Skoda Superb VS Kia Optima
Skoda Superb
Likes
- As good to drive as you'd hope
- Awesome cabin practicality
- Subtle and refined
Dislikes
- Nearly premium pricing
- No hybrid powertrains for Oz
- Exterior styling a bit conservative
Kia Optima
Likes
- Very roomy
- Great ownership plan
- Decent price
Dislikes
- Removed some good stuff to lower price
- Not as good looking as pre-facelift model
- A bit basic inside
Summary
Skoda Superb
Look, I get it. You’re upsizing. Maybe it’s finally time for a family car, but the thing is, you love driving and the overwhelming number of SUVs most brands want to throw at you just don’t cut it.
Increasingly few brands are catering to this specific niche. Even Volkswagen has left the humble sedan and wagon behind by choosing not to replace the Passat.
For this review, though, we’re looking at the new-generation Skoda Superb. It sits atop the Skoda sedan and wagon range, a size-up from the Octavia.
Read more about
- No hybrids, no worries: Skoda says NVES 'not scary' but believes its model mix will need to change in coming years
- If you want a cheaper Skoda, tell them! Here's why the Czech brand won't fight cut-price Chinese rivals such as the MG ZS and Haval Jolion on price alone
- Why this electric SUV won't suffer the same fate as the Tesla Model Y and BYD Seal
Does this new-generation car stand up as the ideal non-SUV for you or your family? We took a look at a preview drive in Europe ahead of its Australian arrival in the second quarter of 2025.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.2L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Kia Optima
There are plenty of reasons why you should still consider a mid-sized sedan like the Kia Optima. I’m sure there are… just let me think about this for a sec…
Okay, so this part of the market is dying. A decade ago, sedans like this were really popular, but now there are heaps of alternative options. Yep, people are going for mid-sized SUVs rather than mid-sized sedans like this.
But that doesn’t mean models like the just-updated 2018 Kia Optima are without their reasons for being. I’m just not sure the facelift has made it more appealing to look at…
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.4L |
| Fuel Type | Regular Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.3L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Skoda Superb7.9/10
If you’re part of the endangered species who wants to continue to go against the crowd and pick a sedan or wagon over an SUV - the Superb is about as good as it gets without spending luxury car money.
It’s slick and classy, refined and practical, it’s dollops of fun on a curvy road, and more entertaining than its most direct rivals. Frankly, it’s hard to see why you shouldn’t look at the Superb if your budget stretches far enough for it.
Remember to check back in early 2025 closer to the Superb’s launch in Australia for our final verdict and some of the missing details, but for now this is one is worth keeping an eye out for.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
Kia Optima 7.6/10
If you travel long distances, want a good amount of space and don’t want to pay big bucks for a new car, then yeah, maybe there is a reason sedans like this will hang around for a while longer.
Sure, the appeal of sedans mightn’t be as strong as it once was, but models like the Kia Optima prove they still have a reason to exist.
Is a sedan on your shopping list? Let us know in the comments section below.
Design
Skoda Superb
There are numerous styling tweaks for the new-generation car, but at a distance it’s hardly a revolution from the outgoing version. Skoda sticks to a pretty conservative formula for its core range of vehicles.
In the metal and up-close, I reckon it looks fresh and understated, perhaps even a little stately with its extra length. After all, the Superb has a more important role to fill than ever before for the VW Group with the departure of the Passat.
Key changes include more sleek and compact light fittings, new wheel designs and a tweaked grille.
Inside, some of the most notable changes are the new screens and software, but there’s also a more elegant treatment for the dash, which uses an interesting pattern to cover the air vents and separate the upper and lower sections.
There’s also a notable increase in soft-touch materials. The brand also says 100 per cent of the textiles used in its new interior are made of recycled fibres.
New wheel and column-mounted switchgear helps keep the centre console clear, and key climate hardware makes a glorious return in a set of tidy multi-function dials.
Kia Optima 7/10
Cosmetic changes for the facelifted 2018 Kia Optima include new headlights and tail-lights with revised LED signatures (but still halogen lamps in the base model), and there are newly sculpted bumpers and new wheel designs across the two-model range.Â
We had the base model Si, which doesn’t look as good as the GT model, because it has smaller wheels, the sporty body kit and misses out on the LED headlights, but the LED daytime running lights are still present.
The GT has a more aggressive look, and the side skirts, front spoiler and rear diffuser fit it better - there are dual exhausts, but not sporty quad exhaust tips.
In fact, this model is a bit like the old-man version of the Optima. No offence intended to old men, of course. The GT is just heaps sportier, and I reckon it’s considerably more attractive as a result.Â
Still, the inherent sleek styling of the Optima remains - the chrome highlighting along the window line is a bit too sheeny for me, but the angles and stance of this model are quite gracious. I really dig the fact the top of the windscreen mirrors the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille shape.
I'm no exterior designer, but I liked the existing Optima more - it just looked a bit neater, even though it had a decent amount of bling with its Mercedes-like diamond-pattern grille, as opposed to the cheese grater look seen here.
There’s not quite as much bling inside the cabin of the Si, either, but it is still a well-designed space - just not as special as the premium package offering of the GT (which gets leather trim - not nappa leather, but still a quality cowhide finish, and more). Check out our interior photos to see if you agree - but size and interior dimensions of the Optima are hard to argue against.
Practicality
Skoda Superb
For a start, The dials go a long way to making the interior much more pragmatic and functional, particularly for the driver, compared to almost every other VW Group product.
Not only do they provide physical hardware for ease of adjustment, you can also press them down to switch what they control. It’s even customisable via the centre screen if you don’t want to have to click through all the options all the time.
I’d go so far as to say the Skoda interior features are the best the brand has to offer. It features the best of the new stalks, screens, and touch-based light function buttons, without the inconvenience and distraction of the touch sliders which appear in VWs and Cupras.
Let’s also not forget the brand’s signature ‘simply clever’ touches, of which there are new ones. Yes, of course the umbrella is still hidden in the door, but there’s now also a little screen cleaning eraser block in the centre console (a genuinely great idea in the era of touchscreens which I’ve never seen before), a set of removable floating caddies in the armrest console (which Skoda refers to as the ‘Jumbo Box’ thanks to its 5.5-litre capacity), integrated rear window shades, Velcro cargo brackets in the boot and removable bins in the front door pockets.
The rear seat offers an enormous amount of room for myself behind my own driving position at 182cm tall, and there’s no shortage of leg and headroom. Unfortunately there is a raise in the floor to allow for all-wheel drive, making it squishy for an adult in that centre rear position.
Aside from the integrated window shades, the Superb also gets a set of three pockets on the backs of each front seat, mounting brackets for tablets or game consoles (great for kids) and a small touch panel on the back of the console for the rear climate zone.
There are also adjustable air vents and USB-C outlets for charging. Large bottle holders appear in each door, with a further two in the armrest, which also has a flip-out tray with a little phone holder.
The liftback still benefits from an impressive 645-litre luggage capacity, while the wagon balloons to 690 litres while adding that hatch opening back, larger and more useful than most mid-size SUVs.
Towing will be possible, although we don’t yet have figures for the new car, as it is subject to change in line with Australian design rules.
Kia Optima 8/10
I really like the way Kia designs its cabins. Sure, there’s a lot of black in here, but there’s also a lot of thought put into the usability of the space. Â
The high-mounted 7.0-inch infotainment and multimedia touch screen in the Si is simple to use, and for 2018 the Optima range gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - you couldn’t get that in the Optima up to this point.Â
Also included are a reversing camera, USB input, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and six speakers. The Si model misses out on sat nav - you’ll have to use the maps app on your phone. No DVD player either.
Storage is well thought out in here, with big bottle holders in the doors, a good sized pair of cup holders up front, and a nice little storage bin for your phone, wallet, keys and so on.
There’s a driver info screen with a digital speedo, and even on this base model you get a dual-zone climate control air conditioner. The updated Optima gets a new steering wheel, too.
Now, what about the back seat?
It may be considered a ‘mid-sized’ sedan, but there’s limo-like space. With the driver’s seat in my position (I’m about six feet tall) there was still heaps of rear legroom in the rear seat, with ample knee room, good foot room and decent shoulder space, too - three of me could slot across the back bench comfortably, which means kids will fit easily, too. There are three top-tether points and two ISOFIX points as well.
Kids and adults alike will be happy with the rear air vents back here, and there’s a flip down armrest with cupholders, too. Again, big bottle holders appear in the doors, and there are map pockets in the back seats.
What about boot space? With so many people choosing SUVs over sedans because they’re theoretically more practical, the Optima offers good food for thought - it has enough luggage capacity for a bunch of suitcases (510 litres VDA in size) and there’s a full-size alloy spare under the boot floor. If you need more, you could always invest in a roof rack setup?
Price and features
Skoda Superb
At the time of writing, it was too early to tell you what the final price-tag for Australian-delivered cars will be. We also don’t have exact local specification, although the brand has confirmed it will continue to only import a single high-grade Sportline for the next-gen car. It also said not to expect pricing to jump too far from the circa-$70,000 price-tag of the outgoing car.
What is new this time around? Expect an even nicer design on the inside, paired with a big jump in cabin tech.
The grade we tested for this review is the most similar car produced in Europe right now, equipped with leather seats with power adjust and heating, a 13-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto running a fresh user interface, a 10-inch digital dash cluster based on VW’s very good digital cockpit suite, tri-zone climate control, matrix LED headlights, as well as new adaptive suspension and drive modes.
It’s worth noting Australian cars will miss out on a handful of cool features available in the European market, like the connected services features which enable more detailed navigation. We also don’t expect to see mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains this time around, which feels like a shame.
There’s no question the Superb will be an expensive car, then, but it occupies a unique position in the Australian market. It’s larger and more luxurious than a Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda 6 or Toyota Camry, while competing on the price-front with luxury cars a size-down like the Lexus ES or Volvo S60.
Kia Optima 7/10
Kia dropped prices for this updated and facelifted model range - and not by a small amount, either. So, what's the price? How much does it cost?
The Si model is the entry-grade of two models, and it comes in at the bottom of the price list at $33,290 plus on-road costs (rrp) - an $1100 drop over the previous version. The Si, then, is a value-focused sedan that you might consider if you’ve looked at a Toyota Camry Ascent, Hyundai Sonata Active, Mazda6 Sport or Subaru Liberty 2.5i.
The standard equipment list is pretty good - although there have been some deletions, because the price is down $1100. The rather good HID headlamps with washers have been dumped in favour of halogen projector lights (yeah, not even xenons), and the satellite navigation system (GPS) is gone.
But now the 7.0-inch media screen is capable of doing the Apple CarPlay iPhone connectivity and Android Auto phone mirroring thing, and that’ll serve most people’s purposes pretty well, but there is no digital DAB radio, and no CD player for the sound system. Other standard kit includes a digital driver info display with digital speedo, dual-zone climate control, cloth seat trim, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, auto headlights and rain sensing wipers, and 17-inch alloy wheels (with a full-size spare).Â
New equipment for the Si includes driver-fatigue monitoring and an active lane-keeping assistance system (in place of the old lane-departure-warning buzzer).Â
If you want all the fruit you really need to fork out the extra cash for the GT, which lists at $43,290 plus on-roads (vs $33,290 for the Si). That is getting perilously close to Kia Stinger territory… but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves - this isn't a model comparison!
You get a fair bit more for your dough, but even the GT has seen a few deletions to help justify its $1200 price drop compared to the pre-facelift model, such as the front passenger seat being manually operated (previously electric), the cooling/ventilation of the front seats has been deleted, and the panoramic sunroof of the previous model is gone, too. And while it rides on 18-inch rims with a new design, the tyre-pressure-monitoring system has been removed.
It uses a new 8.0-inch media screen with extended smartphone connectivity and in-built sat nav (with 10 years of maps included and SUNA live traffic updates), and it also gains redesigned LED headlights but they lose the smart auto high-beam assistance of the old model. The tech doesn't go as far as to include Homelink garage door opening here in Australia, either.
Other standard kit in the GT includes leather seats, electric driver’s seat adjustment with memory settings, smart key (keyless entry) and push button start, a sports body kit, a harman/kardon audio system with 10 speakers and a subwoofer, wireless phone charging (Qi) but no Wi-Fi hotspot, rear sunshades (but no tinted windows), different interior trim finishes, a heated steering wheel, and a colour driver-information screen.Â
The GT also gets the new lane assist system and driver-fatigue monitor, and the entire safety approach has been improved across the range. See the safety section below for more detail.Â
There is no launch edition, nor is there a sports edition, but there is a decent array of colours (or colors, depending on where you're reading this) available - black, white, blue, red, grey and silver can be chosen, but not brown, purple or gold... if you wanted those.Â
Accessories available across both trim levels include tailored floor mats, a dash mat and weathershields, among other items.Â
Under the bonnet
Skoda Superb
Only one engine will be available in Australia, a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four producing a punchy 195kW/400Nm, a slight upgrade on the outgoing car. It drives all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Aside from this tweaked powertrain, the new car also has some structural enhancements thanks to its merging onto the new VW Group 'MQB Evo' platform which comes with tweaks to chassis rigidity, suspension, as well as new adaptive dampers.
Kia Optima 7/10
The Si model is powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which has seen no changes to its specifications for this mid-life update.
Engine specs remain at 138kW of power at 6000rpm, while torque is rated at 241Nm at 4000rpm. It makes use of a six-speed automatic transmission only - there’s no manual transmission here, but you do get paddle shifters - and it's front wheel drive (the Optima isn't available with AWD, or as a 4x4, or in rear wheel drive - the latter is left to its bigger brother, the Stinger).
The GT gets a zestier drivetrain with more horsepower - it has a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine with 180kW/350Nm, which is much more desirable, but also louder than the Si’s 2.4. It also has a six-speed auto transmission, and is FWD. If you're into ratings and statistics, that 2.0-litre with a turbocharger is one of the perkier offerings for its engine size in the class.
There is no hybrid model available, despite a plug in hybrid petrol version (allowing you to run in EV mode) being sold in European markets. No diesel here, either, while other markets get a 1.7-litre turbo diesel. No LPG model here, or anywhere else, for that matter.
Towing capacity for Optima models is 750kg unbraked and 1700kg braked for the 2.4-litre, and 700kg/1400kg for the 2.0-litre turbo. Tow bar down-weight is capped at 80kg.
If you're concerned about engine problems, suspension problems, clutch and transmission issues, be sure to check out our Kia Optima problems page.
Efficiency
Skoda Superb
We don’t have official figures for the Australian market, or even for this engine in the European market as it hasn’t started production yet (we tested 2.0-litre diesel AWD versions for this review).
Don’t expect it to stray too far from the roughly 8.0L/100km the outgoing car scores on the official combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle. The new engine will continue to require mid-shelf 95 RON unleaded petrol.
Kia Optima 8/10
Kia claims a very realistic fuel economy rating of 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres for the Si model, and we saw damn close to that consumption during our week of testing. On the highway it will sit at around 6.5L/100km, ensuring good mileage, while city driving will push usage above 12.0L/100km. Our overall average was 8.5L/100km, which is good. Use the eco mode, and you'll get a little better use.
The turbocharged GT model uses a little more, according to Kia’s 8.5L/100km combined average claim, but we guarantee you’ll actually use more than that because it’s more eager to please.
Fuel tank capacity is 70 litres - plenty of size for long distance drives.
Driving
Skoda Superb
The Superb is just that when you get it out on the road. While it might look like a plain old sedan or wagon, it drives with quite some finesse.
For this test we weren’t able to sample the 195TSI 2.0-litre turbo-petrol which will come to our market. We drove a 2.0-litre diesel instead.
It still had quite a bit of get up and go, and we’ve driven the 195TSI in other vehicles to be confident enough to say it will remove the occasional turbo lag we experienced.
Regardless, some of the best changes to the Superb are in its suspension, steering and underpinnings. This is a tight, reactive car, with a confident long wheelbase, heaps of grip and sharp steering.
Unlike some smaller vehicles which share the same components, you can feel the Superb’s weight and breadth shift around a little more in the corners. But it does so with a pleasing amount of grace, and powers out of corners in such a way that it’s hard not to have a smile on your face.
This is a car which is pragmatic in the day-to-day, but also a dollop of fun on a curvy road. As you sit nice and low and feel a lot more connected to the road than you do in one of Skoda’s SUVs for example, the Superb is perfect for the ex-hot-hatch driver.
Ride-wise this big car proved very comfortable in our time with it. The suspension components have been upgraded for this new generation version, but so has chassis rigidity.
It’s hard to draw a definitive line through refinement, though, as the European roads on which we were testing our cars are much better sealed than Australian tarmac. Still the Superb soaked what few bumps were there up with ease.
There’s even a notable increase in refinement, thanks to acoustic lamination on the windows, and even the diesel version’s engine note was quite distant.
The drive experience here is hard to fault. Sure, this is a big car with a bit of weight to throw around, but it proved to be confident, graceful and comfortable, at least on the European roads we tested it on.
Kia Optima 7/10
The Optima has some really good elements to the way it drives, but sadly some less impressive bits as well.
Let’s start with the not-so-great stuff - the 2.4-litre engine in this Si model just isn’t as enjoyable as the turbo unit, and the fact that Kia still doesn’t offer a hybrid version here, despite doing so elsewhere, is a bit of a downer.
The drivetrain isn’t terrible - the six-speed auto is smart enough, and there’s usable power if you boot it. The two more sedate drive modes, 'Eco' and 'Comfort', mean the transmission will aim to save fuel and limit throttle response, with a bit more of a lazy feel to the drive experience. But in 'Sport' mode it is definitely more rewarding in terms of acceleration and performance, offering a bit more pep and urgency (we didn't do a 0-100 km/h speed test, but take our word for it); it undoubtedly at the cost of fuel consumption.
It’s just a bit of a shame Kia doesn’t offer the turbo in this spec, too. Fuel use for the Si model is better than the turbo, however, so it could be ideal for buyers who are more worried about the bottom line than design and a sportier drive.
The thing I like most about the Optima is its road manners - the steering and suspension have been tuned for local conditions, just like all Kia products, and it shows.Â
The electric power steering is really well sorted, making for easy parking moves and good assuredness at higher speeds. And the turning circle is decent, too - 10.9m (so, the turning radius is 5.45m).Â
Plus the ride comfort is really good. On the highway it coasts along with very little fuss, and around town it deals with lumps and bumps impressively. Sharp edges can upset things a tad, and mid-corner bumps can make it jitterbug a little bit, but not to a degree that would rule it out of contention if you want a mid-sized sedan.
It’s pretty quiet on the open road, too, and the adaptive cruise control makes long-distance driving a simple task. The GT does suffer a little bit more road noise, though.
Safety
Skoda Superb
Expect the full array of active safety gear when the Superb lands down under, including freeway-speed auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. There’s also adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition.
The Superb is also equipped with an array of 10 airbags, and as the version which will land in Australia is built in the same plant as its European companions, there’s a higher chance its Euro NCAP maximum five-star rating will transfer across to an ANCAP assessment.
Kia Optima 8/10
The safety rating of the Optima remains at five stars, as it was when the car was tested in this generation in 2015.
The updated Optima carries over the safety features of the previous model including autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, while the lane-departure warning system is now supplemented with lane-keeping assistance, and there’s driver-fatigue monitoring added, too. There is no park assist / self parking system.
That’s in addition to a reverse camera, front and rear parking sensors, and all the systems you’d expect, like stability control, anti-lock brakes, hill-start assist and seatbelt reminders.
Airbag coverage for Optima models is six: dual front, front side and full-length curtain. And parents will be happy to learn there are three top-tether attachment points, and two ISOFIX anchors, too.Â
If you've been wondering to yourself, "where is the Kia Optima built?"The answer is South Korea.Â
Ownership
Skoda Superb
Expect Skoda to continue with its seven-year and unlimited kilometre warranty. It’s the first Euro brand to offer such a warranty, and hence moves the game forward and puts pressure on its most direct rivals to do the same.
Expect the usual pre-packaged service plans, although pricing and details will be revealed closer to the Superb’s launch window in 2025.
Kia Optima 9/10
Kia remains a shining light in terms of its new-car-ownership promise, with a very strong seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. It makes a lot of sense if you plan to hang onto the car for a while. There's no extended warranty available, which is understandable.
That plan also includes a roadside-assist plan for the same seven-year period, provided you maintain your car with Kia Australia. So, given you get one year to start with, then you get an extra year of cover every time you go back to Kia to get your car serviced, you could end up with eight years of coverage. Nice!
Servicing is due every 12 months or 15,000km, with the first seven years covered by a capped-price-service cost / maintenance cost plan. The costs are: service one - $289; two - $466; three - $360; four - $559; five - $325; six - $599; seven - $345. That makes a total cost of $2943, which is competitive for its class. Keep your owners manual or logbook up to date, and your resale value should hold up better.
If you have concerns about common problems, issues, reliability ratings and durability, you should check out our Kia Optima problems page.