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Skoda took us to Wiltshire for the launch of the latest model in its Octavia family car range. The new model promises more space, sharper looks and a pile of standard kit and high-tech optional extras.
At first, we were taken aback by how much the Octavia looks like the previous-generation Audi A6, especially from the sides and rear. The front is dominated by a large grille and badge, which could be prettier, but the sharp-edged lights give the car a smart, modern look. Alloy wheels are standard across the range, too – the Octavia is moving upmarket.
These social aspirations are also reflected in the price. The £15,990 base model is around £2,000 more than the outgoing car, so the Octavia is no longer the bargain it once was. It’s still a couple of grand less than a base Ford Mondeo, though.
TRIM LEVELS
There are three trim levels – S, SE and Elegance. Standard equipment is generous even on the base model, which comes with such luxuries as a leather steering wheel, climate control and an 8-speaker touchscreen entertainment system with DAB. There’s also no messing about on the safety front, thanks to seven airbags and the Automatic Post Collision Braking System, which detects when you’ve had a shunt and slows the car down to 6mph while turning on the hazard lights.
Looks like an Audi A6 to us
An extra £1,200 gets you the SE trim level – highlights of this posher version are dual-zone climate control with separate temperature zones for driver and passenger, voice control for a Bluetooth-attached phone and the Driver Fatigue Sensor. This uses a camera to learn what you look like when you’re alert, and if it notices you showing signs of fatigue the system will warn you audibly and visually. Elegance adds automatic lights which dip and go full-beam depending on the driving conditions, and built-in satnav as standard.
Octavia trim levels – click to enlarge
ENGINES
The Octavia is available with four engines: 1.2 and 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol models with 105PS and 140PS, and 1.6 and 2.0 turbodiesels with 105PS and 150PS. Confusingly, there are also four different gearboxes, with different models available depending on which engine you choose. The petrol models are only available with 6-speed manual gearboxes, while the 1.6TDI can be had with either a 5-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic DSG transmission. If you buy the top-end 2.0 diesel, you can have 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG gearboxes.
Skoda reckons most people will buy the 1.6 diesel
CABIN TECH
We drove both a 2.0 TDI Elegance manual and a 1.6 TDI SE with the DSG gearbox. The first thing we noticed was the quality of the new Octavia’s interior. Compared to the previous model, which we felt was let down by some hard plastics inside, the new car feels like a quality item. Everything was soft-touch, and the interior was lifted by some subtle use of chrome surrounds and different shades of plastic.
We also liked the logical control layout. The bottom of the centre console is devoted to climate control, with large knobs for temperature and buttons for heat direction. The top contains the entertainment and information system, with large buttons for the system’s functions such as radio, phone and navigation, and a touchscreen display in the middle. We found it much easier to use than the more scattergun layout on the new Ford Kuga, for example.
Our test cars were both fitted with the optional touchscreen satnav system; one with the Amundsen system, which gives you a 7in capacitive touchscreen, and one with the upgraded Columbus, which gives you an 8in display. We were impressed with the satnav on both systems; it’s easy to scroll around using the touchscreen to work out where you are, and you can either pinch to zoom or use the control knob under the screen.
A classy cabin and the touchscreen satnav works well, but we don’t think Skoda’s voice control system is up there with Ford’s Sync
Both our test cars were also fitted with voice control for phone connections and navigation – voice control is standard on SE models and up. We paired the system with a Motorola RAZR i running Android 4.0 to test out the phone functions and, once we’d told Android to stop asking for confirmation every time the car tried to do anything, we could import our phone book and dial contacts using our voice, or spell out entire phone numbers. We could also navigate to destinations by talking to the system, but we found this slightly hit and miss.
We also couldn’t get Bluetooth audio to work from our phone at all – it was fine for phone calls, but we didn’t manage to stream music from a mobile. It’s a serviceable system, but we found Ford’s more modern-feeling Sync to be faster and slicker.
DRIVING
The Octavia has a surprisingly laid-back driving position, which filled our mind immediately with thoughts of sporty driving. We took the 2.0 TDI manual for a drive from Devizes to Marlborough via Chippenham, and found the 150PS diesel gave us plenty of power for barrelling along country A-roads and for joining the motorway from slip roads in fifth gear.
We found the gearbox slightly notchy when going into third gear, and the position of the gear lever and armrest meant there wasn’t a great deal of room for arm movement – we found we were changing gear with our wrist more than our arm. This wasn’t a particular problem as the car was grunty enough to leave in fourth gear most of the time.
The large Octavia shrinks around you on country roads, and is surprisingly fun to drive
Surprisingly, we had more fun driving the 1.6 TDI with the 7-speed automatic DSG gearbox. The DSG system changes up and down smoothly and seamlessly, and was responsive when we put our foot down. It really made the most of the 1.6 turbodiesel’s 105PS, and made this big family car feel almost like a fun coupé. The new Octavia is even larger than the old model, but it never felt too large either on the open road or in town. The only thing that distracted from the fun driving experience was a significant amount of road roar from our test model’s optional £700 18in wheels – we’d hope the standard 16in models were quieter.
SPACE
The previous-model Octavia gave you a huge amount of space, but the 2013 version is even bigger. It’s around 100mm longer and 50mm wider than the previous car (but a useful 100kg lighter) and this really shows inside. Even with the driver’s seat set for our 6’3″ tester, there was still more than enough leg- and headroom for the same tester to sit in the rear. The deep boot is also cavernous – you’ll have no problems taking a family of four on holiday without too many squabbles.
No messing about when it comes to luggage space – the Octavia’s boot is huge
VERDICT
The new Skoda Octavia may be more expensive than the outgoing model, but it’s still good value compared to the competition and has a significantly classier cabin than the previous model. It’s a family car with masses of space which is surprisingly fun to drive, but we preferred the automatic DSG gearbox to the notchy manual and weren’t keen on the road roar from the optional 18in alloys.
Our pick is the 1.6TDI SE with the DSG gearbox, which is £20,490 on the road. As long as you’re prepared to put aside any residual brand snobbery, it’s like getting an Audi A6 for significantly less cash.
