Overall rating:

Third generation Octavia stretches its wheelbase for even more space, making it a potentially Volkswagen Golf beating package.

Key Facts

Model tested: Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI SE
Pricing: £19,240
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
Transmission: front-wheel drive, five-speed manual
Body style: five-door hatchback
Rivals: Ford Focus, SEAT Leon, Volkswagen Golf
CO₂ emissions: 99g/km
Combined economy: 74.3mpg
Top speed: 120mph
0-62mph: 10.8 seconds
Power: 105hp at 3,000- to 4,000rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 1,500- to 2,750rpm

In the Metal:

Crisp new lines create a smart, yet still recognisable new Octavia, Skoda's designers doing well to hide the car's increased scale very well indeed. Helping that is a longer wheelbase, which also delivers a more commodious cabin and shorter overhangs front and rear. It's a big car, especially given it shares the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf and SEAT Leon, though unlike its German and Spanish cousins it's more three-box saloon in its style than conventional hatchback in proportions. Even so, the Octavia remains a hatchback, the large opening door revealing a vast luggage compartment.

That big boot has always been a huge part of the Octavia's appeal; so too has a simple, tidy interior. Existing customers won't be disappointed then, with the Octavia keeping it neat inside, though there's a perceivable lift in quality - fit, finish and materials are not far behind the class-leading Volkswagen. All versions come with a touch-screen infotainment system with Bluetooth and DAB, air conditioning, remote central locking, daytime running lights and stop-start.

Driving it:

Riding on the same basic underpinnings as that Golf and Leon the Octavia is always going to deliver a drive that's rounded and surefooted, though it's also not going to excite in the way a Ford Focus or Mazda3 might. It's a touch firmer riding than the Golf, though it rides decently enough and offers good control in the bends. There's very little incentive to push it hard, the biggest complaint with the Octavia is that it's all a little bit anodyne and forgettable, doing everything with a good level of competence but not shining in any particular area. The 1.6-litre TDI engine has impressed elsewhere in its numerous VAG installations, and it continues to do so here, even if it does sound a touch more raucous than you'll find when it's installed in Skoda's more expensive and upmarket relations.

With just 105hp the 1.6-litre TDI might sound like it'd be overwhelmed by the Octavia's scale, but its plentiful torque makes for a relatively easy drive. The six-speed manual gearbox isn't the last word in accuracy, nor does the steering offer much in the away of feel, but overall there's little to complain about. A touch of road noise at speed is obvious on less than perfect surfaces, but otherwise refinement is good - excepting the diesel's somewhat vociferous start up and cool idle.

What you get for your Money:

Skoda's value package remains, though key here is the sheer size on offer in the class. The Czech firm reckons the Octavia operates in its own segment and certainly it feels significantly larger than the small family hatchback alternatives. More Mondeo than Focus then, which adds to the value even more. Entry-level S models want for little with air conditioning, a leather covered steering wheel, DAB, Bluetooth connection, head, curtain, driver and passenger front airbags and a driver's knee bag. SE adds some chrome bits inside and a Driving Mode Selection (offering Eco, Comfort, Sport and Custom) climate control and a driver alert function, so all Octavias are well equipped.

Worth Noting

While this 1.6-litre TDI model is the efficiency champion at launch with CO₂ emissions of just 99g/km and a combined fuel economy figure of 74.3mpg, a Greenline variant will improve on that later this year. With an optimised 110hp 1.6 TDI engine the Greenline model will offer CO₂ emissions of just 89g/km and return 83mpg on the official combined cycle.

Summary

Neat, if rather forgettable styling outside, and an interior that's functional yet stylish (and among the class best for fit and finish) the Octavia has a lot to offer. If you're after space nothing in the class touches it, and while it's a bit unremarkable to drive it does nothing wrong either. Sensible yet appealing, the new car is true to the Octavia ethos, though if space isn't such an issue then its Volkswagen Golf and SEAT Leon relations are arguably more appealing.