The Skoda Octavia is the brand’s most popular model, boasting of 3.7 million in sales since 1996. We can credit its success to the brand’s rise into the Volkswagen Group. Since its release, the Octavia has achieved several improvements to its initial features. While the latest Octavia features a body bigger than the more compact Rapid hatchback, both vehicles are able to stand out according to their distinct images.

Pros

The Octavia’s design features more flexibility, as seen in the 50mm addition to the wheelbase’s length. There’s also more rear legroom, 90mm more to the vehicle’s overall length, and far-flung C-pillars as the new design’s dramatic additions. Despite the additional length, the latest Octavia still has a lighter weight than its predecessor thanks to the use of lighter materials. The design also impresses aesthetically, as the width and height additions are well proportioned to provide a balanced overall look.

The interior also boasts of a practical and straightforward design. There’s enough space up front for the driver and passenger thanks to the flat, large seats. You’ll have no problem settling into the chairs during longer journeys. The rear seats are just as accommodating and larger passengers will have no problems settling in thanks to the large headroom, wide door openings, and the large seat base. You can also add more boot space by folding back the rear seats. With the rear seats, the boot can fit 590 litres but can reach up to 1590 once all chairs are folded.

The cabin is clean and simple in appearance and has all the dials placed in easy to read display systems. Buttons are also large enough for easy access and quick pressing. The basic Skoda Octavias include the basic equipment such as door mirrors, an emergency braking system, and electric front windows. The SE models include dual zone climate control, fatigue detection, and parking sensors.

The Octavia performs adequately on its four engines: a 1.2-litre petrol at 103bhp, the 1.4-litre petrol at 138bhp, a 1.6-litre diesel at 103bhp, and the 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel. The 2.0-litre diesel engine and TSI petrol come with a six-speed manual gearbox, while five-speed unit can be acquired with the 1.6-litre diesel.

Cons

Although the engines do the job for the most part, the 1.6-litre diesel is still rather slow despite its low emissions and efficient fuel economy. It’s a pretty ordinary engine and can only deliver slow speeds. It’s also limited by the five-speed manual gearbox and is a serious downgrade next to the six-speed gearbox partnered with other engines. This type of performance is only acceptable to drivers who don’t need to go to fast or aren’t after a particular speed on the road. The only upside is the engine’s flexible and quiet performance.

We would pick the 2.0-litre diesel as our engine, but we wouldn’t take out the petrol engines out of the picture either. As we mentioned, they’re very quiet and smooth in performance. Running costs aren’t as expensive. Your choice will depend on the kind of performance and speed limits you are likely to experience on a daily basis.

The small family car Skoda Octavia is produced by the Czech automobile manufacturer, Skoda, a subsidiary of the automotive giant, Volkswagen Group. Although first released in 1996, this car was actually a revival of a Skoda model produced in 1959. To date, there have been three generations of the Octavia model.

Octavia through the Years

In 1959, the first Octavia was released and sold in the UK. The three-door Octavia, with its pre-war design, came with a heater, reclining seats, and a screen washer ̶ a one-of-its-kind in its time. In 1996, its most sophisticated version, at that time, appeared. The five-door hatchback, which ran until 2010, was a success despite selling side by side its competitions, the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall’s Vectra model. Through the years, the Octavia has had power upgrades and design modernizations to make it the powerful vehicle it is today.

The Octavia today

On December 11, 2012, the third generation Skoda Octavia was revealed to the public, designed by no less than Slovak automobile designer himself, Jozef Kaban. This new generation Octavia is bigger and better equipped, with an interior space of 1782mm! And, unlike its predecessors’ heavy-tail look, it has a smoother and more suave styling, definitely the lightest yet strongest model yet!