Test drive Skoda Octavia
Do not believe these pictures - the updated Octavia looks completely different: adult, charismatic and very stately. You get used to her cheeky split optics almost immediately.
Bucket-sized pits, steep waves on the asphalt, abruptly turning into a "washboard", and high joints that threaten hernias - the roads in the vicinity of Porto differ from those in Pskov, except for the presence of palm trees on both sides and obscene views of the Atlantic Ocean instead of a brown shoulder ... But the updated Skoda Octavia, honestly working out every flaw, makes it as usual easy, even without the "package for Russian roads". The liftback was omnivorous before, therefore, during the restyling, they did not modify the technical part, unlike its appearance - the Czechs really wanted the Octavia to stop being confused with the younger Rapid.
Don't trust the photos. The restyled Octavia looks much more harmoniously alive: asymmetric optics seem to be a logical and very adult design decision, and complex stampings are clearly visible only in sunlight. The Mercedes W212 styled optics are the idea of former chief designer Josef Kaban, who announced his move to BMW a couple of weeks ago. Skoda representatives say that the changes that have occurred with the Octavia cannot be regarded as an experiment. “Any project is approved at several levels, including a general meeting of the Volkswagen Group. This is the work of a huge team of people, ”explained a brand representative.
After the first day of acquaintance, you finally get used to the updated Octavia. Moreover, the pre-styling version looks a little outdated and boring against its background. Even at the back, where there seemed to be no change at all, Skoda managed to become more elegant due to the LED lights alone. In profile, the liftback is generally barely distinguishable from its predecessor - the updated version is issued only by the same headlights that are not visible except perhaps from behind.
In general, the Octavia has become meaner, more stately and a little more charismatic. The latter was just not enough for the third generation, which, against the background of the "second" Octavia, seemed too docile and too executive. The sad-looking liftback hated childless marriages and with all his Simply Clever stuff hinted that it would be nice to seat four passengers and hang all the hooks in the 590-liter trunk with supermarket bags. Now, inner kindness is combined with a stern look: when you see her slightly cheeky LEDs in the mirror, you want to cuddle to the right and give way.
But all this is a game for the audience: inside the Octavia remains the same kind and very family car. Moreover, there are even more useful little things. For example, simple protrusions appeared in the cup holders, thanks to which the bottle can be opened with one hand. One of the cup holders can be taken with a removable organizer, where you can place a mobile phone, several bank cards and a car key. Other useful little things include a regular umbrella under the front passenger seat and two USB ports in the back row at once.
The bright interior of the liftback looks especially elegant - such an interior can now be ordered starting with medium trim levels, whereas before it was available only in the most expensive version of Laurin & Klement. Octavia has matured in details: for example, the inside of the pockets in the door cards is trimmed with velvet, a soft rubber coating has appeared on the climate control unit, and the numbers on the speedometer and tachometer are decorated with a silver backing. But the main change in the interior is not even the ERA-GLONASS buttons in the ceiling, but the 9,2-inch screen of the Columbus multimedia system. Only the most expensive version has such a "TV", while the rest of the configurations received the same complexes. The system with the largest screen among all Skoda's works faster than many installations in cars from the premium segment, but, of course, it is still far from the smoothness of devices on iOS.
The Columbus is not the most practical element in the Octavia's cabin. The Czechs, apparently, were imbued with multimedia in the updated Toyota Corolla and decided that their representative of the C-class must also get touch buttons. And in vain: bold prints constantly remain on the surface, and the buttons themselves work with a slight delay.
The tachometer needle barely crossed the four thousand rpm mark when the engine turned into an unpleasant ringing. This did not affect the dynamics in any way: the Octavia continued to pick up speed, as if it should be. In a new reality, where the pursuit of fuel efficiency and low emissions has become an obsession, the big liftback gets a liter TSI. Three-cylinder 115 hp engine and 200 Nm of torque, the 100-ton car accelerates to 9,9 km / h in just 1,6 seconds - almost a second faster than the "Russian" 110 MPI with 1,0 horsepower. Moreover, XNUMX TSI is much more economical than an aspirated engine and feels better at track speeds, but such a motor will not be brought to us: it is afraid of low-quality fuel, and the resource of a low-volume supercharged engine is much lower than that of a larger aspirated engine.
The rest of the engine lineup has not changed. In Russia, the Octavia will be offered with two supercharged TSIs with a volume of 1,4 (150 hp) and 1,8 liters (180 horsepower). Will remain in the engine range and 1,6-liter "aspirated" for 110 forces. The most balanced option looks like a 150-horsepower engine. He has dynamics at the level of 8,2 s to 100 km / h and low fuel consumption compared to classmates - in the combined cycle during the test, the engine burned about 7 liters per “hundred”. The difference with the more powerful 1,8 can be felt only on the track: the "four" with a thrust of 250 Nm picks up speed almost linearly from any point.
And yet, something in the technical arsenal of the Octavia has changed. Now the liftback model will be offered with all-wheel drive, while before the restyling Octavia could be all-wheel drive only in the "station wagon". Usually the difference between the front- and all-wheel drive version is striking, but not in the case of the Czech liftback: it is extremely assembled even in the vicinity of Aveiro, where the asphalt has not been changed since the time of the Aviz dynasty. The tight suspension doesn't really need the DCC system, which changes the settings of the shock absorbers and the electric booster. A unique option in the entire segment, but without it, the Octavia rides so balanced and tight that choosing between Sport and Comfort is like adjusting the backlight in an iPhone.
After a spot update, the Octavia has risen in price slightly - by only $ 211 in the basic version. On average, $ 263 was added to the configuration, and the new modification - an all-wheel drive liftback - starts at $ 20 and reaches a price tag of $ 588 for the Laurin & Klement version. For the money that can be spent on two base Octavias, they will offer leather upholstery, a huge sunroof, 25-inch wheels, all-LED optics, the very Columbus multimedia with a huge screen, electric front seats and separate climate control.
The production cycle of the "third" Skoda Octavia has imperceptibly reached the equator. In 2012, looking at the Octavia in the back of the A5, it was hard to imagine a more practical golf-class car. The Czechs did it. But the current generation under the A7 index, and even after a successful update, is already, if not the C-segment ceiling, then very close to it. Dynamics at the level of yesterday's hot hatches, premium options, spaciousness like crossovers and economy of small cars - it is possible that the "fourth" Octavia will go to a higher class, and its place will be taken by the matured Rapid.
| Body type | |||
| Liftback | |||
| Dimensions: length / width / height, mm | |||
| 4670 / 1814 / 1461 | |||
| Wheelbase, mm | |||
| 2680 | |||
| Ground clearance, mm | |||
| 155 | |||
| Cargo space, l | |||
| 590 – 1580 | |||
| Curb weight, kg | |||
| 1247 | 1269 | 1335 | 1428 |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | |||
| 1797 | 1819 | 1860 | 1938 |
| engine's type | |||
| Turbocharged petrol | |||
| Working volume, cubic meters cm. | |||
| 999 | 1395 | 1798 | 1798 |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | |||
| 115 / 5000 – 5500 | 150 / 5000 – 6000 | 180 / 5100 – 6200 | 180 / 5100 – 6200 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | |||
| 200 / 2000 – 3500 | 250 / 1500 – 3500 | 250 / 1250 – 5000 | 250 / 1250 – 5000 |
| Drive type, transmission | |||
| Front, 7RCP | Front, 7RCP | Front, 7RCP | Full, 6RCP |
| Max. speed km / h | |||
| 202 | 219 | 232 | 229 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | |||
| 10 | 8,2 | 7,4 | 7,4 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | |||
| 4,7 | 4,9 | 6 | 7 |
| Price from, $. | |||
| Not announced | 15 747 | 16 829 | 20 588 |
