Fourth-generation Skoda Octavia

The Skoda Octavia has reached its fourth generation and looks like this new model proves that they want to stay with us despite crossovers mercilessly slowing its sales down. With the promise of a new emotional styling, more luxurious interior, fuel-efficient powertrains, and cutting-edge technology, the all-new Octavia really means business for the typical Czech salarymen.

Starting at around 493 900 Kč, the all-new Octavia puts luxury, practicality, performance, and tech in its spotlight with the pricing that is near the salaryman's reach. You can think of it as a BMW 3-Series on a budget because, well, it's the styling that explains a lot. Even though it dons Skoda's new signature look first seen in the Scala, a hard squint on the exterior design will make you tell that it's like an Audi A4 with the TT's front lamps and the nose of a regular BMW 3-Series. It's a luxury car on a budget, you can really tell and although some would call it serious, others will have second thoughts about the new look.

On the interior, this is where the real drama begins because the new Octavia's interior, like most today's tech-savvy cars, went to the minimalist route, which is bad news for speedo boys tempting to drive one. Look around and you couldn't find buttons for the volume and aircon because it's all in this touchscreen which explains a lot. While speedo boys are lamenting over the new model's minimalist interior, the comfort around it really makes a big statement on this new car. Because it's longer than the old one, the new Octavia can hold as much as 600 litres of boot space, which is not bad in liftback guise, but if you go for its Combi and its offroad-focused Scout sibling, you can store a lot more without explanation.

In its regular form, the new Octavia offers a healthy choice of petrol, diesel, and CNG engines and for the first time, it can be offered with the powerful and efficient 1.4 TSI iV plug-in hybrid powertrain which produces up to 150kw of power and while mated to a 6-speed AT, it can go from 0-100kph in 7.7 seconds and onwards to 220kph while fuel efficiency is a combined 1.2L/100km. The Scout, meanwhile, is offered only in 2.0 diesel with a 48v mild hybrid tech while mated to a 6-speed MT or a 7-speed AT, and on the high-performance RS variants, which starts at 889,900 Kč, it can be fitted with either a 1.4 TSi iV with 1.5L/100km of fuel economy, a 2.0 TDi which is the one to avoid in today's Europe, and the ultimate serving of the lineup which is the 180kW 2.0 TSi engine mated to a 6-speed manual that can get through 0-100kph in less than seven seconds and electronically limited to 250kph.

On the dynamics side, the new Octavia can be either more fun to drive as the old one or more comfortable to drive just by fiddling with different chassis options to go for including the Dynamic Chassis Control with Driving Mode Select. It's the same goes for the RS variants which puts sporty handling on its crosshairs but the Scout loves to get itself dirty because of its Rough-Road package with a special off-road function that allows this sport utility wagon to claw through dirt in a middle of a Sunday drive at Hannibal's.

In the essence of tech, the new Octavia can be loaded with numerous driver assistance systems as well as LED Matrix headlights, and so much more, giving the drivers plenty of ways to get themselves noticed on the road.

Be it for work or for play, the typical salaryman favorite from Skoda just got a new lease of life with this fourth generation model. Although it's having a hard time catching up against the crossovers from the Skoda family tree, the all-new Octavia still continues where its previous generations left off in a new and noticeable way whether you like it or not.

Photo: Skoda Auto

Seat Leon X-Perience vs. Skoda Octavia (Typ 5E) Scout

2015 Seat Leon X-Perience

When the third-generation Seat Leon launched two years ago and being the first for Seat to wear the groundbreaking VW Group's MQB platform, the once five-door hatchback-only Leon has grown into different body styles ranging from the three door SC, high-performance Cupra, ST estate, and now this, the X-Perience crossover.

2015 Seat Leon X-Perience interior

2015 Seat Leon X-Perience

At first glance, the X-Perience looks nothing more than the rugged version of the Leon ST, the estate version, but for this model, this was made for those who are thrill seekers and those who want to go all out to experience their outdoor lifestyles their way. To differentiate it from the ST, the X-Perience is 27mm higher than the mentioned model and unlike any other cars that focused on toughening their looks for styling purposes and not for the outdoor-minded kind of way, the X-Perience is fitted with the permanent AWD system featuring a Haldex multi-plate clutch with hydraulic actuation and electronic control.

Which means, this is unlike any other crossover variations that only comes with front-wheel drive and this is a great car to drive on a day-to-day basis, even when the weather starts to go wet or cold, or when facing against a tarmac, gravel, or snow. On the road, it's not afraid to face another road bump or pothole it face against although some thudding may occur and when taken off the road, you can really feel how its AWD system do its magic. It feels a lot mild to drive as well because this is an all-rounder that you can afford one for only 23,730 Euros in Spain. That sounds more expensive than the ST where it's based at but for an all-rounder, you can afford one than one of these I lined up...

2015 Skoda Octavia Scout

This is the brand new Octavia Scout from Skoda. Although this is priced at around 690,900 Kč or around 25,000 Euros, it still has the same all-wheel drive system as the Leon X-Perience as well as the increased height capable for a tall wagon like this. They both work well on and off the road but the differences between those two lies within their bonnets.

On the X-Perience, it's available with a turbocharged 1.8 TSi, a 1.6 TDi, and a 2.0 TDi engine with two different power outputs, where the top tier has 184PS of power output and mated with the double clutch gearbox. The Scout, on the other hand, has the same 1.8 TSi petrol and the 2.0 TDi diesel engine as the X-Perience with the high-end model has the same 184PS of power output and a 6-speed DSG gearbox as well! In terms of fuel economy, the X-Perience with the 2.0 TDi and DSG can achieve a combined fuel economy of 4.9L/100km while the Scout with the same spec as the X-Perience's can achieve a combined fuel economy of 5.1L/100km.

For the X-Perience with the said specs, 0-100kph takes about 7.1 seconds and top speed of 224kph while the Scout with the said specs can get to 100kph in 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 228kph. Looks like both of them can trade punches every time now, proving which one is better for a family outing during the long winter months.

2015 Skoda Octavia Scout interior

2015 Skoda Octavia Scout

So, while the bigger Scout has identical characteristics compared to the smaller X-Perience, what's like to drive the car that costs more than the X-Perience? Well, even if it's more expensive than the Seat, it still works very well either on and off the road and it has enough room for some emergency supplies in case the wind gets more briskier as well as enough room for an arctic commando to carry around with you if you need advice to set up a shelter on the snow. That sounds stupid but on these conditions, this sport utility wagon does work its magic very well and unlike its chief rival, the Subaru Outback, it feels more engaging than ever and a lot more fun to drive.

If this car works well for a ski holiday, I would want to have one of these but in case when the temperatures start to improve slightly, feels like its adventurous character is slowly fading and it's reverting into a car suitable to drive at your nearest grocery but it doesn't even matter because adventurous or not, the Octavia Scout knows that every day is an adventure. It's like a young man doing wakeboarding by day and goes to the office with his coat and tie ready while getting rid of water from his head after hours of getting wiped out during wakeboarding hours.

2015 Seat Leon X-Perience

2015 Skoda Octavia Scout

Of course, both the Leon X-Perience and the Octavia Scout have the same all-wheel drive, the same heightened ground clearance fit for crossovers too many, the same luggage space that works well with winter emergency supplies, and nearly the same engine choices but when it comes to price and performance, it's hard to sum up which one is better but either way, those sport utility wagons do work well on any road surface and they're nearly capable of being weekend dads just to pass the time. Try both and you decide before you buy.

Photo: SEAT, Skoda Auto

Škoda Octavia (Typ 5E) RS

2014 Skoda Octavia RS and 2014 Skoda Octavia Combi RS

Once again, I'm disrespecting another high-performance version of an everyday car and this time it's the turn of the hot version of the third-generation Skoda Octavia. RS or vRS, whatever you call it, returns for the all new Skoda Octavia and what I'm unaware is that Skoda claims that this new model is the most powerful Octavia in the world (*at this moment in time). Hmmm... The most powerful Octavia in the world, huh? I'm not so sure if this kind of superlative makes sense and to find out, I have to dissect the vRS' potentials one by one by one.

Starting first on how it behaves or misbehaves in a mindless kind of way. Okay, while Skoda says this is the ultimate version of the new Octavia, which is nothing more of a Volkswagen Golf for the elder gentlemen, there are two kinds of engines available for the new Octavia RS. One is a turbocharged two-litre petrol engine and the other one is a two-litre diesel engine which doesn't make any sense for this superlative.

2014 Skoda Octavia RS

First of all, the 2.0L TSi engine, that's what we're focusing at, develops 220HP of power and when mated with a six-speed manual, it takes 0-100kph in 6.8 seconds, that's a 0.4 second improvement over the previous model and with the 248kph flat out speed, it's faster as well. No wonder I was agreeing to this kind of superlative though. Hmmm...This is the most powerful Octavia ever made, I had to be careful not to let my brain explode...

So, what about the diesel version? Well, for the downside, you'll sacrifice power over fuel economy because this diesel engine develops 184HP of power, 0-100kph in 8.1 seconds, 232kph flat out speed, and 119g/km of CO2 emissions, which some say it's a 19% improvement over the old model.

At first glance, I thought I was going to disrespect this machine but it wasn't worth it. This machine really loves to play silly tricks on its sleeves and driving one of these feels like you are in a one way trip to Hallucination-ville. Or perhaps, the way it behaves feels like you've been running through an olympic-sized pool...filled with custard. Whoops. Just saying the old "walk through a pool full of custard" stuff. Where did I heard that from?

2014 Skoda Octavia Combi RS

Anyway, while this is like running through a pool full of custard, it's still a Czechoslovakian sub machine-gun disguised as a laptop. You'd never know what will hit you next but thanks to all those character-building traits, the Octavia RS is made for the mad, the bad, and the downright stupid. Whether if you were in the saloon version, which costs 619,900 Kč, or in the station wagon version, the Combi, which costs 654,900 Kč, the choice of having either a 2.0L petrol or a 2.0L diesel, mated with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed double clutch AT, it's still one of the best Skodas to have since the Fabia.

2014 Skoda Octavia RS interior

So, after driving this, I had to realize which is funnier than driving the Octavia RS. Is it hot chicks blowing too much caravans? Blokes peeing on a wounded man on the street? Putting a CD on a microwave? I don't know but this isn't all brainy stuff because driving the Octavia RS will give drivers the same feelings you'd expect on the ones I'd mentioned. Even though it has the best of both worlds, your desire to abuse this in the name of science remains inevitable.

Thank you Skoda, and thanks for dropping by.

Photo: Skoda Auto

Škoda Octavia (Typ 5E)

2014 Skoda Octavia

Now, let's take a look at the brand new Skoda Octavia. Now on its third-generation, you might think that the newly regenerated Octavia would be about as promising as a luxury car three times its pricing but it wasn't. It needs a lot of consideration and determination to figure out what's what about the new Octavia. What to consider about the new look is its design. First of all, it was designed by the same man behind the ultra-fast Bugatti Veyron so you might think this is going to be the "other" Veyron but don't be silly because it isn't. This is just an average midsize car made by Volkswagen...or rather a cousin to the Passat...maybe not.

It's rude to call it the cousin of the Passat but the new model is now built on the brand new MQB variable platform first applied on the Seat Leon, Audi A3, and the VW Golf VII so this new model is 90mm longer and 45mm wider than its predecessor.

2014 Skoda Octavia interior

Which means, that with this new platform, the new Octavia from Skoda sets interior spacing benchmark which is about the equivalent of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Let's just put in other words, okay? I mean, look at this new interior, it's well matured and it's about as comfortable as the E-Class but sadly, I'm referring to the W210 E-Class but still the new Octavia interior feels a bit more generous. Take a look at the seats, it feels perfectly angled and the space on the back is just fine. If this car's went on sale in China, the rear legroom is a plus one for this car because in China, space in the back matters most than everyone. Anyway, forget about that space in the back commotion, let's go back to the basics...

First of all, the new Octavia, built in Mlada Boleslav, designed by the man behind the Bugatti Veyron, and available for 334,900 Kč, it is available in two body styles to choose from; the sedan version for those who are feeling a bit upperclassman or a Combi version for the posh mom who spends some time buying something at the groceries.

2014 Skoda Octavia Combi

Either way, they're both offered with a choice of either three petrol engines (1.2, 1.4, 1.8) or two diesel engines (1.6, 2.0) and depending on which engine choice, transmission choices include either a 5-speed manual, a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed double clutch or a 7-speed double clutch transmission. An Octavia with a 1.8L petrol engine has a 0-60mph time of under 7 seconds and a top speed of 143mph so it's not what you called quick but it is somewhat faster than the Volkswagen Passat B7 with that same kind of engine. Hmmm...not bad though...not bad. Not only that, it's lighter than the Passat B7 as well. Bonus!

Anyway, let's not get too bonus-y about the specs because it's now time to find out how well the Octavia is as a driver's car. Well, being a saloon car, it has a lot of concessions for comfort to keep the passengers feel fine as if they were like taking themselves to the prom at their nearest high school in the neighborhood. Surprisingly, on the normal roads, the Octavia's well too comfortable and it's not that bad to drive. It maybe fine on normal roads but on open roads, it's a tad old-fashioned. It maybe not as exciting as a Mercedes but the new Octavia is more than welcomed for those who want to cruise around for some quiet time.

2014 Skoda Octavia

So for my final verdict, the new Skoda Octavia is far enough to become a global midsize car that uses the new platform as applied on the VW Golf. It may not be worth a redeemable saloon car, it may not be quite agile, it may not be exciting to look at, and it may not be a cheaper alternative to uber-luxury saloons from Germany but it has all of the luxury amenities far from being premium and it's a just-size for any driver no matter how tall they are. So, the question is, would you go for this one more than the VW Passat B7? Jury's out...

Photo: Skoda Auto