Thread: First drive review: Skoda Octavia 1.8TSi DSG SE Plus

All-new Skoda family hatch promises much as company expects it to become one of the world's ten best-selling cars. This is the all-new Skoda Octavia, in final production form, although because we are still three months from the cars launch the test car wears a mild disguise. The Mk3 Octavia, like its predecessors, is part of VWs Golf family. This time around it is based on the new MQB platform, which will underpin future VW Group front-drive models from Polo to Passat size. MQB factories are also being built around the world, to allow local market production of its mainstream models. This will be useful for the Octavia 3 because China and Russia are two of its biggest markets. The Octavia is based on the longer wheelbase version of this platform, getting an extra 50mm compared to the Mk7 Golf, all of which is to the benefit of rear passengers. Compared to the outgoing model. the new Octavia is 90mm longer, 45mm wider and has a 108mm longer wheelbase. The company claims that that this car has interior space comparable to a model from the next class up: the total interior length is 1782mm and it can carry a 240cm flatpack with the rear seat folded. Fold the front passenger seat and that goes up to 2. 74cm. The boot is even bigger, at a vast 590 litres. The Octavia 3 is also, in this form, around 85kg lighter than the old model. The lower-powered models get a rear beam axle which saves another 16kg. The exterior styling is a sharper and crisper take on the current model with the tail shaped to look more like a saloon than a super-sized hatchback. The clunky chrome grille has been replaced with a chrome-edged aperture, giving the Octavia a more sophisticated face. Sheer body surfaces, prominent wheel arches and the defining shutline that runs off the rear door and down the sill give the impression of tight build quality and technical precision. The finish of the interior plastics are a notch back from the what youll get in the new Golf, but the whole interior is festival of restrained good taste, clarity and slick assembly. All the controls are neatly drawn and nicely weighted, but theres no great design flair either. The only criticism of the Octavias aesthetics lie in the fact that this new design language is pretty close to that being deployed both on the Golf 7 and the new Seat Leon. With the adoption of the MQB architecture comes more in the way of sophisticated options, including active cruise control, automatic dip beam, keyless entry, traffic sign recognition, a panoramic sunroof and Skodas new top-end Canton audio system. Traditionally practical touches include a doubled-sided (carpet and rubber) boot floor and a way of storing the parcel shelf when carrying tall loads.