Skoda Roomster 1.2 12V HTP Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Skoda Roomster 1.2 12V HTP 70bhp
Prices: £11,260 - on the road
Insurance Group: 2E
Emissions: 159g/km
Performance: 0-60mph 15.9s / Max Speed 98mph
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 51mpg
Safety: ABS, front, side and curtain airbags. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length/Width/Height 4205/1648/1607mm

ROOM MIESTER

Our Rating: 6.9 / 10

Skoda’s entry-level Roomster offers an intriguing option for those seeking an economical family transport. Jonathan Crouch reports…

If you were to be told that Skoda had built a van-based mini MPV, you’d expect it to be good value. And their Roomster is, assuming you take the time to appreciate all its virtues. The fact remains however, that all the models available price at around the £12,000 mark. All except one: the three cylinder 1.2-litre 12-valve entry-level variant we’re looking at here.

I always think that experiencing an entry-level variant is the best way to fully understand any fresh design – and the Roomster’s concept is certainly fresh. Sure, we’ve had van-based mini-MPVs for years – cars like Citroen’s Berlingo Multispace and Renault’s Kangoo – but these were, and are, vans with windows and seats: no more, no less. The Roomster, in contrast, takes a van’s simplicity and a car’s more passenger-orientated design and blends the best of both into an affordable package. Particularly affordable in the case of the 1.2-litre model listed here.

This the first Skoda of the modern era not to be based on a Volkswagen platform. Every other model in the Czech company’s range sits on either Volkswagen Golf or Passat underpinnings. The reason that’s important is that free of Wolfsburg model shackles, the Skoda designers have been able to create something that’s genuinely different: and from the average family’s point of view, genuinely useful.

For example, the clever folding chairs of this five-seater design allow you to make the most of its sizeable cabin space. The area inside is divided into a separate ‘driving environment’ for the front two occupants and a separate 'living room' area for the passengers. The driving position is comfortable, with a good degree of adjustment and much less upright than in most MPV products. Quality materials have also been used and build quality is excellent.

As you progress rearward, you enter the Roomster’s ‘Living Room’ and it’s here that the vehicle’s van-like silhouette pays dividends. The roofline steps up, allowing the rear seats to be mounted 46mm higher than those in the front: this boosts the space available to passengers. Leg and headroom are both extremely generous and there’s a light, airy feel to the space thanks to the large windows. Skoda’s pre-design research pointed out that children become bored more quickly if they don’t have a good view of the scenery.

The rear seating has also been thoughtfully designed. All three sections of the rear bench are individually foldable and removable. They also recline as well as sliding fore and aft so that owners can choose either to maximise passenger legroom or to bump up capacity in the extremely generous boot behind. This boot is accessed through a large tailgate which lifts to reveal a capacity of 450 litres. Then, depending on the position of the rear seats, owners have the option of increasing that cargo space right up to a truly van-like 1,780 litres - which is achieved when all three seats are positioned in the garage at home. All this helps to open up a wide range of potential interior configurations for the Roomster – a real strength when it comes to meeting the varying needs of modern families.

And that engine? Well this part of the car is shared with Volkswagen products, being the 70bhp 1.2-litre 12-valve petrol unit found in the Polo. You wouldn’t expect it to be very fast and it isn’t: still, rest to sixty in around 15 seconds on the way to a top speed of around 100mph should be more than ample for the needs of most potential users. More relevant will be an average fuel consumption figure that should regularly see the right side of 45mpg.

There’s no doubt that, with its composed handling and clever interior, the Roomster 1.2-litre is a far more sophisticated proposition than your typical van-based MPV. Only base Roomster 1 specification is being offered with this engine but this should supply most of the basic items that families are looking for. There’s an MP3-compatible CD stereo, ABS brakes, central door locking, an immobiliser, rear fog lights, electric front windows driver and passenger airbags, curtain airbags and tinted glass. The only notable feature missing is air conditioning, something I’d tick the options box for given all that glass area.

To go with its car-like driving position, the Roomster also delivers impressively car-like handling. Despite the