FIRSTDRIVE: SKODA OCTAVIA: The new Skoda Octavia is certainly good enough, and cheaper than a Volkswagen Golf, writes Paddy Comyn, but will it be a truly desirable family car?
IN THESE tougher economic times, buyers are no longer as willing to pay more money for what isn't always a superior product. The Skoda Octavia has always done well in Ireland since it was launched in the late 1990s, and the second generation has continued the trend. It was one of the cars responsible for making Skoda credible: ask any taxi driver. Skoda sales are strong in Europe, with sales for the first six months of 2008 up 17.9 per cent on the previous year's.
The current guise of the Octavia is midway through its life cycle so, following on from the release of the new Skoda Superb (reviewed in last week's Motors), the Octavia has been on the surgeon's table.
The press conference to announce the "new" Octavia was very brief, because there aren't many ways to say that a car has new headlamps. Okay, so there is a new nose, bigger wing mirrors and a freshly designed rear, and this all adds up to a more striking-looking car, but the theme is pretty similar to what came before, even though we were told that there are 10,000 new pieces and that a third of the car is new.
Under the bonnet there is a new 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine with 122bhp available and this can be had with a seven-speed DSG double-clutch gearbox, which for about €300 can be fitted with paddle shifters.
The new engine is potent enough, but not particularly quiet - we suspect it might not get the same level of sound-dampening as its Volkswagen and Audi cousins. This new unit is certainly likely to be the pick of the petrol bunch, and with CO2 emissions of 154g/km it will be a Band C car. Add DSG to the 1.4-litre petrol and it actually reduces the CO2 emissions to 147g/km. This new unit will be sold alongside the familiar 1.4-litre 80bhp, 1.6-litre 102bhp, 1.8-litre 160bhp and 2.0-litre 200bhp units.
The diesel engines will play an increasingly important role in the Octavia, with the line-up consisting of a 105bhp 1.9-litre, a 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel and in the diesel RS, a 170bhp 2.0-litre diesel. The 1.9-litre is a Band B car with 130g/km CO2 and the 140bhp 2.0-litre, which we tried at its launch, will be a Band C car with 145g/km. Further down the line there will be a 1.6-litre diesel engine, and there will also be a GreenLine range of cars with ultra-low emissions.
Both the 1.9-litre and 2.0-litre diesels come with the option of DSG, this time a six-speed version that has the opposite effect of increasing CO2 emissions. Choose it in the 1.9-litre and it raises it from 130g/km to 155g/km, a jump from Band B to Band C, and in the 2.0-litre diesel from 145g/km to 158g/km, a jump from Band C to Band D. Choose the DSG where you can because it works very well and transforms the way the Octavia drives.
The Octavia is one of those cars that seems like it was set up for Irish roads, and on some varied and sometimes battered Czech roads it was difficult to fault the Octavia's road manners. The steering is somewhat vague but the car copes with pitted roads and potholes better than most cars in its class. We tried both the 1.4-litre TFSi and 2.0-litre TDi with DSG gearboxes and found them both remarkably competent, comfortable, spacious and well equipped.
Skoda is not giving us any hints on the new Octavia's prices and specifications for a few weeks, not until they have been released to the dealers, but we can take a stab at what to expect. Expect the range to start at under €19,500 for the basic 1.4-litre 80bhp Classic, with the 1.4-litre TFSI 122bhp version around €24,000. Expect the diesels to start at a touch over €21,000, with the 2.0-litre diesel version likely to start at €24,500.
What this means is that - although they are not direct rivals - the Octavia will come in cheaper than the equivalent Volkswagen Golf, and it feels like a much bigger car.
Whether the Octavia has become a desirable family car in the way the Golf always has been is down to the buyer. It is certainly good enough, but while the Irish punter may be ready to cut out the Parma ham, are they ready to shop more shrewdly on the forecourts?
The new Octavia will arrive in Ireland in December.
Factfile Skoda Octavia
Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSi 122bhp DSG
• Engine: 1360cc, 4-cylinder turbo petrol
• Peak power: 122bhp at 5,000rpm
• Peak torque: 200Nm at 1,500rpm-4,000rpm
• Transmission: Seven-speed direct shift gearbox, front-wheel drive
• 0-100km/h: 9.7 seconds
• Top speed: 202km/h
• CO2 emissions: 147g/km
• Road tax:€302 (Band C)
• Combined cycle fuel economy: 6.3l/100km
• Price: €25,000 (estimate)
Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDi 140bhp
• Engine: 1968cc, 4-cylinder diesel
• Peak power: 140bhp at 4,000rpm
• Peak torque: 320Nm at 1,750rpm
• Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
• 0-100km/h: 9.6 seconds
• Top speed: 208km/h
• CO2 emissions: 145g/km
• Road tax: €302 (Band C)
• Combined cycle fuel economy: 5.5l/100km
• Price: €24,500 (estimate) On sale December