More Room, More Style, More Colours, More Engines
by Ross Finlay (19 Oct 00)

With production of the previous Octavia having got close to the 425,000 mark, Skoda has introduced the Mark II version, on sale from this week. It has a freshened-up front-end appearance, the old problem about there not being enough rear-seat legroom has been solved by revising the front seat design, there's a more attractive range of exterior colours, and ABS is standard on all models. There are four petrol engines as well as three diesels, with an additional 180bhp petrol job still to come in next year's RS.

The petrol engines available now are a 75bhp 1.4-litre, a 102bhp 1.6, a 115bhp two-litre and the familiar 150bhp 1.8-litre turbo. Diesels include a 68bhp 1.9 SDi, a 90bhp intercooled TDi and a same-size TDi in 110bhp tune. Skoda doesn't yet have the VW Group PD types.

There's also been some re-naming of the individual variants. The entry-level car is the Classic, then there's the Ambiente, and the top model so far is the Elegance. By the time the full range is available, in 2001, there will be 21 variants instead of 14 for the previous car, with a good spread of both five-door hatchbacks and well thought-out estates.

As well as the minor restyling and some changes to the interior, the new Octavia has more serious modifications, such as all-new electrics. In various models, there are ingenious Skoda touches, like the tiny "middle" sun visor to shield the gap above the mirror which most manufacturers ignore.

And the upper-level estates, while sharing the minimal-obstruction load area design of all the Octavias, have a false floor under which a fair amount of extra stuff can be tucked away out of sight, as long as it's fairly flat.

Better Value All Round

Equipment levels in most models with counterparts in the previous range have been raised, but the list prices are well down, by as much as £2800 in one instance. The entry-level 1.4 Classic hatchback, admittedly no flier with its 75bhp engine, costs £9800 on the road. The 1.6 Classic, available in both body styles, starts from £10,500.

Two-litre petrol models come in from £12,200, the 90bhp TDi from £12,600, the 110bhp version from £14,200 and the 1.8 20-valve Turbo from £14,500. The full price list repays close examination, because not all engines are available in all variants. The 1.9-litre SDi, for instance, comes only in the Classic hatchback and estate.

Automatic transmission is a £900 extra where available, and metallic paint costs another £225.

As with the previous model, there's a solidly-built feel about the new Octavia, and the interior, while remaining fairly austere in approach, is well finished in a Bohemian (that's geographical rather than loose lifestyle) kind of way. There are improved upholstery fabrics and colours. It still takes a few moments to figure out the workings of the door-mirror switch, though. Some models are fitted with a rather stylish radio, others use a more standard type.

At most new-model launches, the popular way of working is to start with one of the lower-level cars and work up to the most powerful. Since that's the popular way, by definition most people try to follow it. The beasts. On this occasion, I was left to tackle the cars - although not all of them - the other way round.

The 1.8 T can be a real flier. Available for the moment only in the Elegance, this engine shoves the Octavia to 62mph in under 8.5 seconds, and Skoda reckons on a 136mph maximum speed.

A Touch Of The Billy Goat Gruff

I thought the 115bhp two-litre was gruffer-sounding than I remembered, and that when it comes to wind noise the Octavia, especially with a sunroof, seems louder than some of its rivals. But the two-litre is certainly a decent enough puller, with pretty good torque at its 2400rpm peak.

The 110bhp TDi produces all the usual diesel noises, of course, and it whacks the petrol cars for mid-range torque as well as allowing a combined fuel consumption figure of 55mpg, which is much the same as the less powerful 90bhp version, and a little better than the non-blown SDi.

Oddly enough, on a test area in the Midlands with plenty of fast minor roads as well as main roads and motorways to try, I thought the 1.6-litre petrol version, in which the modifications to reduce emission levels have also released a couple more bhp, was one of the best. It won't bullet off the line, taking about 11.8 seconds to reach 62mph, but this is a well balanced car with good road holding and a decent ride on some of the bumpier roads (which the nose-heavier TDi didn't like as much).

I don't suppose many other reports will be as enthusiastic about this model, but at £10,500 for the Classic hatchback and £700 more for the estate I'd say the 1.6 is a pretty good buy. This is another example of something one of my colleagues often says: go for the one-up-from-bottom model.

There's a three-year unlimited mileage warranty, a 10-year anti-corrosion warranty and a three-year warranty on the paintwork - only for cars bought in the UK via the official dealer network.

The three-year roadside assistance package, which covers UK and Continental motoring, still applies. But it's worth emphasising that the previous three-year service package has been discontinued. That makes the RRP reductions not quite such a benefit overall as the revised prices suggest.

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