Displaying items by tag: Skoda Octavia

Tuesday, 11 January 2022 08:07

Skoda Octavia (2021) review: simply too clever

Already the practical and well-respected choice when it comes to members of the Volkswagen Group, the latest-generation Skoda Octavia is now treated to even more tech, engine and chassis components from the VW toybox, including those shared with the Seat Leon and more upmarket relatives like the equally new Volkswagen Golf Mk8 and Audi A3.

The four-door Skoda hatchback was always known as the sensible option of these cars over its many generations, so does this new latest version of Octavia carry on that trend after a big injection of 2021 tech?

What’s new?

The hatch is 19mm longer and 15mm wider than before, and the already cavernous boot has increased in volume by 10 litres to 600 litres for the hatch variant – absolutely massive for something running in the same class size as the VW Golf. LED lights are standard, front and rear.

Octavia interior

The biggest change, though, is inside. It’s even tidier and airier in here than before and there are new, posher (and genuinely lovely) materials adorning the dashboard, doors (including slick new doorhandles) and an attractively retro two-spoke steering wheel. All models to have been introduced so far have cruise control, digital instruments, dual-zone air-con and wireless Apple CarPlay as standard.

As we’ve mentioned, the Octavia also now uses tech from the Mk8 Golf, meaning all-new software for the free-standing infotainment system. This system upgrade (if you can call it that, which we’ll get to soon) has minimised the number of buttons. New tech options to be made available include LED matrix headlights and a head-up display, along with ‘Ergo’ front seats with massage function.

Octavia rear light

Let’s get out on the road, please

Don’t come here for driving thrills (the hot vRS version will sort you out there), instead just get comfortable and cruise, as it's all just very pleasant. Not blow-your-mind amazing, but far from rubbish either; the manual has a sweet shift to it and is accompanied by a light clutch. The brakes have plenty of feel and the steering weight is well-judged; light n’ easy in town and relaxed with some additional weighting on the motorway.

Octavia front tracking

What excels is the ride; our test car rode on 18s – the highest size you can spec on a regular Octavia – and, even so, the suspension delivers impressive balance. It’s a little roly-poly in the corners, but bigger lumps are still smoothed out with aplomb and there’s not much road noise either.

Octavia rear cornering

Our test car was a manual-equipped 1.5 TSI with 148bhp. The engine itself is already familiar to us in recent years driving VW Group products, and it’s still an engine we recommend. It’s fast enough, though feels a little breathy at the top end – you’re better served by juggling the ratios and using the torque band instead. It’s also tremendously hushed; barely a grumble is heard even at higher revs. Cylinder deactivation under low throttle loads will help your economy, too – we were seeing high 40s during our drive.

Is it still as practical as ever?

Yes and no. It’s a gripe that’s plagued the latest Golf, and it’s one that we have to begrudgingly talk about here, too: the infotainment. While that new, central display does wonders for cleaning up the cabin and the digital instruments mean you don’t have to look over at the middle screen as much, the method in which you activate or change simple controls requires going through sub-menu after sub-menu.

Changing the air con temperature or fan speed, plumbing in an address into the navigation or even changing the drive mode feels like more of a faff than it ought to be; the old Discover infotainment used by Skodas (and VWs) of old was much more intuitive. There are also varying sensitivity issues; the central screen is hypersensitive to touch, so much so that you could scroll down a menu when you just wanted to tap at something, while the flat volume touchbar just below the central screen can either barely recognise your input or quickly deafen you if you stroke it awkwardly. Just use the steering wheel controls.

Octavia rear seats

Elsewhere, though, the Octavia is still as roomy as ever. Rear legroom can hold the lankiest of adults, and you can’t forget that huge 600-litre boot is bigger than some estate cars out there. Skoda also still boasts about its little Simply Clever touches, so you still get an umbrella in the drivers’ door, a ticket holder in the windscreen, an ice scraper in the fuel cap and so on.

Skoda Octavia: verdict

It’s a shame that the infotainment system has taken a step in the wrong direction, frustrating enough to lop off an entire usability star on our verdict. Considering you’re going to use it constantly, we suspect it will take some time to get used to; perhaps Skoda has made its Octavia too Simply Clever for its own good.

But, other than that, Skoda has pulled it off once again. The Octavia is still a no-nonsense family hatch that rides well, is pleasant to drive, delivers good value and is still as roomy as it always has been.

Octavia static front

Specs

Price when new: £25,150
On sale in the UK: Now
Engine: 1498cc turbocharged four-cylinder, 148bhp @ 5000rpm, 184lb ft @ 1500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance: 8.2sec 0-62mph, 142mph, 42.2-50.4mpg, 127-153g/km
Weight / material: 1338kg
Dimensions (length/width/height in mm): 4689/1829/1470mm

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/skoda/octavia-hatchback/

Published in Skoda
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Skoda has prepared a new equipment package for its bestseller, so the fourth generation Octavia model will now be offered for the first time in a more dynamic edition - Sportline. It will, therefore, be a version just below the sporty Octavia RS model.

Situated between the Style trim level and the sporty Octavia RS model, the new Sportline variant brings black exterior elements, a three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel, sports seats with integrated headrests and, perhaps best of all, the option to order with DCC dynamic chassis control.

On the outside, the Sportline Octavia differs from the others in the front splitter, as well as in the grille frame and the Skoda inscription on the tailgate, which comes in a glossy black color. The rear is also a black diffuser with chrome elements, while the hatchback version also boasts a black rear spoiler.

Standard equipment for the Octavia Sportline includes black 17-inch Pulsar alloy wheels, and metallic black 18-inch Vega wheels are also available as an option, and exclusively for Sportline 19-inch black polished Taurus alloy wheels. The front wings are decorated with Sportline badges.

In terms of engines, the Škoda Octavia Sportline is available with petrol and diesel engines, a natural gas (CNG) version, as well as plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid technology and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Output power ranges from 85 kW (115 hp) to 150 kW (204 hp). The 110 kW (150 hp) 1.5 TSI petrol can be ordered with the optional 7-speed DSG transmission and mild-hybrid technology, while the 140 kW (190 hp) 2.0 TSI comes standard with a DSG transmission and all-wheel drive.

The 2.0 TDI diesel can be ordered with 85 kW (115 hp), 110 kW (150 hp) and 147 kW (200 hp).

The Octavia iV Sportline is a 150 kW (204 hp) plug-in hybrid, while the G-TEC version on compressed natural gas (CNG) delivers 96 kW (130 hp).

In the cabin, the Octavia Sportline is inspired by the level of Style equipment and includes Piano Black decorative strips. The sports seats have integrated headrests and are equipped with specially breathable ThermoFlux upholstery. The multifunctional sports steering wheel has three arms and the Sportline mark, while the decorative sills on the front door have the inscription Octavia. In addition, the new variant of the Czech bestseller also offers well-known Simply Clever solutions, such as a USB-C port on the interior mirror.

Published in Blog/News
Tagged under

 

The SKODA OCTAVIA won the “Women's World Car of the Year 2020” award in the “Family Car” category.

 This is the first success for the Czech car manufacturer within this international award, which is being awarded for the tenth time this year, and which is awarded exclusively by professional car journalists. As one of a total of nine winners in individual categories, the ŠKODA bestseller is now competing for the main prize: the winner of the main award "Women's World Car of the Year 2020" will be announced on March 8 on the occasion of International Women's Day. The jury consists of 48 journalists from 38 countries from Argentina to New Zealand.

The "Women's World Car of the Year" award has been given since 2011, and the jury consists exclusively of professional car journalists. This year, 48 members of the jury from 38 countries evaluated all nine models that were presented between January and December 2020, and first nominated three finalists in each of the nine categories at the beginning. In the "Family Car" category, the OCTAVIA model won and thus qualified as a candidate for the main prize.

The evaluation criteria are, for example, safety, quality, price, design, driving comfort and environmental friendliness.

Published in Blog/News
Saturday, 27 February 2021 05:48

New Skoda Octavia e-TEC 2021 review

The mild-hybrid Skoda Octavia e-TEC offers a cheaper way to electrification

Verdict
The Octavia e-TEC is a fine first effort at mild-hybrid propulsion from Skoda. It drives smoothly, while the ride, refinement and practicality make a strong supporting case to the impressive efficiency on offer given the price. In SE Tech trim the Octavia Estate e-TEC is a versatile and affordable choice for those looking to explore what electrification can offer.

If you’re dead against diesel and still find the price of a plug-in hybrid hard to swallow, then mild-hybrid tech can be a more affordable way into an impressively efficient model – and the Skoda Octavia 1.0 TSI e-TEC proves this fact resolutely.

The e-TEC tag highlights that the Octavia, tested here in Estate form, is powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a belt-driven starter-generator as part of the car’s 48-volt electrical system.

It charges a small 0.6kWh lithium-ion battery when slowing down or lifting off the throttle, allowing engine-off coasting, which it’s surprisingly keen to do. It can also provide a boost of torque (up to 50Nm) to help performance when pulling away.

You simply don’t notice it working though, such is the system’s impressive calibration. Given that this is Skoda’s first mild-hybrid model, it’s a great effort. Total output is 108bhp and 200Nm of torque, enough for a 0-62mph time of 10.6 seconds. But that’s not important. It never feels quick, but it also never feels slow or particularly underpowered, despite the Estate’s weight.

Performance is adequate because the combustion engine’s torque is delivered low down, helped by the turbo’s variable-vane geometry, plus the small electric boost.

Refinement is excellent because the three-cylinder unit is so quiet under light loads when cruising that you rarely notice the engine cutting out. The needle on the digital rev counter falling to zero is the main hint.

Touch the throttle and the petrol engine fires back up quickly and smoothly (a benefit of the mild-hybrid technology and its starter-generator system), while the DSG dual-clutch gearbox handles changes with similar finesse, even if it is a little jerkier at low speed, losing some drivability compared with the best automatics.

The beauty of this set-up is claimed efficiency of 54.3mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 118g/km, yet in fleet-focused SE Technology trim the newcomer costs from just £24,505 – that’s £7,680 less than an Octavia Estate iV plug-in hybrid in the same specification.

You get the same level of equipment, but due to the need to package the iV’s bigger battery there’s 150 litres more room in the e-TEC’s boot (its battery is located under the front passenger seat), at a total of 640 litres. This has long been an Octavia Estate strong point, and it’s no different here, with a simply cavernous load bay that opens out to 1,700 litres, while a pair of levers in the boot means you can flip the seat backs down at the touch of a button.

SE Technology is a solid blend of kit and cost, with LED headlights, Skoda’s Front Assist system with collision warning and autonomous braking, a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment set-up with sat-nav, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch digital dash panel, all-round parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, and 16-inch alloy wheels all fitted as standard.

Those rims help deliver a nice level of comfort and the Estate rides with composure but plenty of compliance. Combined with the quiet powertrain, it’s a very refined car.

It’s a bit bland and boring inside, despite the new fourth-generation Octavia’s smarter cabin design, while the lack of personality isn’t helped by our car’s metallic grey paint, but then this is a pragmatic choice and it fulfils that brief completely.

Remember that while it’s more affordable, despite the ‘hybrid’ tag associated with the e-TEC name, as a mild-hybrid it can’t run solely on electric power; its battery isn’t big enough for that and the belt starter-generator isn’t strong enough to support it. It means that if you’re after a heavily electrified model to lower your running costs (especially if you mostly travel short distances that could be covered on electricity alone) then the Octavia iV will be a better choice, with fuel efficiency claims of up to 282.5mpg and CO2 emissions as low as 23g/km.

As with any PHEV, take these figures with a pinch of salt, because if you don’t plug in at every opportunity when the battery is depleted, you’ll be carrying around that extra weight but not reaping the benefit.

If as a result your circumstances still don’t work with a plug-in though, this mild-hybrid model is yet another great Skoda.

Model: Skoda Octavia Estate 1.0 TSI e-TEC DSG SE Technology
Price: £24,505
Engine: 1.0-litre 3cyl mild-hybrid petrol
Power/torque: 108bhp/200Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive 
0-62mph: 10.6 seconds
Top speed: 124mph
Economy/CO2: 54.3mpg/118g/km
On sale Now

autoexpress.co.uk

Published in Skoda
Saturday, 26 December 2020 05:42

Skoda Octavia iV Estate review: Ivy League hybrid

 

► Plug-in load-lugger offers big boot and electric range
► Ideal for private or company car drivers alike
► Standard iV makes more sense than vRS version

Some cars appeal to your head, while others grab you by the heart. Then there are modern Skodas - some of which start with the former but end up doing plenty of the latter, to a fairly unexpected extent.

Few will browse and configure an Octavia iV in the advanced stages of face-flushing lust, but it’s easy to find yourself getting a little hot under the collar at the idea of a handsome estate car with 43 miles of electric-only range, a ludicrously low benefit-in-kind tax rate, a handy 201bhp with which to get around and the promise at least of some very miserly fuel consumption.

 This, smaller, iV (the bigger Superb launched first) goes about its business with the kind of quiet and classy competence that, in time, is likely to nurture a real if unlikely love for this hunk of smartly-creased, petrol ’n’ electric metal.

What’s the Skoda Octavia iV like to drive?
Under the hood is a 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder, an e-motor the other side of the clutch (housed within the twin-clutch gearbox) and, out back, a 13kWh battery that, in return for that decent all-electric range, steals some boot space and adds 135kg of weight.

On the road, the iV just works, blending quiet and refined (if steady) progress on electric power alone. The petrol motor feels reluctant to contribute in the best of PHEV traditions, so it’s easy to whisk around on quiet e-power without having to keep half an eye on the gauge to make sure you’re not about to inadvertently fire up the four-pot.

 In more conservative drive modes the Octavia coasts forever too, meaning you can release the gas hundreds of yards before a roundabout or junction and roll up to it silently and efficiently. If you’d rather the regenerative brakes assist your deceleration in a more natural way then simply switch into Sport mode for one-pedal regen up to every traffic light and junction.

Handling-wise there’s plenty of grip and ride comfort, even if the car’s weight and soft set-up conspire to create a floaty sensation at times and a decent slug of roll should you get carried away, with nicely weighted and calibrated driving controls (abrupt brakes aside).

Does it work as a PHEV?
If your usage is textbook PHEV – off-street parking with a garage for charging (albeit on a three-pin plug) and daily short journeys – then, within those parameters, the iV excels.

 Anything less than ideal conditions will see the fanciful fuel economy claim drop but you should get 55mpg at the very least, and in cold weather on a route poorly suited to EVs, we ‘lost’ around 20 per cent of the displayed battery range (covering 21 miles on 24 miles of range and 16 on 21 miles).

You can well imagine going months between fill-ups, so little work does the engine do if you exhibit a shred of restraint - a stern challenge on motorways, where the Skoda’s weight, drag and e-power limits you to a mobile-chicane 70mph.

What’s it like inside?
In the cabin there’s space, order, a touch-based interface you can work with and the unmistakable perfume of VW Group quality – the Octavia’s is a £35k interior that feels like a £45k one.

 The Octavia has the least fussy infotainment system of its Golf/Leon/A3 siblings, with physical buttons on the centre console and clear, and well laid-out menus. Small annoyances remain – static home and menu buttons on the 10.25-inch touchscreen are a useful touch, but they’re positioned on the side of the screen furthest away, and fans of a physical volume knob will still have to retrain their fingers to the slidey arrangement now used across the VW Group.

In terms of PHEV-specific giveaways though the only obvious change is a battery level meter on the left-hand side of the digital cockpit where the coolant temperature used to be. Positioned opposite the petrol gauge, this gives a clear and instant view of your remaining fuel and charge.

 Practicality-wise the iV loses little – the gargantuan rear legroom remains and the boot is only mildly inconvenienced, with the space under the floor taken up by the battery, and cable storage slot. The Octavia’s boot is so large anyway this reduction in volume is of little consequence, dropping from 640/1700-litres to 490/1555 seat up/down – the same as an Audi A4 Avant or BMW 3 Series Touring.

Verdict
Like all plug-ins the Octavia makes sense for regular, reliable journeys within its electric range (which in fairness is usefully long) and the occasional longer jaunt on petrol power. Basically, it’s a great company car if you live 20-30 miles from the office, and still visit it five days a week.

Its ultra-low 6% BiK rate thanks to low CO2 and decent e-range means it’s good value for business use, although perhaps not so good as those willing and able to take the plunge into a full EV.

 There’s also a vRS version of the Octavia iV if your heart craves a little more speed, body control and kudos. We think that the uprated plug-in powertrain becomes unresponsive and at times confused in a hot hatch setting, undermining the keen steering and chassis, though.

No, stick with the standard iV. And be prepared to fall for – of all things – a plug-in estate. Not exciting but classy, refined, a pleasure to drive.

Source: carmagazine.co.uk

Published in Skoda

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