Skoda Octavia III - will she defend her leadership position?

Skoda Octavia - we associate it with fleets, top sales ratings, but also with stable men who, before buying, made a scrupulous calculation of profits and losses. After several years on the market and selling 3,7 million copies worldwide, it's time for the third generation of the hit. Recently, in the south of Portugal, I checked whether the novelty from the Czech Republic is predisposed to defend the position of the top seller in Poland.

With a sales share of 40%, Octavia is the most popular model of the Czech manufacturer. The car doesn't have cool styling, phenomenal features or interesting details, but you can't deny its reliability or elegant, timeless looks. This is a typical Volkswagen feature, but since the Octavia also has a lot of supporters in our country (or in fact she is number one as usual), why turn her on her head? Whether we like it or not, the new Octavia won't shock us like the recent Civic or Lexus IS did, and will stay true to its conservative style.

You don't need to change the Octavia. It is we who must change and understand that a car can be brand new and better, and still be dressed in an updated suit from the same tailor. That's what the new Octavia is.

Appearance

The front of the car clearly refers to the concept model shown some time ago - VisionD. The front bumper has a wide air intake with integrated headlights, a grille and black vertical stripes. The lights on the latest model seem to be slightly smaller, have more refraction and sharp corners, like other body parts. Karl Häuhold, head of Skoda's design team, even called the Octavia's new look crystallized at a press conference, that is, full of sharp edges. There's something about it.

A clever trick is to lengthen the rear overhang to keep the look of a sedan - of course, the much-loved and vaunted liftback design remains. If we're already at the rear of the body, then it's worth paying attention to the "C"-shaped lamps, which strongly refer to the smaller Rapid, and to the C-pillar, on which the edge of the rear doors is neatly "winds". The sideline has not undergone major revolutions - as befits Skoda, it is sedate and very conservative. We see two sharp edges - one "breaks" the top light, and the other makes the lower part of the case too heavy. It does not look - everything is proportionate and thoughtful. As I wrote above, this is still the same tailor, but a few interesting stylistic tricks and sharper lines can attract new, younger buyers to the car.

Technical aspects and equipment

Although visually the car is not a revolution, technically the new Skoda Octavia Mk3 is definitely different from its predecessor. The car was created on the basis of the new Volkswagen Group platform - MQB. This solution already works in models such as the VW Golf VII, Audi A3 or Seat Leon. It was thanks to him that the design of the car began from the very beginning, which made it possible to lose weight by an incredible 102 kg. Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows that every kilogram can be difficult to lose. What about a hundred and two? Exactly…

Especially since the car has grown. The body was lengthened by 90 mm, expanded by 45 mm, and the wheelbase was increased by 108 mm. Practitioners will also appreciate the volume of the trunk, which has grown to 590 liters (1580 liters after folding the seats) - in combination with a liftback body, we get a very practical and executive car.

No wonder many people compare the new Octavia with the Rapid presented some time ago. In equipping both of these vehicles, we find common solutions. It's worth noting such nice touches as the double-sided boot padding (upholstered for every day or rubberized for dirty luggage) or the ice scraper housed in the gas tank cap. Such useful trinkets fit into Skoda's advertising slogan: "Simply smart."

There will also be interesting technologies, such as adaptive cruise control, which maintains a constant distance from the vehicle in front in a very predictable and intelligent manner. Another new feature is the ability to select a Drive Set Up profile that affects the behavior of the engine, steering, air conditioning, torsion lights or DSG transmission. Unfortunately, this does not affect the operation of the suspension in any way, because there is simply no option in the additional equipment that would allow changing the mode of its operation.

The new Skoda Octavia is also equipped with electronic safety systems and airbags. There are nine of them, and three of them are new: driver's knee and side airbags in the rear seat. The equipment also includes Continuous Distance Control with Emergency Braking (Front Assistant), Lane Assistant, Driver Activity Assistant, Collision Avoidance Brake (Multicollision Brake) and numerous safety features that are activated in the event of an accident (e.g. automatic window closing).

The Czech novelty in the back of a liftback will arrive in car dealerships in mid-March. We will have to wait until the middle of the year for the station wagon and the sporty version of the RS. There will be three trim levels: Active, Ambition and Elegance. The basic version of Active already has in the list of equipment incl. air conditioning, ESP, 7 airbags (including the driver's knee airbag), on-board computer and Start & Stop system (excluding the weakest units). It is worth noting that the version for the Polish market will be better equipped than for the domestic Czech market.

Drives

The choice of engines for the new Octavia includes eight power levels, from a 1,2 TSI with 86 hp to 1,8 hp. up to the top version 180 TSI with 1,4 hp. In addition to the base engine, all other versions are equipped with the Start&Stop function as standard. There will also be an engine we saw earlier in the Golf VII, a 140 TSI with XNUMX hp. with Active Cylinder Technology - that is, turning off two cylinders when they are not needed.

Diesel lovers can expect four units, from a 90 PS 1,4 TDI to a 105 PS or 110 PS 1,6 TDI, with a 150 PS 2.0 TDI with 320 Nm of torque at the top. The economical version is waiting for the GreenLine 1,6 TDI with a capacity of 110 hp. and declared fuel consumption of 3,4 l / 100 km.

Power will be sent to the front axle via a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission or a 6- or 7-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission.

Test Drive

Immediately after arrival, I booked a car for test drives with an engine that will probably be the most popular: 1,6 TDI / 110 hp. I loaded my suitcase into the spacious 590-litre trunk and got behind the wheel to look around. No surprises - there is plenty of room even for me, ie. for a two-meter car, the materials of the test version leave nothing to be desired, and the interior design is a conspicuous combination of current styling with what we can see in the latest models of the VW concern, for example in the Golfie.

I also did a standard test - I shifted back, trying to sit behind me. Of course, I did not sit down, as in the Superb, but there was no lack of legroom - only a few centimeters above my head. It is all the more puzzling that the new Octavia's roofline was raised higher than that of its predecessor, and besides (and here I will return to Golf), in the related Golf VII there was a place above the head in the back seat.

The route made up a 120-kilometer loop in the province of Algarve. The first section ran through a built-up area with straight stretches of level and almost empty roads. The diesel engine is perfectly muffled and even immediately after starting it did not make too much noise in the cabin. Unfortunately, this does not mean silence, because the noise from the tires clearly permeates the interior of the car. However, if I wanted to score a car, the list of shortcomings would not grow much. When I got to the winding roads outside the city, it was extremely difficult for me to unbalance the Octavia at the turn. I went through corners with increasing speed until the tires began to squeal reluctantly, but the car was very stable to the end - unlike my labyrinth, which welcomed the exit to the track.

On the fastest section, I noticed the third and final minus. Minus the diesel engine, not the whole car, of course. At speeds above 100 km / h, 110 horses under the hood began to lack liveliness. For dynamic drivers or those who plan to carry a full set of passengers, I recommend choosing a more powerful diesel engine, or even a 1,8 TSI gasoline unit, which currently produces as much as 180 hp.

The 1,6 TDI engine will eventually protect itself. Firstly, it will not be in the top of the price list, secondly, it is maneuverable, quiet, works without vibrations and, finally, economical - it passed the entire test route with a result of 5,5 l / 100 km.

Summation

Yes, the new Skoda Octavia is not a revolution in terms of appearance, but the manufacturer proceeds from a logical assumption - why drastically change something that sells well? The new generation of the Czech hit is like a sharpened pencil - draws much better, but we still get to know him easily. We'll also get to know the Octavia, but under its body is a new car, ranging from the new MQB platform to new electronics and engines.

We look forward to evaluating new products, because it is attractive prices that have always kept Octavia sales at a high level. Let's hope that Octavia does not repeat Rapid's mistake (which had to be overestimated by more than 10% after the false start) and will immediately reach the desired level. This will certainly help her defend her first place today.