Škoda Octavia (Typ 5E)

2014 Skoda Octavia

Now, let's take a look at the brand new Skoda Octavia. Now on its third-generation, you might think that the newly regenerated Octavia would be about as promising as a luxury car three times its pricing but it wasn't. It needs a lot of consideration and determination to figure out what's what about the new Octavia. What to consider about the new look is its design. First of all, it was designed by the same man behind the ultra-fast Bugatti Veyron so you might think this is going to be the "other" Veyron but don't be silly because it isn't. This is just an average midsize car made by Volkswagen...or rather a cousin to the Passat...maybe not.

It's rude to call it the cousin of the Passat but the new model is now built on the brand new MQB variable platform first applied on the Seat Leon, Audi A3, and the VW Golf VII so this new model is 90mm longer and 45mm wider than its predecessor.

2014 Skoda Octavia interior

Which means, that with this new platform, the new Octavia from Skoda sets interior spacing benchmark which is about the equivalent of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Let's just put in other words, okay? I mean, look at this new interior, it's well matured and it's about as comfortable as the E-Class but sadly, I'm referring to the W210 E-Class but still the new Octavia interior feels a bit more generous. Take a look at the seats, it feels perfectly angled and the space on the back is just fine. If this car's went on sale in China, the rear legroom is a plus one for this car because in China, space in the back matters most than everyone. Anyway, forget about that space in the back commotion, let's go back to the basics...

First of all, the new Octavia, built in Mlada Boleslav, designed by the man behind the Bugatti Veyron, and available for 334,900 Kč, it is available in two body styles to choose from; the sedan version for those who are feeling a bit upperclassman or a Combi version for the posh mom who spends some time buying something at the groceries.

2014 Skoda Octavia Combi

Either way, they're both offered with a choice of either three petrol engines (1.2, 1.4, 1.8) or two diesel engines (1.6, 2.0) and depending on which engine choice, transmission choices include either a 5-speed manual, a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed double clutch or a 7-speed double clutch transmission. An Octavia with a 1.8L petrol engine has a 0-60mph time of under 7 seconds and a top speed of 143mph so it's not what you called quick but it is somewhat faster than the Volkswagen Passat B7 with that same kind of engine. Hmmm...not bad though...not bad. Not only that, it's lighter than the Passat B7 as well. Bonus!

Anyway, let's not get too bonus-y about the specs because it's now time to find out how well the Octavia is as a driver's car. Well, being a saloon car, it has a lot of concessions for comfort to keep the passengers feel fine as if they were like taking themselves to the prom at their nearest high school in the neighborhood. Surprisingly, on the normal roads, the Octavia's well too comfortable and it's not that bad to drive. It maybe fine on normal roads but on open roads, it's a tad old-fashioned. It maybe not as exciting as a Mercedes but the new Octavia is more than welcomed for those who want to cruise around for some quiet time.

2014 Skoda Octavia

So for my final verdict, the new Skoda Octavia is far enough to become a global midsize car that uses the new platform as applied on the VW Golf. It may not be worth a redeemable saloon car, it may not be quite agile, it may not be exciting to look at, and it may not be a cheaper alternative to uber-luxury saloons from Germany but it has all of the luxury amenities far from being premium and it's a just-size for any driver no matter how tall they are. So, the question is, would you go for this one more than the VW Passat B7? Jury's out...

Photo: Skoda Auto