Skoda’s practical and spacious family hatchback takes a step up in size
Any list of spacious family shuttles for buyers to consider will have a Skoda featuring high up in it. Nine times out of 10, that Skoda will be the Octavia, thanks to its all-round ability, pleasing road manners and unwavering durability.Whether you’re loading up the estate with your kids and clobber or filling the passenger seats with riff-raff from the town centre to taxi them home, the Octavia is like an old friend: it won’t let you down, whatever the circumstances.Early versions are pretty leggy and show their age rather poorly, so it’s the third-generation car we’re championing here. It’s smart-looking (the post-2017 facelift particularly so), ticks the family car boxes and costs from around £3000.From launch you had a choice of 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol fours, making 104bhp and 138bhp respectively.Both are smooth and efficient, but the 1.4 does offer more poke and is the better fit in the slightly heavier estate – and even if you’re a regular motorway user you’ll get around 40mpg out of it.If you’re after more fuel economy then the diesels are a better pick, but we’d avoid the sluggish 1.6 TDI, despite a claimed 72mpg.Instead go for the tank-like 148bhp 2.0 TDI: it offers brisk performance and decent refinement and frugality, and it’s quiet at idle and remains so under harsher acceleration.The balance of performance and efficiency is impressive, and the ride and handling is competent, but don’t expect too much in the way of excitement.If you’re looking for a dynamic edge – and a bit more oomph – then we’d direct you towards the vRS variants. Pleasingly, you have a choice of petrol and diesel, but while the oil-burner has plenty of torque and 181bhp, we’d select the 217bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol for the true sporty experience.Economy isn’t terrible, and there are several specialists that can up the power to well above 300bhp should you wish. Four-wheel drive could be added as an option, but these are in shorter supply in the classifieds.If you want your Octavia to be a year-round warrior that’s as comfortable on the road as it is barrelling down a gravel track, there’s the four-wheel-drive Scout.Its raised suspension, plastic bumpers and underbody protection give it a rugged aesthetic, and its mix of genuine off-road dynamics, comfort and refinement make it a solid choice.You can choose between a six-speed manual or a DSG dual-clutch auto from the Volkswagen Group parts bin: both are smooth and easy to get along with, so really it will come down to personal preference. VW Group hardware abounds: the Octavia sits on the MQB platform, but it has a slightly bigger wheelbase than the technically related Volkswagen Golf.The Octavia’s cabin itself is both roomy and spacious, and both the estate and hatchback models trumped rivals on boot space, with the former offering up to 610 litres of capacity and the hatchback an impressive 590 litres.Inside, the cabin is simple and straightforward with clear controls and decent materials. There are some signs of austerity lower down with some scratchier plastics, and if you’re after more quality and better technology, the facelifted version is the one to go for.Try to find a later car with the 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system if you can – it’s the same as the one in the Mk7.5 Golf and it’s graphically strong and easy to use.Other than that, you needn’t worry too much about trim levels, because this isn’t a showy car for bragging rights in a supermarket or pub car park.The Octavia is a people’s car through and through, and anyone looking for a comfortable, hassle-free family car could do little better.
