New Octavia reveals Skoda’s top class ambitions

SPACIOUS. Affordable. Reliable. These are the words most often used to describe the Skoda Octavia. They are obviously traits we value quite a lot here. In fact we’ve bought more than 55,000 of them since it first arrived in 1998, and it’s currently the third bestselling car in Ireland.

It seems Skoda would also like to add ‘stylish’ to that list and have given it a midlife makeover to do just that.

The Octavia is quite easily the most spacious car in this segment. The body has grown by 11mm and the boot continues to be the largest in the class at 590 litres. That’s 110 litres more than the mechanically similar Volkswagen Golf. The fact that it opens as a hatch despite its saloon-ish appearance makes it even more practical.

Skoda are also great for adding small but thoughtful touches throughout the cabin. These include a clip on the windscreen for holding carpark tickets, and a special grip in the cupholders which allow you to open a bottle with just one hand.

Interior quality in general has been improved with some new materials and upholstery, and the higher spec models even get ambient lighting.

The top-selling Ambition model will now benefit from a reversing camera and electrically folding mirrors as standard, as well as the top of the range Smartlink+ phone integration system. This includes both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto making for a familiar and user-friendly touchscreen experience. It looks even more impressive on the 9.2 inch Columbus navigation and infotainment system on the top-spec Style model, which now comes with a SIM card slot that allows you to create a portable WiFi hotspot in the car.

That in turn will allow you to access SKODA Connect Online services which can give you up to the minute information on things such as traffic and petrol prices in your location.

There’s a new range of safety features available including blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert and predictive pedestrian protection. The 2017 Octavia retains its full five-star NCAP safety rating.

The engine line-up remains unchanged since the introduction of the impressively powerful 1.0-litre turbo last year. That might sound like a very small unit to be powering a car as big as the Octavia, but it does a stellar job and is a fine example of the rise of the small, nippy petrol engines.

Pushing out 115hp, it never feels under-powered, and unless someone told you otherwise, you’d quite easily believe it was a much larger engine under the hood. Running costs are impressive with a claimed fuel economy of 4.8 l/100km and an annual motor tax bill of just €190. T

he Octavia remains a solid and reassuring car to drive, which while not sporty, is still pleasant with well-weighted steering, a spot-on suspension set-up and quiet cabin which all make for a nice, relaxing ride.

For the more serious mile munchers, there’s still a great range of diesels from the most economical 1.6l TDI to the top of the range 2.0l 150hp 4 wheel drive model, meaning there should be an Octavia out there for everyone.

Skodas have gone from being a brand people once joked about, to one of the most trusted on the market.