Skoda Superb 2.0 TSI Laurin & Klement (A) Facelift Review

Ahh, the Skoda Superb. Having spent seven days driving this car over 1,600km in Scotland, the Superb is a familiar car that brings back sweet memories. Hopping back in is immediately comfortable and effortless - qualities that come to define this car.

The Skoda Superb, the brand's flagship, is all about cruising in style. With its supple ride, ample space and comfort, practical and intuitive cabin and refined design, the Superb is a delightful family car that delivers a lot of bang for your buck.

And now, it's been refined even further. 

Wait, wasn't the car just launched in 2018? 

At first glance, the car might look unchanged, but it has been facelifted for 2020.

Exterior design changes are minor. The grille is double-slatted and protrudes a little bit more. The rear now features Skoda block lettering instead of a badge. The lights have been upgraded to LEDs all around. And, you get dynamic indicators.  

The interior, while still recognisably familiar and intuitive to operate (it's part of the Volkswagen family after all), features some notable upgrades. The main one is the dashboard - you now get a Virtual Cockpit that can be used to display all sorts of information. There's a total of five different screen styles, and is especially useful if you are the sort of driver that relies on navigation - you can make the map display massive.

This L&K variant also gets a 9.2-inch Columbus navigation system, a Canton sound system, ventilated power front seats, ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, three-zone air-con and L&K leather upholstery. Plenty of goodies.

And, the update brings a number of additional systems to the car, including Front Assist with Predictive Pedestrian Protection, Side Assist, and the top-of-the-range Park Assist with Manoeuvre Assist. 

So, just more equipment then? 

Under the bonnet, you'll find a 2.0-litre engine, but it's not quite the same as before. This engine makes 188bhp and 320Nm of torque, down from the 217bhp and 350Nm of torque in the equivalent pre-facelift model. Why? Emissions. This Superb is VES Band B, whereas the pre-facelift model was band C1, which netted a $10,000 surcharge.

Can you feel the 30bhp disparity? I'll be honest, I couldn't. A lot of my driving was done with a relatively light foot, and acceleration is still brisk and effortless. With a little bit more encouragement, the car will still accelerate with verve (mostly as you wait for the gearbox to downshift), but beyond that the drive is exemplary.

And boy is it comfortable. The supple suspension soaks up every bump on the road, allowing you to glide along with effortless comfort and ease. It's also quiet on the inside, which means that your rear passengers can easily take a nap (there's ample legroom at the back). Set the adaptive cruise control, and on highways you barely have to use the pedals at all.

And, while it's quite a long car, it's not intimidating to drive at all. Visibility is generally quite good, and in tight spaces the car's rear view camera means you needn't have to worry about mounting a kerb. Still not confident? Park Assist.  

So, it's good value-for-money?  

The Skoda Superb L&K is currently selling for $153,900, which means it's basically priced the same as the equivalent 2.0 pre-facelift model. The downtuned engine produces fewer emissions and knocks it down (up?) one VES band. That $10,000 saving effectively went into paying for all the other upgrades you get with the facelifted model.

Effectively, you're sacrificing a bit of power for more than a bit more equipment. I would make that trade-off 10 times out of 10. And, you still get everything that the Superb strives to deliver - ample comfort and effortless ease of use.

And for this sort of money, you'll be hard pressed to find a premium, comfortable and refined family car. It's excellent value-for-money. I'd gladly do 160,000km in it, and you would, too.

Want to see just how big the boot is in this Skoda Superb? Watch our video review to see more!