Road test review: Skoda Octavia Style

Monday, 11 October 2021

• SKODA OCTAVIA STYLE

• Base price: $48,990

• Powertrain and economy: 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four, 110kW/250Nm, 8-speed automatic, FWD, combined economy 5.7L/100km, CO2 131g/km (source: RightCar).

• Vital statistics: 4689mm long, 1994mm wide, 1468mm high, 2686mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 640 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.

• We like: Strong and frugal engine. Well-equipped for the price. Brilliantly comfortable and so easy to live with.

• We don't like: A bit too conservative looking. Bigger wheels suit it better.

We’ve had the fantastic RS version of the latest iteration of the Skoda Octavia, but how does the entry-level Style model measure up?

So how does it measure up?

Obvious question. The new Skoda Octavia has long been one of our favourite cars on the big mix-and-match box of Lego that is the Volkswagen Group MQB platform, and now it has become one of the first to use the new “Evo” version of the ubiquitous vehicle architecture, joining the latest versions of the Audi A3, Seat/Cupra Leon and Volkswagen Golf MK8.

**READ MORE:

* Road test review: Volkswagen Golf GTI vs Skoda Octavia RS

* First drive review: Seat and Cupra Leon

* First drive review: Skoda Superb iV

* First drive review: Audi A3 and S3

**

And like all those new-gen cars from the VW Group, the Octavia is a delightfully lithe and responsive thing to drive, with wonderfully precise steering, agile handling and deeply impressive ride comfort.

Compared the more aggressive looks of the RS, the Style is definitely on the more conservative side, a feeling amplified by the dark metallic blue of our test car, while its comparatively ‘tiny’ 17-inch alloy wheels do look a tad underwhelming, something that can’t actually be remedied in the options sheet by ticking a larger set, as the 17s are all you get.

With a bigger set of wheels the Octavia would look like a far more expensive car than it actually is, however, so it would pay to see what your dealer could do there. Or take a trip to the local tyre shop for options…

So what’s it like on the road then?

While the Octavia Style is every bit as frugal as you would expect a smallish wagon with a modern engine to be – RightCar quotes an NEDC combined average consumption of 5.7l/100km for the wagon.

Which seems a pretty accurate reflection given my mainly around town running time in it (I got it the same week the country re-entered lockdown, so it was limited to short supermarket runs until things eased) – it was sitting on 7.1l/100km most of that time, almost bang-on Skoda’s NEDC urban consumption figure of 7.0.

Around town, it is punchy and smooth, while out on the open road it is a strong cruiser with a deeply impressive ride that betters most equivalently-sized SUVs. It also goes around corners far better than most SUVs as well, with an expected understeer-bias when pushing, but delightfully sharp and accurate responses.

What about the rest of it? I mean, it’s a wagon, so we guess you love that?

Of course. I am assuming regular readers will know by now that I am an unashamed fan of the venerable station wagon, a segment of the market that has come under particularly vicious assault by the buying public’s appetite for SUVs these days.

So, yes, I absolutely do love it because it is a wagon, but fortunately, the rest of it measures up in a very satisfactory manner as well.

The Octavia range is currently an all-wagon affair, with the brilliant RS topping the range at $58,990 and the Style opening it at $48,990. This means it sits $4k above the aforementioned Seat Leon wagon that packs the same engine and underpinnings, but it is also a notch above it in terms of equipment.

The Octavia’s interior is a pleasant mix of nice design and thoughtful touches like the clever crease that runs under the touchscreen and acts as a little self to steady your hand on. It is all nicely put together from high quality materials too, although there are a few hints of hard plastics the creep in here and there.

Overall though, the inside of the Octavia Style is a very pleasant place to spend time, with comfortable and supportive seats being another highlight.

Of course, being a wagon it also packs some impressive and useful boot space, with 640 litres on offer behind the rears seats and more than a metre of load length as well.

So does this mean it is better than an SUV?

Well, obviously it is.

If, like me, you don’t think you could ever bring yourself to buy an SUV (other than an uber-luxury monster or a proper off-road beast, that is) then something like the Octavia Style should be on your list.

It drives brilliantly, is fun on a winding road (if that is your thing), superbly comfortable, and wonderfully practical and easy to drive around town. If you are hanging around a Skoda showroom looking at a new Kodiaq or Karoq, then you really should cast an eye over the Octavia as well…

Any other cars I should consider?

The wagon space is a small one these days, and even smaller in this price range. Hyundai offers an i30 wagon ($38,990), while Toyota has the Corolla GX ($30,260), but both are much, much lower spec cars than the Skoda.

In a similar price bracket, but larger are the $47,295 Mazda6 GSX and the $49,990 Subaru Outback (the Levorg would be a closer size match, but has gone from the local line up until the new one lands) both of which are entry level, lower spec cars too.

The most obvious direct competitor for the Octavia, however, is that Seat Leon FR Sportstourer that is positioned to haunt it at every turn.

Packing the same engine and transmission as the Octavia, the Seat is $4k cheaper ($44,900), but lacks a lot of the Octavia’s standard equipment. Not that it is a low-spec car in any way, but it will probably come down to how much you like the brand and how much you will miss the Octavia’s half-leather upholstery.

Still, either represent an excellent wagon choice. And one less tick in the SUV sales column.