Through the range
How much will it cost to buy?
The Octavia might be brand new, but there are already lease deals available on the one and only trim level Skoda is offering from launch with this 2.0 TDI 150 DSG powertrain. You can expect regular Se and Se L models to hit dealers once the initial ‘First edition’ wave of launch cars are sold and the trim structure is altered.
All of the Simply Clever features Skoda is known for come fitted as standard, along with a 10.25-inch digital dash, the brand’s Columbus 10-inch satellite-navigation infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus five USB-C ports. Also included are adaptive cruise and dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, connected services, heated seats and 17-inch alloy wheels.
With nine months’ initial rental on a three-year lease deal limited to 10,000 miles per year, this car will cost you £463 a month. That might look pricey, but it’s to be expected of a new, top trim level.
our choice:
Options only
PRICE: £29,225
TAKING on the Octavia is no mean feat, but because the new car is now more premium and also pricier, is there a new value king in the family estate market? We’re pitching the Skoda against Toyota’s Corolla Touring Sports estate to find out.
Design & engineering
WHEN Toyota brought back the
Corolla nameplate it was a real return to form for the Japanese brand’s family car offerings. Toyota’s New Global Architecture platform, on which the car is based, brought many benefits, such as a more sophisticated double-wishbone rear suspension layout compared with the Skoda’s, while the hybrid powertrain is hi-tech, too.
There’s no diesel option here. Hybrid is where it’s at if you want efficiency, and with a 1.8-litre non-turbo petrol engine linked to an electric motor, there’s strong efficiency potential and enough performance.
Together, both motors deliver a total of 120bhp, but while this is some way down on the Skoda’s output, the low-down instant hit of electrical assistance helps, as does the CVT automatic transmission through which the Toyota drives its front wheels.
This is because the gearbox holds the engine’s revs at the optimum point for maximum acceleration when you need it; it causes one or two refinement issues occasionally, but it helps performance. It’s an improvement on older CVTs, too, because most of the time it behaves like a normal automatic.
It’s a different engineering approach that works as well as the Skoda’s powertrain. Yet the cabin quality isn’t quite as strong as the Octavia’s. The materials feel hard-wearing, but they’re not quite as soft or as nice as those in the Skoda’s updated interior.
Trek trim features body cladding and a 20mmhigher ride height. However, forget the notion that this is in any way an off-road-focused estate. It’s still only two-wheel drive. Instead, that extra ride height means a little more suspension travel and therefore a similar focus on comfort and usability to the Skoda; and priced at £29, 225, the Toyota is a natural rival.
For that money you get a level of kit to rival the SE L First Edition Octavia, including sat-nav, smartphone connectivity, keyless operation, climate and adaptive cruise control, front and rear heated seats, parking sensors and a reversing camera.
Driving
ENGINE: 1.8-litre 4cyl + e-motor, 120bhp
THE Toyota is as relaxed on the move as the Skoda. In fact, the Corolla rides even better than the Octavia, and you can really feel the benefits of that rear suspension over potholes and harsher bumps. The Corolla still has great body control, but the way it more softly rounds the edges off bumps is welcome and makes for soothing progress on any type of road.
The chassis set-up means it’s also surprisingly good to drive. It feels better tied down than the Octavia, too, with weightier steering that’s just as precise to make the most of the good level of grip on offer.
The Toyota’s powertrain mostly backs up this level of relaxation – assuming you don’t ask too much of it. Use full throttle and you won’t make the most of the efficiency benefits, but you will accelerate from 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds. It doesn’t feel as urgent