Skoda Octavia   Women's view

Skodas Latest Octavia Is An Object Lesson In The Art Of Building A Solid, Reliable And Classy Family Car. June Neary Pays Due Respect

With its imposing front grille and boldly sculpted lines, the Octavia looks as if its been milled from a solid rock. It just looks expensive, despite the crest on the bonnet nagging otherwise. Most would probably think it was a Volkswagen or an Audi and although rather closely related, these two marques will costs a good deal more than Skoda ask for the latest Octavia. Only the most ignorant will still poke fun at Skodas image.

If they do, give them a ride around the block and watch them suffer at the all you can eat humble pie buffet. Decently sized, the Octavia I tested the 1.6-litre FSi version in Elegance trim certainly looked a lot more expensive than its £14,135 list price and compared to most of its direct competitors looks a very tempting proposition. I think this car could definitely find a space in my garage.

The main change from the previous generation of Octavia models to this car is that Skoda have effectively supersized the portion. 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. 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. Theres ample room for five inside and theres even an estate version if you need more space.

It really does seem more like the flagship Skoda Superb - albeit after a hot wash cycle - and feels a couple of classes removed from the next car down in the Skoda hierarchy, the Fabia supermini.

Theres no shortage of poke from the technologically advanced 1.6-litre engine. This engine is good for a maximum speed of 123 mph and will return a combined fuel economy figure of some 40.4 mpg.

Its a good environmental citizen, emitting just 168g of carbon dioxide per kilometre travelled. Compare that with 177 for a Vauxhall Vectra and 180g/km for a Renault Laguna and youll see why company car user/choosers as well as private buyers could be interested in the Octavia. All the latest Octavias benefit from Skodas quest to endow the chassis with Ford Focus-style driving manners. Even with the wick turned down a good few notches, it cant help but feel extremely capable when stitching a series of bends together.

The steering feels like a good hydraulically assisted set-up but is in fact electro-mechanically assisted. The sophisticated multi-link rear suspension does a great job of keeping road bumps and thumps nicely suppressed.

In a word, excellent, but what would you expect from Skoda? Prices start at £11,020 for a 1.4-litre version and there are diesels on offer from £13,605. The 1.6-litre FSi engine is probably the most pleasant engine of the lot.

Kicking off at £12,115 in Classic trim, though performance nuts will gravitate towards the turbocharged vRS or the vRS TDI diesel.

Only the most prehistoric badge snob will turn their nose at this Octavia. It feels just as well built as a Volkswagen Golf and looks a good deal more distinguished. Its probably not a car that will appeal to younger buyers, but for those that do take the plunge its doubtful theyll be disappointed.