2017 Skoda Octavia

Looking very elegant and upmarket, the latest 2017 Skoda Octavia has a lot to say for itself.  Looking quite the part on the roadside near the Sydney Opera House, the car has a real upmarket look to its lines and exterior detailing.  Don’t you just love the two-part headlight design that is very sophisticated and attractive?  Boasting a deep front air dam with a chrome line that splits the air dam into two halves, fog lights, a large distinctive grill, and a nicely sculptured bonnet that swoops up into the tear shape roof line differentiates the new Skoda from other car designs on the road.  It looks like a sedan, but the rear of the car actually boasts a hatch that opens up nice-and-high making loading the Octavia very easy; and the luggage space is big.

Looking at the nice European design, you’d be tempted to think that it might cost a bomb, but actually the new Skoda Ocatvia Hatch/Sedan is on a par with what other Korean and Japanese car makers would charge for their equivalent vehicles, so the pricing is very good.  You will pay less for an Octavia than you would a new VW Golf, for instance.  The new Octavia shares the chassis and engines that VW Golfs and Seat Leons use, but it remains the roomier vehicle of the two and, as is the case for the luggage compartment, the new Skoda Octavia has one of the roomiest cabins in its class, too.  Seating comfort is excellent, with the option of a smart leather interior available.  Some nice practical features you’ll find inside the cabin are things like a multimedia device holder that is built into the central console design, an illuminated air-conditioned glovebox to keep your drinks and chocolate cool, and bottle/cup-holders front and rear.  There is even a compartment to store your umbrella under the front passenger seat, and a detachable torch in the boot space that charges as you drive – now who would have thought of that!

We seem to be so techno-dependant these days, and one thing I did notice was that the 2017 Skoda Octavia now has a tablet holder mechanism on the rear of the front head rests.  You can now keep the kids amused on a long journey as they watch their favourite movie on the tablet.  There is a handy overhead sunglasses storage compartment for either the driver or front passenger.  The standard touch screen in the middle of the dash is ergonomic and works really well.  You can upgrade this to the same eight-inch touchscreen system present in the latest VW Golf.  AppleCarPlay and hands-free communications are standard.

2017 Skoda Octavia Interior

2017 Skoda Octavia Dash

Safety in modern cars is a major priority for manufacturers, and at Skoda they have equipped the latest Octavia with state-of-the-art safety systems that include features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, lane assist, fatigue detection, multi collision braking, automatic turning lights for cornering, passenger protect assist, front assist braking with emergency city braking and automatic parking assist.  The Skoda has passed the ANCAP safety crash tests with flying colours, five-stars in fact, so the new Octavia is a very safe car in its class – so that’s peace of mind motoring.

As far as the engine goes for the 2017 Octavia, we can look to the same honest workhorse that you’ll find in the VW Golf – and these are reliable, strong engines that will cover high mileages providing they are well maintained.  A 1.4-litre petrol-fed engine provides the power through a small turbo unit, so pick-up is good and the car has a long set of legs for the open road.  Rated at 110 kW and a 0- 100 km/h sprint time of just over 8 seconds, the new Octavia feels swift and satisfying to drive.  If you can get the chance, you can run these cars on to a top speed of around 220 km/h.  A six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic make clever use of the engine’s torque.

Ride quality is very good with a more comfort orientated ride, which is what I like and great for passengers.  That’s not to say that the car lacks sure handling skills.  There is plenty of grip and dynamism to keep driving enthusiasts interested, and with adaptive safety features working for you, there is talent even when the road becomes a little slipperier.  If you’re going to do a fair bit of open road touring around Australia, then the Octavia has a compliant ride with good refinement.  Gearing slots the top gear nicely into an economic mode of no fuss motoring.

Simplicity, space and necessary technology are ways one would sum up the stylish new Skoda Octavia.  Living with one of these mid-size hatchbacks would be easy.

2017 Skoda Octavia

The current 2017 Skoda Octavia models include the:

• Octavia 110 kW 6-speed manual
• Octavia 110 kW 7-speed auto

For any more information on the latest Skoda Octavia models or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Skoda dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours.  Private Fleet – car buying made easy!