What's the difference?
The large passenger car segment, meaning big sedans and wagons, has taken a huge nosedive in terms of sales and available models over the past decade or so.
The Holden Commodore, Chrysler 300, Kia Stinger and even the Volkswagen Passat? All axed locally.
The Toyota Camry remains a strong fleet and private buyer option (hello Uber). But it leans more towards medium than properly large car proportions, as confirmed by industry statistician, VFacts segmentation.
The only vehicle left now before you start considering premium players is the Skoda Superb. It has just launched locally in new, fourth-generation guise.
Sitting alongside the new Kodiaq as a flagship product for the Czech brand, the Superb continues to now only be offered in a single, fully-loaded Sportline trim level. Thankfully, you still get the option of either a liftback or wagon body style.
Skoda has made a wide array of changes to this new-generation Superb, including plenty of new ‘Simply Clever’ touches, but will Australians actually care about this new version of a dying breed?
@carsguide.com.au Simply Clever? The new 2025 Skoda Superb’s ‘Smart Dials’ are a set of three physical dials that are capable of altering the following: Climate control temperature Air direction Fan speed Seat heating, ventilation Drive mode Sat-nav map zoom Volume P.S. these Smart Dials also feature in the new 2025 Skoda Kodiaq SUV#skoda #superb #sedan #wagon #car #carsguide #fyp ♬ original sound - CarsGuide.com.au
Read along to find out.
Ah, now you can have your Peugeot 308 and plug it into a power point as well. Yes, the new petrol version of the 308 arrived late last year and now the 308 GT Sport Hatch plug-in hybrid is here, too.
We've just driven the 308 GT Sport plug-in hybrid (PHEV) at its Australian launch and we can now answer all of your questions, such as how much it costs over a regular petrol 308, what's its electric range, what features come standard, what's it like to drive and is there a fully electric Peugeot coming soon?
Ready? Let's go.
It’s safe to say the Skoda Superb is well… superb.
This car has consistently been one of my favourites, and that’s not something I say lightly. It's a fantastic package that combines all the best parts of comfort, practicality and driving dynamics.
All of those points stand out as key reasons why, despite the fact Australians are no longer buying passenger cars in substantial numbers, you should consider this over a similarly-sized SUV.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.
The 308 GT Sport plug-in hybrid is a beautifully designed small hatch that is comfortable, enjoyable and easy to drive. The electric motor gives this hatch good acceleration and the equally impressive handling makes for a fun car to drive too. There's good storage, a decent boot and room for even tall people like me in those back seats.
There are two clear drawbacks, however: the price is steep compared to the petrol version; and you'll need to plug the vehicle into a power supply each night if you drive the car daily and want to achieve the 2.4L/100km fuel economy we did in this test.
Last, but probably the most important thing you'll read is that Peugeot will bring fully electric cars to Australia from the second half of 2023, from SUVs to (hopefully) the battery electric version of this very 308 hatch.
If it was my money, I'd hold on - you're going to have your next car for quite a long time so it's worth waiting for the fully electric versions.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.