Our Octavia has been used
as a city car, removals van and economical motorway cruiser - and its downsized
turbocharged petrol engine has impressed. So are we sad to see it go?
Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI SE
The Skoda Octavia left the Autocar fleet as a car that was
indispensable and perhaps even essential, but not as one that had generated
much enthusiasm. That’s not a criticism of the Octavia, which was reliable,
rugged and endlessly accommodating. But it is not the sort of car that is going
to light anybody’s driving flame.
I’d sum up this Octavia as the Volvo 940 of our times. And that
really, really is not another criticism or even an attempt to damn it with
faint praise.
When the first Octavia was unveiled in Prague, in 1995, Skoda’s PR
people assured us that the car was targeted at Rover and Volvo. You have to
think back to those times: Volvo was just phasing out the ancient 440 and Rover
had just launched the underwhelming Honda-based 400-series.
2013 Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI SE – Side
Adding the self-shifter would have cost $ 2,102.50. That’s a price
well worth paying
Skoda was remarkably prescient nearly two decades ago. Rover died and
Volvo headed upmarket and is still pushing hard to prove itself as a full-scale
premium brand.
Meanwhile, the Octavia, now in its third generation, has coolly hovered
up the demand from drivers who want something safe, sensible, useful and, above
all, down to earth. The sort of drivers who are suspicious of ‘paying for the
badge’ or being sold more than they need. Indeed, despite not competing in
North America, Skoda sold 406,000 Octavias in 2012. You can’t really argue with
a formula like that.
Our test car arrived in SE spec with 370 miles on the clock. It was
powered by the Volkswagen Group’s newest 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine,
driving a six-speed manual gearbox. In keeping with this car’s relative
simplicity, it did without the cylinder deactivation technology that is also
available on other VW Group cars.
The motor is a brand-new design and good for 138bhp and a very
punchy 184lb ft from an almost diesel-like 1500rpm. Skoda claims a combined
economy figure of 53.3mpg, which would be no mean achievement for a petrol
engine in a 4.7m-long car.
One of the most interesting things about running this Skoda for
seven months was being able to compare it with the Mk2 Octavia, which I ran
four years ago. That model was based on the same platform as the Mk5 VW Golf
and used the previous-generation 1.4-litre turbocharged engine. It also had a
(much-loved) DSG transmission rather than a manual.
This Octavia is based on the VW Group’s new MQB platform, which has
pros and cons. Very much on the upside is weight saving. This particular
Octavia model weighs just 1180kg, which is a handy 65kg lighter than the
1.6-litre diesel version. The Mk3 also has a longer wheelbase than the Mk2,
with 108mm of extra length finally giving the Octavia class-competitive rear
legroom.
2013 Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI SE - Rear
But compared with Autocar’s previous Octavia, the real downside is
the loss of the multi-link rear axle. On the Mk2 range, all models had the
independent rear suspension. The Mk3 range, however, reserves the more
sophisticated rear end for higher-powered models.
A six-month waiting list for the new Octavia prompted us to take
ownership of an option-free, factory-spec SE model, which was priced at $ 30,931.98,
although I’d probably not choose the Topaz brown metallic finish again; it did
the Octavia’s styling no favours.
SE spec is pretty generous, with dual-zone climate control, four
electric windows, disc brakes all round, seven airbags (including a driver’s
knee ’bag), stop-start, rear parking sensors, front fogs, a hill hold system, a
DAB radio and Bluetooth. It’s also good to see height adjustment and lumbar
support on both front seats, the classic and very useful VW trip computer, a
four-stage driving mode selector (including Sport and Eco) and a driver fatigue
sensor.
Over my time with the car, I missed the excellent DSG ’box. Of
course, I’m based in London so am subject to traffic lights every few hundred
yards (a much bigger problem than actual traffic queues). Adding the self-shifter
would have cost $ 2,102.50, but if the Octavia had been a car for the long run
that would have been a price well worth paying.
To me, the other essential would be upgrading the standard-issue
Bolero audio system. Even after a few hundred hours, it never sounded anything
less than tinny, insubstantial and completely lacking in warmth. So take your
pick from upgrading to the Amundsen touchscreen satnav at $ 925.10 or the
Canton sound system with 10 speakers and a subwoofer at $ 672.80.
