Skoda Octavia 2021 long-term review
Does the Octavia remain an excellent affordable family car in its new generation?
*Why we’re running it: *To discover whether this fourth- generation best-seller continues to impress as the left-field family car
-Month 1 - Specs-
-Life with a Skoda Octavia: Month 1-
*Simply Skoda essentials - 24 February 2021*
Back in 2005, my Volkswagen Polo had a secret underseat drawer that appealed to someone who likes unexpected compartments (I don’t get out much). It’s why I’ve always liked the umbrella hidden in the door of Skodas. It’s proving to be more than just a gimmick in the Octavia: I’ve used it many times recently as succour from my disorganisation.
*Mileage: 1001*
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*Price savings because of the badge - 10 February 2021*
Skodas have long been known for their value. Looking at the Octavia’s options, the Winter Pack (heated seats, heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, heated windscreen and washer nozzles) costs £935. How does that compare with its pricier VW Golf sibling? What appears an identical pack is £1200, so the Octavia’s is 28% cheaper.
*Mileage: 682*
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*Welcoming the Octavia to the fleet - 27 January 2021*
The Octavia has long been, in my eyes, a motoring journalist’s best kept secret.
That’s not to give the model its due, really; it is, after all, Skoda’s best global (and UK) seller, and it has won plenty of accolades, including recently being named Britain’s Best Family Car in estate guise by Autocar.
But still, people either know this car or they don’t. If they know it, they recognise that it’s held in high regard by owners, but if they don’t know it, they tend not to have heard of it and are probably still in that camp of people who aren’t yet quite convinced by the Czech brand.
It’s a tired line, since Skoda has been on the up and up for more than a decade now, but so entrenched are some people’s opinions that Skoda is still gaining ground.
In fact, it often shines among its Volkswagen Group peers; even in 2020, of all years, it recorded a ¤469 million (£416.1m) operating profit for January to September and a return on sales of 3.9%, despite the number of cars it delivered falling by a fifth.
Across 2020, Skoda sold 257,400 Octavias worldwide, nearly double that of its second-biggest seller, the Karoq SUV. It’s a little bit important to the brand, then...
You will probably be familiar with the Octavia formula: it sits on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, also used by the Golf, Audi A3 and many more, and it closely echoes those cars in terms of engines and technology – but at more affordable prices, in part thanks to the Czech Republic’s lower production costs. The Golf has long been a more premium rival to the Octavia, but equally the Octavia has traditionally sat in an awkward dimension bracket, meaning it actually falls between the Golf and Passat for size.
Probably because Skoda is keen to push its smaller Scala as the real Golf rival, the latest Octavia is 19mm longer than the outgoing hatchback, 22mm longer than the old estate and 15mm wider than both, helping to differentiate between the two. Plus, let’s be honest, the Octavia ‘hatch’ is much closer to a saloon in its styling. There are no big surprises for this fourth-generation Octavia. It keeps getting better looking – to my eyes, anyway – in both its hatch and estate bodystyles, plus it’s offered with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains for the first time.
Those slightly bigger dimensions mean even more interior space, for which the Octavia was already famed. With 30 litres more boot space than before, the hatch has 640 litres; the Golf has 380 litres.
We’re going to be exploring two ends of the diesel Octavia spectrum. First up is the frugal 2.0 TDI 114bhp hatch in mid-range SE L trim, so we can experience life with the more practical, longer-mileage diesel option. Then, in a few months, we will switch to the popular top-of-therange vRS TDI performance estate. While many makers are ditching diesel altogether, Skoda (and the wider Volkswagen Group) is sticking with it for the time being.
Predictions for Octavia sales in the UK suggest 20% will be diesel, 10% will be the plug-in hybrid and the remaining 70% will be petrol.
There are two 1.0-litre TSI petrols, one with mild-hybrid tech, as well as a 1.5-litre TSI unit, while the 2.0-litre TDI we’re running is the only diesel available. The iV PHEV will arrive soon, powered by a 1.4-litre petrol engine and a 101bhp electric motor.
The diesel just about wins the CO2 race, with emissions starting from 113g/km – 2g fewer than the mild-hybrid 1.0 TSI. Our first long-termer is finished in Race Blue metallic paint, a £595 option and a welcome addition for Autocar’s photographers, who always want brightly coloured cars to shoot. It’s not the norm, though: historically, the most popular colour is Quartz Grey. That’s not surprising when you consider that the Octavia is the safe, sensible bet for businesses, to which 80% of its sales go.
A few other options have been added to our £26,060 SE L model, which is already heavily specified, although I suspect that the most welcome for this current season will be the £935 Winter Pack.
It’s early days with the Octavia, and so far it has matched my expectations, and that’s no bad thing. It feels like a trusty, middle-of-theroad car that’s hugely practical, easy to drive and comfortable, without setting your heart on fire.
On limited lockdown journeys around town, the relatively light steering means manoeuvring is easy while refinement swallows up speed bumps. The next few months will prove whether this car is as effortless as early impressions suggest.
*Second Opinion*
The new Octavia is by no means the most exciting long-termer I could imagine running, but I have absolutely no doubt that it will fit seamlessly
into Rachel’s life. That is what’s so appealing about these cars: they just get on with the job of being comfortable, practical, no-nonsense daily transport with minimal fuss or bother. Bland but very easygoing.
*Simon Davis*
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-Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI 114 SE L specification-
*Specs: Price New* £26,060 *Price as tested* £29,220 *Options*Blindspot detection £500, head-up display £690, LED interior light package £260, metallic paint £595, steel spacesaver spare wheel £180, Winter Pack £935
*Test Data: Engine* 1968cc, 4cyls, turbocharged diesel *Power* 114bhp at 2750rpm *Torque* 221lb ft at 1600rpm *Kerb weight* 1360kg *Top speed* 128mph *0-62mph* 10.4sec *Fuel economy* 65.7mpg *CO2* 111g/km *Faults* None *Expenses* None
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