Skoda Octavia Is A Wonder Car

By Author: Declan Linton
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Skoda Octavia Is A Wonder Car

Skoda Octavia proved itself to be the car which persuaded the buyers in the Western World to take Skoda gravely, when launched in the year 1996. As the base was Volkswagen Golf, it was spacious, moderate, competent and a huge success. During the next six years more than a million Octavia's were built and it became the basis of Skoda range. The VW's philosophy, engineering quality, assembly meticulousness are some of the rocks upon which the Skoda Octavia's recent success has been founded, but the car is offered at radically low price. So with its combination of ample space, low price and superior quality the first generation Octavia managed to win over a lot of astute buyers, many of them from Germany, who nevertheless, could not put off the excellent deal offered just because of a damped grab-handle for the passenger in front.

As the old Octavia was based on vigorously trite Golf MK4, it perhaps became its weakest point. But the latest Octavia is based on immensely enhanced Golf Mk5. The Skoda Octavia has fundamental ingredients of VW Golf Mk5 and Audi A3. Front suspension is MacPherson ...
... struts and at the rear is a multi-link independent system; the steering is restrained with electro-hydraulic speed sensitive power assistance; the disk brakes are all round. Although the raw ingredients are admirable, the resultant product does not look quite as tempting as its Audi and VW siblings. Saloon and estate Octavia look inconspicuously esteemed, efficiently executed and well finished with a high standard of manufacture apparent in the shut-lines and paint job. But it's unlikely to acquire much of a response from other passers-by or road users.

Anyone stepping into a Skoda Octavia will instantly notice the top of dashboard swathed in soft-touch 'slush' plastics, and some of the attention paid to the details is tremendous. The door bins are moulded to hold a one-litre drink bottle and rubber backed chrome door handles have a concrete appeal. The rear compartment of Golf is spacious but Octavia, nothing less than lavish. There's plenty of leg-room for two six-footers to sit easily in a tandem and the head-room is magnanimous. The boot capacity of new model has a 36 litre increase than the older model. The capacity with rear seats in place is 560 litres, when the seats are folded down, it grows to 1350 litres.

Skoda Octavia engines are offered in a 1.4-litre with 79 bhp and a 1.6-litre with 102 bhp petrol units, then comes the twin-charged TSI engines. There's a 1.2-litre TSI with 104 bhp, a 1.4-litre TSI with 120 bhp and a 1.8-litre TSI with 150 bhp. The vRS gets a 2.0-litre TFSI with 197 bhp engine. Skoda Octavia diesel engines include a 1.6-litre TDI with 104 bhp, CO2 emissions just 99 g/km and combined economy of 74.3 mpg, and a 2.0-litre TDI with 108 bhp, a 2.0-litre TDI with 138 bhp and a 2.0-litre TDI with 168 bhp for vRS. As a standard, all models have air-conditioner, electric and heated mirrors, electric windows, height and reach adjustable steering, 16-inch alloy wheels and tinted rear glass.

Declan Linton is an expert in idealengines.co.uk/Skoda-engine-gearbox. For more information please visit Skoda Octavia New Model or call us on 020 8596 0396.