Škoda Superb is the Towcar of the Year 2027

The Škoda Superb Estate has been named Towcar of the Year 2027. FQ looks beyond the trophy to ask why this discreet, hugely practical diesel may be one of the smartest family cars on sale.

Quietly brilliant

Family cars are often sold with the visual theatre of an SUV: high bonnets, oversized wheels and the promise of adventure. The Škoda Superb Estate takes a more grown-up route. It is long, low, restrained and exceptionally useful – a car designed less to impress the neighbours than to make family life work.

That understated formula has just earned serious recognition. In the Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year 2027 awards, the Superb Estate SE L 2.0 TDI 193PS DSG 4×4 won the overall title, the 1600kg-1700kg caravan class and the Family Towcars category. Forty-two vehicles were evaluated at UTAC Millbrook, making this more than a beauty contest or a vote based on brochure numbers.

For dads balancing school runs, motorway miles, bikes, buggies, luggage and the occasional family escape, the significance is simple: the Superb is not merely capable of towing. It is an unusually complete everyday car that remains composed when asked to do a genuinely hard job.

The drive: calm is the real luxury

The winning car uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 193PS and 295lb ft of torque, channelled through a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive. Those figures are not designed for pub bragging rights, but they are exactly the sort of numbers that matter when a heavily loaded car must pull cleanly onto a fast road or climb a steep gradient without fuss.

With a 1,645kg caravan attached, the Superb recorded 0-60mph in 15.41 seconds and 40-60mph in 8.15 seconds during the Club’s instrumented testing. More important than outright speed was the way the car handled the load. The judging team highlighted its low-effort performance and settled ride. The suspension filtered out much of the caravan’s movement instead of passing every disturbance through to the cabin, while four-wheel drive supplied useful traction for hill starts, wet campsites and slippery winter roads.

This is where the Superb’s character begins to feel genuinely premium. Luxury in a family car is not just stitched leather or a larger touchscreen. It is arriving after four hours with your shoulders relaxed; having enough torque that overtaking does not require a committee meeting; and feeling that the car, rather than the driver, is carrying the strain.

The trade-off is that this is not a sports estate in the BMW mould. The steering and chassis prioritise stability and comfort over entertainment, and a large estate requires care in tight urban parking spaces. Yet the Superb’s sense of security, refinement and easy progress are precisely what most families will value on a long journey.

Under pressure: With a 1,645kg caravan attached, the winning Superb remained composed, comfortable and reassuring. ©Škoda

The family test

The Superb’s party piece is space. In non-hybrid Estate versions, boot capacity reaches 690 litres with the rear seats in place – van-like territory without the bulk and bluff face of a large SUV. The wide, square load area is useful rather than merely impressive on paper, swallowing holiday luggage, golf clubs, pushchairs or the accumulated equipment of a weekend away. Rear legroom is similarly generous, giving growing teenagers the kind of space normally associated with an executive saloon.

SE L trim brings the equipment level most buyers will want, while Škoda’s familiar ‘Simply Clever’ thinking majors on small touches that reduce daily friction. The result is a cabin that feels contemporary and upmarket without becoming precious. Two ISOFIX mountings were recorded on the tested car, and the 100kg roof-load allowance gives families another route for carrying bikes, a roof box or outdoor kit.

There is also a useful lesson here for buyers automatically defaulting to an SUV. An estate’s lower centre of gravity can deliver a more settled drive, easier loading and better long-distance efficiency, while still offering the traction of four-wheel drive. You lose the elevated seating position, but gain a car that feels more natural at motorway speeds and often makes better use of its footprint.

Running costs and value

The wider Superb Estate range was listed at £38,135 to £51,390 at the time of the award. The winning test car cost £47,455 including £1,260 of towing equipment, placing it above bargain territory but below many premium-badged estates and large SUVs with comparable space and pulling ability. Insurance group 30 and official CO2 emissions of 155g/km were quoted for the tested specification.

A diesel will not suit every household. If most journeys are short urban hops, a petrol or plug-in hybrid may be the more sensible choice, and company-car drivers will be drawn to the PHEV’s tax advantages. But for high-mileage families and regular towers, the diesel’s range, torque and fast refuelling remain persuasive. Buyers should compare the current list price, finance cost, annual mileage and tax position rather than choosing by monthly payment alone.

FQ verdict

The Škoda Superb Estate wins by being exceptionally good at the unglamorous things that shape real family ownership. It is spacious without being cumbersome, comfortable without becoming vague, and powerful without making a performance of it. Add four-wheel-drive reassurance and proven towing stability, and it becomes a credible one-car solution for workdays, school runs and serious touring.

It will not turn every head outside the school gates, and that may be the point. The Superb is a confident adult choice: less lifestyle cosplay, more actual lifestyle. For fathers who want premium-car composure, family-first practicality and the ability to tow with authority, the 2027 champion deserves a place near the top of the shortlist.

At a glance: winning Škoda Superb Estate

Model	Škoda Superb Estate SE L 2.0 TDI 193PS DSG 4×4
Engine / transmission	1,968cc four-cylinder diesel; 7-speed DSG automatic; AWD
Power / torque	193PS; 295lb ft (400Nm)
Test caravan	1,645kg
Towing performance	0-60mph 15.41sec; 40-60mph 8.15sec
Kerbweight / noseweight	1,935kg / 90kg
Roof load	100kg
CO2 / insurance	155g/km / group 30
Price as tested	£47,455, including £1,260 towing equipment
Awards	Overall winner; 1600kg-1700kg class; Family Towcars