FirstDrive: Skoda Roomster: The Roomster marks Skoda's latest foray into the ever-expanding mini-people carrier market. Michael McAleer reports
To some it will look wacky, even avant-garde. To others it resembles some sort of Skoda Fabia van or a rival to the freakish Suzuki Wagon R. In reality it's neither.
The new Roomster aims to bring the Skoda brand into contention in the ever-growing mini-people carrier market. The VW-owned Czech brand has been the success story of European car production in recent years, a stellar performer at a time when the Asians are increasing their foothold on this continent.
Now, as it secures its place in the VW family, third in line after the two homegrown brands, it's time to expand the limited range of offerings.
As the first endeavour away from the relatively sedate saloon and hatchback markets, the Roomster certainly makes a statement.
The design is supposedly a cross between the roominess of a house in the rear and the agility of an aeroplane up front. It's not the usual combination one looks for in a car, but in spite of the spin, Skoda does have something going for it in this rather weird looking five-seater.
First, there's the all-important house at the back. Apart from the large van-like side windows, the most noticeable features involve an ultra-flexible seating arrangement that lets each one of the back seats individually move forward, back, sideways and tilt, while the middle seat in the back can also be removed altogether. The boot space boasts enough width to take a one-metre wide box and little stretch clips that hold the seats on to the front two when space is maximised can also serve to hold the likes of a buggy in place when needed.
Admittedly the wheel arches do encroach into the space, but there are various storage features available to help out and hopefully these will be standard on the car when it comes to Ireland.
These are just some of the tricks. Others include the cinema effect that places the rear row higher than the front, thereby offering a better view of the road ahead for rear seat passengers.
It also means that when there's a baby seat in the back, adults don't have to crouch down to load the children in. Thanks to the large doors loading children on board can be done at waist height.
So the house effect is a big success, regardless of its impact on the car's rear-end design. Functionality before form is a mantra espoused by many parents after all.
But what of the aeroplane agility up front?
Well, here Skoda has seemingly borrowed parts from the rest of its range to create a drivetrain and chassis that copes admirably with the average potholed roads. As it's comprised of many currently used Skoda parts, so it invariably feels like most other Skodas. It handles well, though the damping is a little stiff on more undulating roads and you do feel the bumps along the way.
Despite its aim to take on the small people carriers, the Roomster is by no means a small car and even the wheelbase is as long as an Octavia. Also, a wider rear track makes for greater stability in the corners and for all the van-like comments it will no doubt attract, it handles like a fully-fledged car.
Aside from the drive and the looks, the overall fit and finish is on a par with the Octavia; that is to say it's up with the best of them and far superior to many of its competitors. Nice touches like the tapered design of the door handles and various storage wells help its look, though the glovebox was a lot smaller than you would hope for from a car that aims to be family-friendly.
The engine range features three petrol options: a three-cylinder 1.2-litre 70bhp; a 1.4-litre 85bhp and a 105bhp 1.6-litre unit. The diesel options are two three-cylinder 1.4-litre units with 70bhp or 80bhp and a 105bhp 1.9-litre TDI. All are offered with five-speed manual, and there's the option of a six-speed Tiptronic automatic on the 1.6-litre engine. Unfortunately none of the engines feature VW's FSI technology.
Of this array, the best seller in Ireland will be the 1.2-litre, but the best buy would probably be the 1.4-litre petrol engine, where the extra 15bhp will earn their keep when climbing hills or pulling along a full load. It's never going to set the world alight, but as a family runaround it's the most versatile engine of this lot. The diesel versions also pack impressive torque, though the three-cylinder diesel units were too noisy for our taste.
Skoda hopes the Roomster is bold enough to give the brand a more emotional appeal for the younger buyer. The jury is still out on that. Skoda claims the new image is down to "emotional design", a term last used by Fiat when it launched its bug-eyed Multipla.
Yet even the aeroplane-like curved lines at the front - created by using blacked-in screen pillars - may not be enough to create a sporting image to what is effectively a ultra-practical family car.
More likely in the Irish market is that it will go down well with the more practically-minded older motorists.
Prices are still to be finalised but we can expect them to be in the region of €16,500 to €18,000 for the big-selling versions such as the 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol models. The target is Nissan's Note, Opel's Meriva and Ford's Fusion.
It's a brave move by arguably the best-value brand on the market at present. With plans to sell 300 a year here, that should not be too big a task for the ever-expanding Skoda brand.
FACTFILE
Power: three petrol engines: 1.2-litre 70bhp; 1.4-litre 85bhp and 1.6-litre 105bhp
Three diesel options: 1.4-litre with 70bhp or 80bhp; 1.9-litre TDI with 105bhp.
All come with five-speed manual transmission (six-speed auto tiptronic an option on 1.6-litre versions)
Price: Not confirmed, but likely to start at €16,500 to €17,000
Arrives here: September
Competitors: Nissan Note, Opel Meriva.