Everyone knows secretly that cars have grown considerably in recent decades. But when you open the tailgate of the new Skoda Octavia, you really realize how big a modern compact midsize car has become. A sea of space in the C-segment.
Is there such a thing as too much space? That question arises when you look at the specifications of the new Octavia hatchback. A modern car in the compact middle class is fine for a family with children and the luggage space usually does not reach the 400 liters. No, then the Octavia. The enormous trunk of this brand new Czech swallows 600 liters and therefore has no competitors in the C-segment. In fact, most D-segmenters do not reach that either. Still, the Octavia is price-wise in the middle of the C-segment.
On paper, the space advantage of the Octavia is greater than in practice. In the back seat, the Skoda continues unabated. There are plenty of space between the legs and front seats and between the head and the roof. There was not much to criticize about his predecessor in that respect either. In the front, however, there was still some profit to be made in terms of quality impression and Skoda has clearly taken that to heart. The leap in quality is remarkably large. Underneath the skin it looks very much like the Seat Leon and the Volkswagen Golf, but Skoda has been able to give it its own twist, which also works very well ergonomically. The seating position is just as adjustable as in the other MQB derivatives and thanks to a number of physical shortcuts there is much less annoyance with the modular entertainment system. For some basic functions you still have to go through a little too many menus, but the faster navigation puts more emphasis on how beautiful it all looks and how quickly the touchscreen responds to touches.
Floating
When it comes to driving, the Octavia is all about the highest possible level of comfort. Prefer a sharply steering car? You can contact the Seat dealer for this. On the highway, the Octavia bounces good-naturedly up and down and as soon as things get faster, it rolls and dives. Nevertheless, the new generation manages to make a better impression in this area than its predecessor. At times it was so weak that it could feel uncomfortable, the new one is sufficiently competent to be able to take on a slightly faster pace without you having the idea that the chassis can throw in the towel at any moment.
Under the hood of the Octavia hatchback is the 1.5 TSI with 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque. Formally, those Newtonmeters from 1,500 rpm are at your disposal, in practice it takes a little longer before the Skoda starts taking real steps. It is especially the middle area where the Czech power source makes the best impression. The TSI runs smoothly, quietly and has enough power to make pace without seeming to be a lot of effort. The light but clearly shifting six-speed gearbox is no reason to complain. In short: a powertrain that gives satisfaction, but that is not exactly inspiring.
With a total price of € 34,970, the Octavia seems like a bargain. In any case, Skoda offers you a lot of freedom of choice when composing your car. Instead of having to save for a higher version to get hold of a blind spot sensor, you also have the option to simply order it separately. By adding that sensor and a panoramic roof and omitting, among other things, the HUD and the 18-inch wheels of the Skoda, a complete version is created. Coming back to the question we started with, the answer must be no, there is no such thing as too much space. But sometimes more than sufficient is good enough.