Skoda Octavia estate 2013 review - Carbuyer

Опубликовано 26 июня 2013, 10:42

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The new Skoda Octavia hatchback impressed us with its size, and as Mat declared - size does matter. Well it does, doesn't it? So if it's more room for luggage that you need, look no further than the practical Estate version.

It is longer and wider than the previous estate model and comes complete with practical roof rails fitted as standard and a huge 610-litre boot earning it more practicality brownie points. The longer wheelbase means there's acres of room inside, in both the front and the back.

Back to that huge boot... In fact it is the biggest in class (and 30 litres bigger than before) dwarfing its rivals with its immense space. And to create even more space fold the seats down, like this. The rear seat folding mechanism is now much simpler to operate from the rear of the car thanks to a new remote lever.

As is the case with the hatchback, there is plenty of legroom and headroom, which the estate also offers in abundance thanks to the longer wheelbase and larger dimensions.

The controls are logically laid out, the dials easy to read and the entire dashboard looks smart and well put together.

There are plenty of soft touch materials as well, making the new Octavia estate feel much more upmarket. Talking of touching this screen senses when your finger is near and lights up the buttons - I like this clever feature. Spec levels are generous with all models coming with 7 airbags, air conditioning, cooled glove box and alloy wheels.


Despite being slightly heavier than the hatchback, this estate drives very well. The controls are nicely weighted yet easy to operate and it handles well thanks to a decent suspension setup. Plus you can adjust the settings of how it drives.

Now, Mat shocked us with his recommendation for the tiny 1.2-litre petrol engine in the hatchback, but what about the estate? Due to its extra bulk, this model suits the TDI diesels a bit better, especially if you intend to tow a trailer or caravan. For example the 1.6 TDI can return 74.3 miles per gallon and the more powerful 2.0 TDI can achieve 67.3 miles per gallon, although obviously not with a trailer attached. All can be paired up with a manual or DSG automatic gearbox and if for the smaller 1.6 diesel it's free to tax. Yes free, that has to be everyone's favourite price tag.

Having said all that you might like to be one of those estate people that needs all that room for their really cool hobbies such as rock climbing, abseiling, surfing, deep sea fishing and BMX'ing but wants a powerful fast car to squeeze all the equipment into. That will be the vRS version then with a 0-62 time of less than 7 seconds to keep up with your fast paced hobby list.

Overall the Skoda Octavia Estate is the perfect blend of practicality, comfort and it's cheap to run!