FIRST DRIVE with Neil Dowling

With 47 passenger-car makers in Australian showrooms, it’s becoming hard for new players to get noticed. Even harder for those from exotic locations, it seems, as Škoda pushes determinedly to get more than its toe through the stiffening door of our competitive market.

The Czech Republic car maker, now owned by Volkswagen, has a miniscule 0.08 per cent market share here, yet – for those who can, and should, forget the past – is finding growing favour with its niche products.

Škoda’s range comprises the conventional Octavia medium-car models and, like the black sheep of the family, the decidedly odd-looking Roomster wagonette. Now, there’s another family member.

The good news is that the Scout 4x4 is basically an Octavia wagon on stilts. So it looks familiar, if not a touch bland, despite the add-on plastic panels.

The bad news is that when it reaches one of Škoda’s 20 national dealers next month, it’s poised to take on Subaru’s highly successful (and similarly priced) Outback.

At $39,990, the Scout 4x4 comes only as a two-litre, 103kW/320Nm turbo diesel and – unfortunately, given our predominantly automatic-transmission market- only as a manual, albeit with six cogs.

There is just one model, with enhancements limited to a handful of options.

Aside from the outback, the Scout may tickle the attention of all-wheel-drive wagon buyers who were off to see the Jeep Patriot and Compass.

Outwardly, the Scout appears to have quite a battle on its hands, but one drive will convince you this is a darn good machine. In fact, it’s a very surprising, pragmatic wagon.

It will entice even those who remember the awful 1950s and ‘60s Škodas as cars you’d never have recommended to your worst enemy.

The diesel’s fuel economy is impressive. Try 6.8 litres/100km while on off-road test in the Victorian Alps and 6.2 litres/100km cruising the highways.

Although portrayed as a cheap Volkswagen, the Škoda range offers exceptionally high build quality.

The drivetrain is all Volkswagen, as are suspension and chassis design. Parts that make up the Octavia are mainly sourced from component bins destined for the Golf and Passat.

The Scout is a front-drive wagon with a simple yet highly efficient Haldex coupling. When this device senses the front wheels are slipping, it reacts within a 20-degree turn of the wheels to engage drive to the rear.

There is no interaction from the driver, making this a foolproof and immediate system which maximises traction, whether on wet bitumen or dry beach sand.

If you get a warm and fuzzy feeling about this safety aspect, consider that the Scout also has electronic stability control, traction control, an electronic differential lock, brake assist, anti-lock brakes and even a feature to wipe water off the brake discs to maximise stopping efficiency.

It has six airbags, active safety head restraints and a four-star crash rating.

The wipers are automatic, as are the headlights; there’s a six-disc, eight-speaker audio system with iPod and MP3 compatibility; the air-conditioning is dual zone and climate-controlled; there’s cruise control and a trip computer; and the huge cargo area hides a full-size spare wheel and has a retractable luggage blind.

Now that $39,990 price tag goes from being a bit expensive for a Škoda (isn’t presumption a curse?) to being good value for money.

On the road, the picture is even brighter. The wagon body feels taut and solid, so the Scout sits confidently on the bitumen.

Handling is positive, and even the steering is barely dulled by its electric assistance. The ride is quiet (even over loose stone surfaces), supple and feels nothing like most pimped-up-all-wheel-drives, which usually display some high-speed instability.

From the driver’s perspective, adding 17mm to the Octavia 4x4 Wagon’s height is imperceptible.

The diesel engine performs best from 2000 to 3000rpm, although it will run to 4500rpm if needed.

Only at idle and the very top end of that rev range does it become noticeable; most of the time, it’s as quiet as many petrol-fuelled cars.

Although an automatic will be sorely missed – Škoda doesn’t make one for its 4WDs – the manual box is slick.

Our 550km test drive went from Albury to mount Buller and down to Melbourne, including the tedium of highways and the stunning scenery of back-country dirt and gravel tracks.

One section introduced the cars to a stretch of thick, boggy mud that was quickly dispensed with.

Not one of the test cars creaked, rattled or squeaked after the test. All felt as strong and capable as they did on the first day. No driver complained of discomfort, and not one car used more than 7 litres/100km.

For buyers seeking a bush-capable wagon, the Scout is excellent value.

But if you have no real need for the extra ground clearance and bolt-on features that create the Scout’s image, you may be better off with the Octavia 4x4 Wagon. And you’ll save a few dollars in the process.