda Superb Scout is ,490 before on road costs and extras.

Fuel consumption is a claimed 7.1L/100km and my average for the week was 8.7L/100km. 

It’s covered by Skoda’s five year/unlimited km warranty and servicing is required every 12months or 15,000km. 

Fuel consumption is a claimed 7.1L/100km.

Pricing & Specs Insurance Quote

Verdict