Good Ambitions

What we like:

Edgy design

Passenger space and practicality

Comfort

Build quality

Engine’s impressive mid-range delivery

What we dislike:

Exhaust resonance in the cabin

Rear end perhaps comes across as a little too loose around bends

Like many European cars, the Skoda Octavia had not escaped the “right-sizing” trend. Its 1.0 3-cylinder engine, shared between Volkswagen Group cars like the SEAT Arona, Volkswagen Golf and Audi Q2 is actually quite impressive. While power output is a decent 114bhp, torque is an impressive 200Nm. Together with a 7-speed dual-clutch (DSG) automatic transmission for quick shifts, and featuring some well thought-out gear ratios, enabling the car to hit 100km/h in a decent 10 seconds.

The Octavia makes it known that it is unapologetically a 3-cylinder car, you can hear a bit of a rasp coming from the engine under slightly harder acceleration, and there is a bit of vibration caused by the engine which comes through the accelerator pedal. Push it harder, and you will be able to see the engine’s flatness above 5,000rpm, though the engine is built to easily spin a thousand more.

Under its “Normal” drive mode, the gearbox has a tendency want to change up a little quicker in-order to save on fuel, the downside to this is that you may notice a little bit of exhaust resonance entering the cabin, whenever you squeeze onto the throttle while on a higher gear. Lug the gearshift lever into “Sport” and the Octavia’s 7-speed DSG will opt to hold on to its gears a little longer, and the car springs to life, with enough acceleration potential to leave a good number of market equivalent compacts in the rear-view mirror.

The electric power steering feels light, but not overly-assisted, and thanks to the lighter engine up-front, the Octavia takes to directional changes very willingly. However, due to the rear torsion suspension, with a softer setup, the rear end tends to bob around a bit when taking tighter corners and you would not want to push the Octavia to its limits. But then again, handling here plays second fiddle to practicality and comfort.

Insulation too is good, with more than enough padding for you to enjoy its wonderful sound system. Only when you head up or down a notched concrete ramp, will there be plenty of noise intruding into the cabin.

On cruise, the Octavia is really a joy to drive, with plenty of all-round visibility, and our Ambition Plus test car is also equipped with Blind Spot detection with rear traffic alert, making it easier for lane-change manoeuvres.

The Octavia makes plenty of sense for those who want something which feels a little more premium, yet is priced similarly to what the Japanese brands have to offer. Perhaps there are those who would think twice about a compact car, sans one cylinder. But as far as we know, we love how well the Skoda have built this lovely compact, and where it shines is really in its full-on driver and passenger experience, and the Czechs could potentially put a(nother) dent on the Asian family compact dominance in the market.

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