• Very refined. • Great value. • Rather economical.
• Face takes getting used to.
Never heard of a Volkswagen Jetta? Good.
Skoda has, for the longest time, espoused the virtues of value and intelligent packaging. The Octavia, its compact-executive saloon (that sits below the much larger Superb), has always embodied that ‘Simply Clever’ ethos best, with lots of nifty and intelligent features laid about, solving problems you didn’t realise you had. Those who can get over the badge on the nose usually end up besotted with the Skoda they behold, even more so with the brilliant Octavia.
Despite being cheaper than the Volkswagen Jetta it shares its underpinnings with, the Octavia packs more space, and a more usable lift back which makes loading or unloading out of the cargo bay even easier. Pair that to strong technological features and tempting options, and the Octavia becomes a truly difficult choice to resist. Given a facelift in early 2017, the Octavia now sports a bold (if somewhat divisive) front end, even better kit, and greater tech.
Broken up into 110TSI, 110TSI Sport, and RS models, the Octavia range is able to accommodate you no matter what you need of it. And with estate and liftback-saloon body styles, you really are spoilt for choice. And with 3.7-million Octavias sold since the nameplates’ introduction in 1996, it’s clearly the car of choice for many families, minicab drivers, and fleet customers.
Exterior
“Talking of looks, you wouldn’t call the latest Octavia racy… unless you’re lucky enough to be in the market for an RS version.” - AutoExpress
Skoda has always made cars that are visually inoffensive. They’re described best as being mature and a little vanilla, and don’t really stand out (unless you’ve got a performance model in a bright colour). Given a facelift midway through its life, the Octavia now sports a far more distinctive face, which isn’t to all tastes. The rest of the car is perfectly acceptable, and over time, we find the face gets less in-your-face.
The Czech brand took a radical step with the face of the Octavia, far more brave than some brand with its bread-and-butter models. Moving away from the face, and you’ll find the rest of the Skoda design language intact and unfettled: The uncluttered side profile, the pert rear, and the C-shaped light signatures in the taillights. Higher-end models gain larger alloy wheels, which make it look particularly handsome. It’s not quite as mature and upright as a Volkswagen Jetta, nor as outward sporty as a Holden Astra or even a Ford Focus, but it’s got its place.
Engine & Drivetrain
“The Skoda Octavia features a range of familiar VW Group engine & transmission options.” - Autocar
With a large range of engines, it can be tricky picking the powerplant for you. The 2.0-litre oiler in the 110TDI might offer a great deal of torque, decent refinement and excellent fuel economy, but it only really pays dividends if you spend a lot of your time cruising on motorways. The same can be said of the Octavia RS 135TDI, which possesses similar merits and pitfalls (though obviously, insanely rapid).
Urban commuters will likely appreciate the improved refinement from the petrol engines on offer. The 110TSi offers decent punch for its real-world 6.8L/100km fuel economy, which makes it particularly fun around town, though not incompetent on the open road for that family holiday.
The engines in the Octavia RS models, be it the 135TDI diesel or the 162TSI petrol, offer great performance while only consuming about a fifth more fuel than its lesser, non-performance counterparts. Like the Octavia itself, RS engines balance everyday practicality with a broad range of ability, and can safely satisfy most requirements asked of it.
Interior
“It’s ruddy lovely. Solid. Heavy. Reliable. Erm, Golf-like.” - TopGear
While the exterior may be distinctly Skoda, the cabin feels distinctly Volkswagen. Everything is presented in a logical, ergonomic fashion, with all trim pieces and controls screwed together tightly and weighted perfectly. While it may have a Czech badge on the steering wheel, there’s very little to suggest that the Octavia is anything less than a well-engineered German car.
That’s no bad thing, though. While it may lack on visual flair, the cabin is well-built, feels plush, and is packed with tech. The rear half of the cabin is a delight, if for nothing more than its abundance of space. This is a compact saloon/estate contender that has the sort of space you’ll find on a large family car. There’s plenty of room for everyone’s legs, feet, and heads, while shoulder room might leave some wanting (but only if you’re transporting three rugby players).
Behind the Wheel
“The Octavia is exactly what you’d want from a big family car, and nothing more.” - WhatCar?
Riding on the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta mean that the Octavia is blessed with a pretty good ride. Typical of European cars, the Octavia doesn’t float, instead offering a controlled feel without ever feeling uncomfortable. The Octavia balances comfort and handling well, with the latter served by a taut chassis and little body roll, though describing the Octavia as a drivers’ car might be a bit of a stretch.
The Skoda family car is best suited to calm driving, and it rewards when treated as such. There’s little intrusion of road or wind noise, and the comfortable ride means that you can easily eat up the miles without a sweat.
The only exception to this are the RS models. Be it in estate or saloon body styles, the Octavia RS’ inject a little magic into the experience. A rorty exhaust note, a more responsive drive, and adaptive drive modes to suit the mood mean that Octavia RS cars are good enough to compel drivers to take the long route home. Both the 135TDI ad 162TSI offer great dollops of torque when asked, and will see the Octavia surge past everything else on the motorway in spectacular fashion. Certainly capable of inducing giggles.
Safety & Technology
“The Skoda Octavia has an enviable reputation for reliability, and a five-star Euro NCAP rating.” - AutoExpress
Standard safety kit in the Skoda Octavia is excellent, which is why it proudly sports a 5-star safety rating from ANCAP. Seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and a reversing camera all come as standard, along with parking sensors, multi-collision mitigation braking.
Style models and higher gain an additional two airbags, driver fatigue monitor, and crash-preparation technology. The Octavia performed brilliantly in crash testing, with perfect crash scores for the pole-impact and side-impact test especially.
Verdict
While Skoda might have started its stint within the Volkswagen Group as a value-driven sub-brand, the Czech marque has evolved to offer luxurious, clever cars that still deliver great value for money. The Octavia is the brands’ best-selling modal globally, and the mid-life update will likely see its popularity continue unabated. It’s clever packaging, masses of space (for both people and cargo), impressive refinement and reassuring ride and handling make the Octavia almost a no-brainer, especially since the Skoda badge no longer carries with it any preconceived ideas.
It’s difficult to recommend one trim level over another, as every Octavia trim level is suited and packaged perfectly for the price it commands. Buying an Octavia will require long and hard thought about what you need and what you want, though once you’re done, it’ll offer a smooth ownership experience through its lifetime.
It’s a great car, the Octavia. No wonder Skoda calls itself ‘Simply Clever.’
WhatCar? - 5.0/5.0 - “Controversial. It's not a word that's traditionally been associated with the Skoda Octavia. However, the latest version of this family hatchback abandons the safe but rather forgettable looks of its predecessors, and instead features unusual split headlights which are either eye-catching or an eyesore, depending on your point of view. Otherwise, though, this is essentially a tweaked version of the car that's been on sale since 2012, and that's no bad thing because the Octavia has always been one of the most practical cars in its class.”
AutoExpress - 4.0/5.0 - “The Skoda Octavia is a subtle alternative to the Volkswagen Golf that offers more space and better value.”
Autocar - 4.0/5.0- “You can ignore the talk about repositioning; the Octavia remains the same value-added hatch that we know and rate. It’s a bigger one, yes, but if Skoda was serious about turning this car into a Volkswagen Passat rival, it wouldn’t have made it cheaper than an equivalent Golf.”
Evo UK - 3.5/5.0 - “The updated Octavia continues to impress, if not excite”
WhichCar - 4.0/5.0 - “The medium-sized Skoda Octavia has a regal look, and offers lots of space and equipment for the money. A line-up of keen, frugal engines is crowned by the athletic 2.0-litre turbo in the Octavia RS 162, which is like a sporty Volkswagen Golf GTI wearing sensible clothes. All Octavias have city-speed auto emergency braking, and all but the least costly provide nine airbags.”
TopGear - 7.0/10 - “As cars get ever tech-heavier, seemingly dependent on silly gimmicks dreamt up by marketing nitwits to distinguish themselves, the Octavia’s straight-down-the-line simplicity is refreshing, if not memorable. It’s the leek and potato soup of cars, satisfying and easy, so long as you’re not craving something less…beige.”
