It's Czech Mate
Škoda is on the way back after 25 years and IAN CRAWFORD recently sampled two of its cars in the Czech RepubIic
AFTER AN abortive attempt five years ago, Škoda is finally on the way back into the Australian market and the overwhelming impression is that the brand should do extremely well this fime around.
As Škoda Australias youthful boss Matthew Wiesner points out, parent company Volkswagens fortunes in 2002 were not nearly as strong as they are now, with 2007 Australian sales looldng to top 27,000. Wiesner says that Volkswagens strength in 2007 means the group can digest the launch of the Czech brand without it intruding on its own sales.
The Roomster and Octavia, the first two Škodas to arrive in Australia, are poles apart in their styling. The aptly named Roomster is a five-door hatch/people-moverstyled
styled compact that really will have no direct competitor in the small-car segment.
The Octavia is a Volkswagen Jettasized vehicle that will slot into the medium-car segment and go up against the likes of the Mazda6, the Honda Accord Euro and the Subaru Liberty.
It will be available in sedan and wagon (Škoda calls it the Combi) variants and a choice of engines. While the Octavia is a fine car with a lot going for it especially a combination of quality and value for money it will be the less-expensive Roomster that initially will command the Škoda flag-bearing role.
This is because it is so different from anything on the market and it is sure to turn a lot of inquisitive heads as soon as it starts to appear on Australian roads. Buyers will be able to specify either a 77kW/153Nm 1.61t 16-valve fuel-injected ESI petrol engine or the excellent 77kW/240Nm 1.9-litre diesel also found in the VW Colf and Polo.
The petrol unit will be available in either automatic or manual transmission guises but initially, the diesel will be a five-speed-manual only car. The automatic is a sixspeeder with Tiptronic sequential sports shifting.
The Roomster is a family friendly small car and one of its design highlights is a second-row seating system known as Varioflex. Because the system allows you to select from a range of seat-position modes, the passenger-seating and cargo flexibility is second to none. The seats can fold every which way and tumble forward and a really clever innovation is the way the central section can be either an armrest or folded out of the way and the two outer seating positions brought together. This centre section weighs only 11kg, making it easy to remove completely for even more room. The rear seats themselves can be removed to turn the Roomster into a two-seater with a luggage capacity of 17801t. Even with the seats in place there is up to 5301t of luggage space. Two full-size bicycles can fit inside the car when the rear seats ate oat of the way. The two outer seats weight 16kg and like the centre section, they are simple to remove. As well as all this cargo capacity and flexibility, the little Škoda also has a raft of cubby holes for passenger bits and pieces.
Because of its low shoulder line and big side windows and the cars great all-round visibility, small kids will love the Roomster because they can see what s happening as the countryside passes by.
Safety-conscious buyers will be impressed with the Roomster s safety credentials and as well as boasting a five-stat EuroNCAP passenger - protection rating, electronic stability control, ABS brakes and front, side and curtain airbags will be standard.
While final Australian pricing and specifications are still to be finalised, Škoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner acknowledges that the price tag must be at least $25,000. In that arena, it will make a compelling bang-for-your-bucks statement.
During the visit to the Czech Republic I drove the Roomster and the Octavia under road conditions that ranged from the quaint but horrible-to-drive-on cobble stones of the city to smooth freeways where 160km/h cruising was the norm. The Roomster’s somewhat firm but well-weighted steering and suspension work well together. Turning in its precise and some nasty potholes out in the Czech country were handled with ease. As is often the case these days, the diesel is the pick of the engines and its torque makes overtaking a breeze.
In the more conventional Octavia Škoda will offer Australian buyers two petrol and two diesel engines. The two petrol units are a 1.81t turbocharged charged FSI and a 1 lOkW2lt naturally aspirated FSI version.
A 21t turbocharged version of the FSI, generating 147kW, will power the sporty RS Octavia and a six-speed manual will be this model s only transmission. The 1.91t diesel delivers peak power of 77kW and its 21t sibling boasts 103kW.
Wagon versions will be called the Octavia Combi II and the Octavia Combi 114 x 4.
Next year, Škoda will release a high-riding four-wheel-drive wagon called the Octavia Scout and this will be followed by the luxurious range-topping Superb sedan in 2009 and the Yeti compact SUV in 2010. The Octavia s final pricing and specifications are yet to be finalised but Wiesner hints at savings of between five and ten per cent compared with a similar Volkswagen.