Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI SE Business
Years: 2013 to date Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl, 104bhp Ins grp: 14 Official econ/co2: 74.3mpg/99g/km Why? Skoda is very practical, economical and good to drive. The interior feels more upmarket as well. Prices from: £6,195
SKODA’S Octavia is a brilliantly packaged variation on its Volkswagen Golf and SEAT Leon stablemates. It offers more boot space than either rival, as well as a hugely practical interior with enough room for five.
You wouldn’t exactly call the latest Octavia racy-looking. But for solidity, reliability and all-round practicality, it is certainly hard to beat for family or business drivers.
The Octavia hatch has a huge 590-litre boot that expands to 1,580 litres with the rear seats folded flat. But it’s not just the space that impresses. There are also shopping bag hooks, a 12V power supply and a pair of load bay lights for unpacking the boot in the dark.
Skoda has a strong reputation not only for building reliable cars, but also for offering a first-class dealer experience. The brand placed third in our Driver Power 2016 satisfaction survey, while the Octavia itself came seventh in our rundown of the top 150 cars to own, and was crowned the best compact hatch.
Skoda Octavia ★★★★★
THE Octavia is still one of the best family hatches on the market. It has a wealth of talent that’s hard to beat, thanks to its spacious cabin, vast boot, engaging drive and low running costs.