Škoda Octavia: first drive of the 'budget' VW

This is just one joke of hundreds that in the ’80s would be featured frequently in stand-up comedy routines throughout Europe and Britain, with the Czech car maker lampooned for its lamentable build quality.

But Škoda is no longer the laughing stock of the automotive world, particularly since Volkswagen assumed full control of the brand in May 2000.

Škoda is the fastest-growing brand within the giant VW Group empire that also includes Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Seat. One of the oldest car makers in the world, Škoda took 85 years to sell five million cars. Since VW first acquired a stake (30 per cent) in 1991, Škoda has sold the same number of cars in just 16 years.

Škoda is the Czech Republic’s biggest exporter, and Australia has now become its milestone 100th destination.

The quirky-looking, quirkily named Roomster MPV comprises one half of Škoda Australia’s launch line-up, but it’s the mid-sized Octavia that’s expected to account for 80 per cent of initial sales.

The Octavia launched in Europe three years ago, and is styled much more conservatively than its VW twin, the Jetta (both are based on the current Golf’s platform and share the same 2578mm wheelbase). The Roomster, released in 2006, offers a better and bolder hint of Škoda’s ever-increasing confidence and future design direction.

Škoda’s VW Group membership is also conspicuous when looking at the Octavia’s proliferation of body styles and engines.

There are three trim levels (entry-level Ambiente, Elegance, and performance-oriented RS), two bodies (liftback sedan and wagon), and five engines (three petrols and two diesels).

The Octavia range opens at $29,990 for a ‘liftback’ sedan, where the boot lid and rear window form a one-piece opening. It’s powered by a 77kW 1.9-litre diesel mated to a five-speed manual.

The equipment gap between entry-level Ambiente and mid-trim Elegance is far from a chasm, with all Octavias including as standard six airbags, stability control, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, leather steering wheel, and trip computer.

Elegance Octavias are available with either a 118kW 1.8-litre turbo petrol, 110kW 2.0-litre FSI petrol or 103kW 2.0-litre TDI diesel. The 1.8 turbo is available only with a six-speed manual, while a six-speed conventional automatic and VW’s double-clutch DSG are available on certain Ambiente and Elegance models.

The sporty RS tops the range with a 147kW 2.0-litre turbo that first made its name in the VW Golf GTI. A six-speed manual is the only transmission available on RS-badged Octavias, which come standard with body kit and larger, 18-inch wheels.

Fuel consumption figures range from 4.9 litres per 100km (1.9 TDI manual) to 7.9L/100km (RS).

A wagon variant mirrors the sedan line-up in trim and engine options but adds a $2000 premium. The extra-practical Octavia is also available with electronically controlled all-wheel drive, asking a $5500 premium over the two front-drive models (1.9 TDI manual and 2.0 TDI manual) on which it's based.

Step into the Octavia and the VW experience continues. There’s a familiarity to the new-car aroma and the design of the dash and instruments, even if there are differences in the detail execution. There are items - such as indicator and cruise-control stalks - that are borrowed straight from the Golf/Jetta parts-bin.

The interior quality lives up to VW standards, with soft-touch plastics dominating the dashboard and door trim, although there is the occasional example of cheaper plastics.

VW’s famous attention to detail is also missing in some areas: the glovebox has a vague and unsatisfying closing action, and grab-handles aren’t damped like they are in both the Golf and Jetta.

The Czechs, however, have been smarter with their interior packaging. The Octavia is slightly lower than the Jetta yet delivers more headroom. It shares the VW’s wheelbase and is only fractionally longer but offers more leg room front and rear and boasts a larger boot.

On the road, the Octavia benefits from using the Golf’s underpinnings despite tyre noise that can become intrusive at freeway speeds on coarse-chip bitumen. The Škoda’s suspension keeps body control in check and cushions occupants from imperfect roads.

The driver’s seat contributes to comfort, as does the steering wheel that is adjustable for both height and reach.

Octavia’s engine and transmission options are also courtesy of VW engineering. We tested three engine variants: 1.9-litre diesel with five-speed auto; 2.0-litre petrol with six-speed manual; 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol with six-speed manual.

The 1.9-litre diesel sounds relatively rough when compared to many modern diesels (including VW’s own 2.0-litre TDI), but its 250Nm of torque provides easy motoring both around town and on the freeway.

The 2.0-litre FSI petrol is lacking in grunt, but its power delivery is commendably smooth and linear.

This made the new 1.8-litre turbo the pick of the non-RS engines. The Octavia 1.8 TFSI, via its six manual gears, surges through its mid-range thanks to a peak torque of 250Nm that’s available from 1500-4200rpm.

The four-cylinder, which will next year be seen in a number of Audis, too, including the new A4, A5 coupe and as an entry-level TT, was effective whether on the freeway or winding country roads.

On such curvy bitumen, the front-drive Octavia offers respectable grip levels from its tyres (15- and 16-inch for Ambiente and Elegance respectively). Start to venture beyond eight-tenths driving, though, and the Škoda gently nudges into predictable understeer.

The pricing for the Octavia is also predictable in that it sits below that of its Jetta twin, although it’s not as sharp as was expected for Volkswagen’s ‘budget brand’.

The overall level of the Octavia’s competency, however, means a Škoda is now a car to be taken seriously.