Skoda Octavia Estate
Czech load-lugger sets the benchmark for space and practicality in this class
MODEL TESTED: Skoda Octavia Estate 1.5 TSI 150 SE Drive PRICE: £22,765 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 148bhp
AFTER yet another win at our New Car Awards (Issue 1,583), the Skoda Octavia is our Estate Car of the Year. We’re testing the 1.5 TSI manual in midspec SE Drive trim (our pictures show Sportline), which costs £22,765, so is competitively priced.
Design & engineering
ONE of the most interesting but imperceptible technological features of the Skoda Octavia Estate centres around the 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that we’re testing here.
There’s nothing unusual about its output of 148bhp and 250Nm of torque. These figures are similar to its rivals – the latter more than either, while the Octavia weighs less, at 1, 227kg.
Instead the tech focuses on the Active Cylinder Technology (ACT) system that shuts down two of four cylinders when you’re only lightly on the accelerator between 1,400 and 4,000rpm, which helps boost economy. The switch between two and four-cylinder mode isn’t noticeable, so doesn’t affect refinement.
This is a shared VW Group engine, and in some situations when mated to a DSG gearbox it can even switch the engine off when coasting. Here the Skoda uses a six-speed manual though, while its MQB chassis is also a common VW Group product.
Inside, the Octavia has a more upright feel than even the Renault’s cabin and its portrait-oriented centre console, but quality is good. The Skoda’s interior feels solid and practical, but without harming quality; the Octavia gives the best impression.
SE Drive trim gets a good level of kit. It doesn’t quite match the Kia with items like a reversing camera (£380) or AEB (£320), but it does get parking sensors, climate and cruise control, sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so it has a base level of equipment that you don’t really need to add to.
There are more safety and convenience features you can specify to make the Octavia easier to live with, but extras such as leather and a digital dash aren’t available – the latter does come as an option on some trim levels, but not here on SE Drive.
Driving
THE Octavia offers the best balance of performance, handling and ride comfort of these three. It was the quickest from 0-60mph, at 8.7 seconds, which is plenty fast enough for this kind of car, while it backed this up with good flexibility thanks to its highest torque output.
It balances comfort and compliance with body control and composure, too, so it serves up the most relaxed ride as well as the most grip, which is a great combination.
The steering is also the most precise due to that grip, so it inspires more confidence if you need or want to drive a series of bends that bit quicker.
The 1.5 TSI engine is refined – you don’t notice it cutting out in ACT mode, and it revs smoothly on full throttle. It’s a bit noisier at higher revs, but certainly no worse than its rivals because the percussion from under the bonnet is fairly well suppressed.
It also has the nicest manual gearbox, although we have reported on juddering issues with this engine/ and gearbox (Issue 1,586). It’s light and easy in town, helped by the car’s fine visibility. Of the three, it gives the best balance of the attributes a car like this needs.
Practicality
THE Octavia’s boot is 15 litres down on the Kia’s, but the squarer tailgate means it’s just as usable; we don’t think you’ll notice that extra space with the seats up in 99.9 per cent of cases. With the seats down, the Skoda offers more total space, at 1,740 litres compared with 1,694 litres in the Kia. The Renault lags behind, with 521 and 1,433 litres with the seats up and down respectively.
Given that these cars will have to cope with family life, there’s more to practicality than just sheer boot space. The Octavia offers masses of legroom in the rear, too, and plenty of headroom. But there are also some very clever touches and options – little features such as a built-in ice scraper in the filler flap.
Storage is great in the front so the cabin is practical, with a more spacious feel and plenty of trinket areas. This is why it equals the Kia here.
Ownership
AS with Kia, Skoda is a company that usually puts in a great performance in our Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, but it couldn’t quite match the Korean brand in our most recent study.
It took fifth overall, and eighth in the dealer section, with Skoda ranked second for boot space and practicality by owners, plus fourth for reliability and build quality. Kia came third in both of these categories by way of comparison, while Renault ranked just 25th and 24th respectively, highlighting its much poorer result.
The Skoda doesn’t get as much standard safety tech as the Kia though, with autonomous braking only available as a £320 option. You can also add lane-keep assist for £460. Still, the Octavia scored a full five-star Euro NCAP rating.
Running costs
THE Skoda, Kia and Renault returned
37.8, 36.4 and 36.2mpg respectively, which means an annual fuel cost over 12,000 miles of £1,859, £1,930 and £1,941, so there won’t be much between all three at the pumps.
Skoda’s £342 two-year servicing package works out at £171 a year in maintenance, while the Renault’s annual servicing costs come in at £150. However, it’s the Kia’s £429 three-year up-front maintenance package that works out cheapest, at £143 per year.