Skoda has sold nearly 4 million Octavia it's always been a no nonsense car that offers
lots of metal for your money.
Now a new third generation Octavia is here.
It's even bigger, but also more sophisticated and more expensive.
has Skoda messed with it's winning formula.
Now you probably know that Skoda is part of the giant Volkswagen group, and that underneath
this new Octavia is actually the latest mark seven Volkswagen golf.
But that's a good thing because it gives Skoda access to a range of very impressive engines.
The car I'm driving today is the best seller of the range.
The one-hundred-and-five break horsepower 1.6 diesel.
Its exhaust emits just 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer, low enough for free car tax.
That's a strong incentive, especially for company car drivers.
and on the road, this very efficient engine feels punchy enough to keep pace with traffic.
I'd go for the 1.4 petrol instead though.
It's more powerful and and more refined.
And although fuel economy isn't as good, its 850 pounds cheaper to buy in the first place.
Read our guide to choosing between petrol and diesel cars and use our free cost calculator
to work out which is best for you.
It might share it's oily bits with the Golf, but the Octavia is much longer, and much roomier
inside.
There's plenty of space for adults in the back, and the boot is huge.
It's size distances it from Skoda's smaller, rapid hatch-back, and puts on par with cars
from the next class up, like the BMW 3 series and Hyundai i40.
Build quality wouldn't shame the likes of BMW either.
The Octavia is well made and well-equipped.
Even basic S models get Bluetooth, a DAB radio and a touch screen media system.
There are also loads of features that make this car easy to live with.
there's a refrigerated glove box to keep your sandwiches cool, there's an ice scraper here
inside the fuel filler great for winter mornings and we know which?
members hate those puncture repair kits and one comes with a full size spare wheel and
that's exactly what the Octavia's got.
That's all very sensible stuff, but perhaps the most surprising thing about this new Skoda
is how good it feels from behind the wheel.
It takes corners with an agility that makes the old Octavia feel flat footed.
And ride comfort is pretty good too.
It's still no sports car, of course, but this is the first time that a standard diesel Octavia
has been fun to drive.
We've had hundreds of comments from happy owners of the previous two Octavias in the
Which?
Car Survey.
the largest of it's kind in the UK.
Let's pick a couple of comments at random.
Solid, reliable, and good value for money Forget the badge, look at the quality and
simply don't hesitate.
Buy one.
Clearly there and this latest Octavia has a lot to live up to.
Time will tell if it can win the heart of owners like the older cars, but my first impression
are very good.
Yes, prices have gone up by about ten percent, but it's still about 1,500 pounds less than
an equivalent Golf.
this spacious and sensible, that's still great value
for money.