Test drive Skoda Rapid
Using the example of an updated Czech liftback, we find out what to look for when buying a “state employee”, what options should be ordered and how much a well-equipped B-class car costs now Highway No. 91 in Greece is the most picturesque road on the entire Balkan Peninsula. Particularly good is the section leading from Athens to the south: rocks, sea and endless turns. It is here that the character of the updated Skoda Rapid is revealed - the 1,4-liter TSI spins provocatively on straight lines, the DSG “robot” famously juggles gears, and the rear wheels in protracted arcs almost imperceptibly, but still whistle. Roads in Greece have not been repaired since the 2004 Olympics, so deep potholes are no less common here than in the vicinity of Volgograd. Rapid is accustomed to this state of affairs: the suspension diligently works out all the defects of the canvas, but ...
Test drive Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI: Everything in white?
Will the compact SUV be successful? Will Skoda keep its 100-kilometre promise, or will it stain its white clothes with technical faults? Wait, something is wrong here – when looking at the documentation from the Skoda Yeti marathon test, serious doubts arise: how is it that after 000 kilometres of merciless use in everyday driving conditions, the list of damages is so short? There must be a missing sheet. To clarify the issue, we call the editorial staff’s vehicle fleet manager. It turns out that nothing is missing – neither in the SUV, nor in the notes. Our Yeti is exactly like that. Reliable, trouble-free and the enemy of unnecessary service visits. Only once did a damaged valve in the exhaust gas recirculation system force it to visit the workshop unscheduled. But we’ll talk about that later –…
Test drive the right choice for sport or off-road: we drove a Škoda Octavia RS and Scout
Slovenian buyers are even more convinced of the good characteristics of the Octavia RS than the average European, as 15 percent of all new Octavias in Slovenia are RS-spec (mostly Combi and turbodiesel), while in Europe it is only 13 percent. This ratio is also better for Scout buyers in Slovenia, which was previously around 10 percent, while in Europe it is only six percent. Both of the more noble versions have been redesigned in a similar way to the regular Octavia. This means a new look for the mask and headlights, which are now also available in the RS with LED technology. The RS and Scout masks differ in their characteristics, with one being sportier and the other more off-road-oriented. The different heights of the car are also suitable for this, the RS being lowered (by 1,5 centimeters),…
Test drive Kia K5 and Skoda Superb
Prices for new cars are changing so quickly due to the collapsed ruble that in this test we decided to do without them. Just imagine what you need to choose: Kia K5 or Skoda Superb. It would seem, what does the Toyota Camry have to do with it? In the big D-class sedans dispute, the Kia Optima has come close to the eternal bestseller Toyota Camry, but there is a feeling that the image of the Japanese model will provide it with a full-fledged leadership for a long time to come. Therefore, let's leave it outside the scope of this test and see what the bright and very fresh Kia K5 sedan has to offer, a model that leads the class at least in terms of practicality, that is, the Skoda Superb. It always seemed to me that people are tired of the hegemony of the Toyota Camry and should be happy ...
Test drive Skoda Vision C: courage and beauty
With the help of Vision C studios, Skoda designers eloquently show that the brand's tradition of creating elegant coupes is not only alive, but also has serious potential for further development. Reliability, practicality, cost-effectiveness: all these definitions perfectly match the essence of Skoda cars. They are often joined with the word "reliable", but when was the last time you heard someone call them "inspirational"? The fact is that recently Czech products receive such compliments quite rarely. 23 years after entering the VW concern, the traditional Czech brand has not only crossed the threshold of a million cars a year, but has become one of the most successful companies in the industry as a whole, whose models have a brilliant image in all objective indicators. Obviously,…
Test drive Skoda Roomster: room service
In 2006, the diligent Skoda VW presented its spacious estate with a high roof. In 2007, the Roomster launched a 100-kilometer test marathon – and completed it with the same diligence. It is strange that car designers conduct their tests in harsh conditions such as polar Norway, Death Valley or the northern part of the Nürburgring, while ignoring the enormous tests and destructive potential of families with small children. All standard tests are just funny little fights compared to what can happen to a car on the way to the supermarket, when mom is sitting behind the wheel and the children are in a high chair. After such a trip, the interior of our car looks like a pub where people beat each other up…
Test drive Skoda Fabia: a new generation
The presentation of the new Fabia is a great example of the level Skoda has reached in mastering the magic of marketing – the new generation will appear on the market at a time when the previous one is still at the height of its glory and its production is not stopped. This scheme, tested during the launch of the Octavia I and II, is also used in an extremely important market segment (around 30% of total sales in Europe), in which the new Fabia is intended to strengthen Skoda’s position. Particular attention is paid to the fast-growing markets of Eastern Europe, where the Czechs have recently demonstrated significant growth. In fact, the project began in 2002, when the first touches were put on the design of the Fabia II, and the final form was approved in 2004, after…
Test drive Skoda Octavia
Fifty years ago, the owner of Octavia would have considered an ice scraper attached to the gas tank hatch a stupid excess, but now it is with the help of such trifles that the manufacturer can reach the consumer ... The first one is to the right and forward, the rear one is in the exact opposite direction, where it is located on modern cars second. But this is at the lever on the floor, and if it is located on the steering column, it is still more difficult: to turn on the first “poker”, you need to push it away from you and up. Tight, completely insensitive clutch, endlessly smeared throttle responses (and we also criticize the delays of modern "electronic" accelerators) - pedaling on a 1965 Skoda Octavia to catch the moment of grasp is not so easy. A little on the speedometer...
Test drive Skoda Octavia a7 2016 new model
The popular Skoda brand car lines have long been famous for their economy and power - two paradoxical qualities. Skoda Octavia A7 2016, the new model is not inferior in all respects, in addition, grace and elegance have not disappeared even with an increase in size. We present to your attention a car with a platform of 2686 mm and a length of 4656 mm - we will conduct a detailed tour of the brand. Specifications The heart of the car is under the hood. This part is technologically verified devices adapted to various requirements. First of all, it should be noted the features for the conditions of Russia: Thermal indicator and cooling devices. Now, in harsh climates, warming up the car is much easier and faster. A six-speed gearbox (hereinafter referred to as the gearbox) allows you to activate the city and sport mode, depending on ...
Test drive Skoda Superb Combi 2.0 and Volvo V90 D3: dimensions and luggage
Two diesel station wagon models with dual transmission and large interior space Interior that seems limited only by the horizon, plenty of space for passengers, guarded by the latest safety technology; to this are added economical engines and, in any case, a double transmission. Car perfection doesn't look like Skoda Superb combi? Or do you still like the Volvo V90? It is possible that we reported another time about a phenomenon that science has not been able to study. It's even completely accurate. But he surprises us again and again, which is probably directly related to his ignorance. After all, no matter how big a car you buy, your family always, but in fact always manages to fill it with luggage to the last place.…
Test drive Ford Kuga vs Skoda Kodiaq
How not to get confused in the configurations, which engine to choose, what you should pay attention to when buying and which model is more comfortable Automakers tend to give crossovers some tricky name and always start with the letter K. You can even not explain anything, as in the case of the Ford Kuga, or take a word from some Eskimo language, as they did with the Skoda Kodiaq. And, most importantly, guess with the dimensions. Ford, which surprised the size of the wheelbase of the very first Kuga, had to stretch the body in the next generation. Skoda immediately created a car with a margin. Faceted car bodies have something in common. Interestingly, Kuga was introduced back in 2012, and its design is still relevant. After a recent restyling, it looks more severe, got a chrome grille with powerful…
Test Drive TOP-10 car new products of 2020. What to choose?
In 2019, especially in its second half, an increased demand for foreign cars was recorded in the CIS. Against this background, Western automakers brought a number of interesting new products in the last month of 2019, and now we will talk about them. 📌Opel Grandland X Opel introduced the Grandland X crossover. The minimum price tag for this model is $30000. The car is equipped with a 1,6-liter gasoline engine with 150 hp. and 6-speed automatic. The car comes straight from the German Opel plant, and this is a weighty argument. We will soon find out how sales will show themselves in 2020. 📌KIA Seltos KIA has not yet started selling the Seltos compact crossover, but no longer hides the price of one of its trim levels, called “Lux”.…
Test drive Škoda Superb iV: two hearts
Test of the first plug-in hybrid of the Czech brand Quite often after a facelift of a model, the same trivial question arises: how to actually recognize the updated version at first glance? In the Superb III, this can be done due to two main distinguishing features: the LED headlights now reach the grille itself, and at the back, the brand logo is complemented by a wide Škoda inscription. However, to guess from the side, you need to very carefully examine the design features of the wheel rims and LED lights, that is, here the probability of coping with the task at first glance is small. However, you will not be mistaken if you find the word "iV" on the rear panel or if there is a type 2 charging cable on the front panel: the Superb iV is the first model…
Skoda Superb, Toyota LC200 and Mitsubishi Outlander drive
Every month, AvtoTachki's editorial team briefly reports on new products on the Russian car market: how to maintain them, what to remember when operating them, how to choose the best configuration, and much more. In June, we loaded pallets into a Mitsubishi Outlander, taught a Toyota Land Cruiser 200 to cope with Moscow traffic jams, drove children in a Skoda Superb, and tried to save fuel in a Lexus RX. Roman Farbotko loaded pallets into a Mitsubishi Outlander "Drive here, just watch your mirrors so you don't hit that pin," the portly security guard at the construction warehouse was very happy with my visit. But the enthusiasm of the seller, who suddenly felt like a businessman, evaporated as soon as I drove into the warehouse: "Hey, are you going to load pallets here? Yesterday, we barely made it three in an XC90...
Test drive Skoda Octavia 4 generations
The official presentation of the fourth generation Skoda Octavia took place in Prague on November 11, 2019. The first copy of the novelty of the Czech automobile industry rolled off the assembly line at the end of the same month. Throughout the production of all generations of the model, liftbacks and station wagons have been popular among motorists. Therefore, the fourth Octavia received both body options at once. In this model, almost everything has changed: dimensions, exterior and interior. The manufacturer has expanded the range of motors and the list of basic and additional options. In the review, we will consider what specifically affected the changes. Car design We built the car on the updated MQB modular base, which began to be used starting with the Volkswagen Golf 8. This design allows the manufacturer to quickly change the technical characteristics of the car without the need to upgrade the conveyor. Therefore, the fourth line of Octavia will receive ...
Test drive Skoda Karoq for Russia: first impressions
Old turbo engine, new automatic and front-wheel drive - the European Skoda Karoq has changed markedly in order to please the Russians For several years, there was a gap in the Skoda lineup on the Russian market. The niche of the retired Yeti was empty for a long time. Instead, the Russian office of Skoda has focused on localizing the more expensive and larger Kodiaq. And only now the turn has come to the compact Karoq, which has registered on the assembly line in Nizhny Novgorod. Karoq has been sold in Europe for more than a year, and the Russian-assembled car is visually no different from the European one. Inside, there are the same conservative lines and the traditional architecture of the front panel, made of gray and nondescript, but quite decent to the touch plastic. The difference here is mostly...