Skoda Octavia 1.4 Classic
When attending a manufacturer press launch, theres often a certain order to things. Car journalists are, by and large, like naughty schoolchildren and must be strictly managed in order to prevent them wandering off, touching things they shouldnt and getting intoxicated. The fretful car manufacturers like to ease them into their product range gently. Drive the top of the range sports model and after that the less powerful models will inevitably seem disappointing, so it tends to work in reverse.
I got into the Skoda Octavia 1.4 expecting it to be about as much fun as a thumb in the eye.
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This all aluminium 16-valve engine will get the Octavia to 60mph in just over 15 seconds and on to a top speed of 106mph. It goes about its business in a generally refined manner and, when driven sedately, will return a combined fuel figure of 40.4mpg. Its a genuinely relaxed engine that suits the Octavia very well.
Far from being the sort of reluctant lump that you feel inclined to thrash until the valves bounce, you instead get in tune with the Octavia 1.4 and life seems to take on a more unhurried pace. Everybody else suddenly appears tense, nervous and stressed. There are no flashy transmissions offered, just a simple, light action five-speed manual shift.
"This genuinely relaxed engine suits the Octavia very well"
Its hard to get overly bamboozled by the sales proposition either. Just one trim level and body style is offered, the five-door Classic, priced at £11,020. Theres no Ambiente, Elegance or any other trim options or an estate bodyshell available. So what does your money get you? Quite a lot as it happens.
Skoda have long campaigned on the basis of offering a good deal of car for your money and the latest Octavia is no exception. A good deal bigger than most of its direct rivals it offers a decent complement of safety kit. ISOFIX child seat fixings, twin front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, a front passenger seat airbag deactivation switch and five three-point seat belts are all fitted as standard. Electric front windows, electrically operated/heated door mirrors and a CD stereo wont remind passengers theyre in the entry level car.
Launched in 1998, the original Octavia sold more than a million units. If you parked every Skoda Octavia ever built end to end theyd form a queue that ran from the Mladá Boleslav plant in the Czech Republic all the way to London. Thats a lot of Skodas, a whole heap of satisfied customers and a big burden of expectation placed upon the broad shoulders of the latest car. Fortunately its well up to the task. Rather unsurprisingly given its Volkswagen Group parentage, the Octavia runs on the latest Golf chassis but opts for a more comfort-oriented bias in keeping with its target market.
Given that Skoda buyers tend to be a little more mature than those who favour Volkswagen and Audi products, that makes a lot of sense. The conservative styling and the high quality but low key interior will also appeal to those who no longer feel the need to be the centre of attention. The rear overhang has been extended a little further to give the Octavia more of a three box profile. Like its predecessor, it boasts a practical hatchback rather than the boot its stub-tailed lines may suggest.
The old Octavia was renowned for possessing one of the biggest payloads in class but the latest car comprehensively trumps it, available capacity going up by 36 litres to 560 litres with the rear seats in place. Bear in mind that this dwarfs whats on offer from a BMW 5 Series, a Jaguar S-TYPE, a Mercedes E Class or a Volvo S80 and youll get some idea how huge it is back there. The Golf doesnt even compare. Fold the rear seats flat and youll then get a yawning 1350 litres of available room.
Not a car for the agoraphobic in other words. Passenger room is similarly generous and thats important since the prodigious luggage space of the original Octavia required rear seat passengers to pay in kind. The wheelbase of the latest model has been teased out by another 66mm, endowing it with admirable rear legroom even when the front seats are occupied by long limbed adults. Rear headroom is better than the swooping roofline would suggest, helped in no small part by a slightly more generous seat back recline than in many such cars.
The fascia wont surprise too many, again being a development of the old cars styling themes. The venetian blind air vents and the no nonsense switchgear are recurrent themes but the quality has been improved still further. Whereas the old Octavias dash was very well screwed together but made of noticeably cheaper materials than the Golf, the expensively slush-moulded finishes of the current Octavia bear comparison with the best in class. True, theres no soft touch damping in the grab handles but even Volkswagen and Skoda brand managers need something to get all protective and bickery over.
The 1.4 Classic is far from the brightest light in the Octavia range but its a very likeable slow burner. Better than likeable for Skoda at least is the fact that its also eminently buyable. That £11,020 price tag weighs in at about the same price as a mid-spec Ford Firesta 1.
4 and the Skoda just seems a couple of classes removed from the average supermini. Its not the car if youre perpetually in a hurry but for those for who relish the journey, the slow road is, in this instance at least, well worth the detour.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Skoda Octavia 1.4 Classic
PRICES: £11,020 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 4
CO2 EMISSIONS: 166g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 106mph / 0-60mph 15.3s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (average) 40.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS, brake assist, twin front and side airbags
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4572/1769/1462mm
