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Skoda is a bit like that moody, low-key actor you know but have a hard time remembering. Like Jacqueline McKenzie or Ben Mendelsohn. Considered and respected, but far from being a red carpet show.
And the mid-size Octavia is the quintessential Skoda. . . For other people looking for quality engineering and generation without feeling the need to flaunt a badge.
The fourth-generation Octavia has been on the market for three years and, thanks to a recent protection update, this new SportLine model, introduced in a five-door Liftback and Classic Wagon version, adds more design and specs for the same price. like the existing basic style.
It opposes classic sedans and trucks like Toyota’s all-powerful Camry, established players like the Mazda6, and high-demand newcomers like the BYD Seal EV, not to mention the same old midsize SUV suspects.
Stay with us on this first trip to see if this SportLine has what it takes to drive your Skoda Octavia.
In an effort to give the Octavia a value-focused middle-aged boost, the SportLine adds some bold extras on the exterior, interior and bottom and we’ll discuss them in detail in the Design and Handling sections.
For now, it’s vital to note that all of this is of equal value to the entry-level Style, which is already well-equipped. That’s $40,590, before running expenses, for the Liftback and nearly $41,890 for the Wagon.
And with the arrival of this new variant, domestic vehicle prices have been set at an additional $1,900 and $2,100, respectively ($42,490 and $43,990).
It features a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen (with voice recognition).
Aside from that, the Sportline has a list of popular features, including dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED matrix headlights, a forced liftgate, a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen (with voice function). control). 10. 25-inch virtual tool cluster, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keyless entry and start, automatic rain-sensing windshield wipers, rearview camera, built-in navigation formula, and eight-speaker audio formula.
Equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels.
An available “Premium Package” ($3,200) adds power-adjustable front seats (with lumbar and memory function), heated front and rear (outdoor) seats, “adaptive lane guidance,” “emergency assist,” virtual radio, and three zone climate control and other USB-C outlets. The Wagon has a panoramic sunroof for $1,900.
“Candy White” is the paint color available, with “Black Magic Pearlescent,” “Graphite Grey Metallic,” “Moon White Metallic” or “Race Blue Metallic” adding $770 to the price, while “Velvet Red Metallic” goes up to $1,100. .
Overall, it’s a pretty smart price for the class, before you even start thinking about the SportLine extras.
The Skoda Octavia features a sleek and fresh design that combines the lines of the company’s character and larger sculpted surfaces with a trace of the brand’s VW Group ownership popping up here and there.
And it is aerodynamically effective with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0. 259 for the Liftback and 0. 287 for the Wagon.
The SportLine is highlighted through a gloss black trim on the grille, caps, rear spoiler on the Liftback, and roof rails on the Wagon.
The wide black grille is typical of Skoda, although the rear solution is closer to the generic premium Euro. Replace the Skoda badge with 4 rings or a blue, black and white cockade and no one will bat an eyelid.
But the SportLine stands out thanks to a glossy black trim on the grille, mirror housings, rear spoiler on the Liftback, and roof bars on the Wagon.
The 10. 25-inch “Virtual Cockpit” tool shows the driver.
On top of that, a rear diffuser and front spoiler have been added, the window frames are in matte black, and two exhaust tips complete the rear.
The interior is governed via a multi-layered tool panel with a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen in the middle and a driver-oriented 10. 25-inch “Virtual Cockpit” tool screen.
The “leather-lined” flat-bottomed, grippy idler features shifter paddles hidden in the edge.
The grippy “leather-wrapped” steering wheel with flat rear end has shift paddles hidden in the edge, sport alloy covers on the pedals, and the headliner is black.
The “Sports Comfort” cloth seats are superb, the fabrics used are top quality and the Octavia shares its door umbrella trick with Rolls-Royce, it has to be said, the latter gives two.
Under the bonnet of the Skoda Octa is a 1. 4-litre four-cylinder turbo alloy petrol engine with direct injection, which sends 110 kW/250 Nm to the front wheels. An eight-speed automatic transmission with ‘Tiptronic’ sequential manual transmission is available. Mounted paddle shifters.
With a length of less than 4. 7 m, just over 1. 8 m wide and almost 1. 5 m high, with a wheelbase of almost 2. 7 m, the Octavia SportLine Liftback and the Wagon sit at the tail end of the mid-size category.
At 183cm, I have breathing room up front, and the low dashboard helps give a sense of space.
For storage, a generous area under an extendable, height-adjustable armrest between the seats, two cup holders in the center console, bins in the doors with enough room for jumbo bottles, and a decent refrigerated glove box. There’s also Skoda’s iconic covered trash can. on the driver’s door.
In the back, sitting in the driver’s seat, in my position, I have plenty of foot, leg, and head room, as well as enough shoulder room for 3 tall adults in comfortable medium-length vehicles.
A pair of cup holders on the fold-down armrest.
Adjustable ventilation is welcome and garage features include a map wallet in the front seat backrests, giant door bins, a garage for belongings under the air vents, and a pair of cup holders in the foldable center armrest.
Connectivity and power come from two USB-C sockets, a 12-volt socket, and a wireless charger in the front with 12V in the trunk. There’s no USB stick or 12-volt for the rear seats, which is a mistake.
Speaking of boot, with all seats folded down, the Liftback offers a competitive garage space of six hundred litres, expandable to 1,555 L with the rear seat split 40/20/40 folded down.
Speaking of boot, with all seats folded down, the Liftback offers a competitive garage space of six hundred litres, expandable up to 1,555 L with the 40/20/40 split rear seat folded down. These figures are 640 and 1,700 L in the car. In addition, in both cases there is a ski-port tailgate.
There are space-saving parts under the floor, the tailgate is electric, and for those who need towing, the Octavia is designed for a trailer with 1. 5-ton brakes and popular trailer stability control.
Skoda’s official combined fuel consumption figure for the Octavia SportLine is 5. 7 l/100 km for the Liftback and 5. 9 l per cent for the Wagon, with the 1. 4-litre turbo 4 emitting 180 g/km of CO2 in the process.
During the launch program that covered urban areas, back roads and highways along the coast south of Sydney, New South Wales, we recorded an average of 6. 4 L/100 km on the Liftback. Not too much for a non-hybrid vehicle in this class.
On the bonnet of the Skoda Octavia is a 1. 4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder alloy petrol engine with direct injection.
It should be noted, however, that the minimum fuel required is the more expensive premium unleaded 95 RON.
You’ll need forty-five litres to fill the tank, which corresponds to a theoretical range of around 790 km. . . about 700 km of our actual figure.
Skoda claims that the Octavia SportLine will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 9. 0 seconds, which isn’t incredibly fast but also not slow at the same time, especially for a vehicle that weighs around 1. 3 tonnes. The torque (250 Nm) achieved between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm makes it easy to drive with a lot of force at medium revs.
It’s worth noting that even if the preference is there, the force delivered through the turbo 4 isn’t linear, maximizing occasionally from the start, and the engine rarely takes a beat to respond to a pressure on the accelerator pedal before the force arrives.
There’s nothing dramatic, though, and the eight-speed ‘Shift-by-Wire’ automatic transmission is smooth, with available ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes, the latter holding gears longer when shifting up and shifting down more smoothly when gears are added. Acceleration is needed. And if you need to take full control, the ‘manual’ gear adjustments of the paddles on the idler are satisfyingly quick.
Skoda claims that the Octavia SportLine will go from 0 to 100 km/h in 9. 0 seconds.
The suspension is telescopic with a “compound crank axle” at the rear, which in Skoda parlance is a torsion bar.
The SportLine’s suspension is 15mm lower than the Style’s with retuned springs and dampers for sharper dynamic response. However, despite this and the popular 18-inch wheels shod with low-profile tires, there are no consequences in terms of driving compliance.
Even on the rough surfaces of B-roads, the Octavia remains serene. The steering is well balanced and the feel on the road is good, with an excellent connection between the front tyres and the hands on the wheel.
Continuing through the corners, the car is solid and balanced thanks to the Bridgestone Turanza (225/45) tyres that grip tightly. And if you have the bit between your teeth, an electronically controlled differential lock can reduce power.
It’s well balanced and the feel on the road is good, with a great connection between the front tyres and the hands on the wheel.
Braking by ventilated discs at the front with forged rotors at the rear and under the stress of steep, winding and fast descents, the inhibiting force is forged. The pedal is progressive in its application and release.
As for other observations, the engine noise is pleasantly low, especially for a small-displacement turbo petrol engine, the front sports seats offer help and comfort on long journeys and a slider located below the central multimedia display to control the audio. A neat ergonomic solution.
In the midst of the tug-of-war between cleaning up an on-screen volume design and the sheer power of a physical watch face, the Octavia’s slider, while still a haptic-style operation, represents a safe and convenient middle floor. between the two of them.
Safety is one of Skoda’s strengths, so it’s no surprise that the Octavia scored a maximum of five ANCAP stars in the 2019 evaluation.
Activates collision-avoidance technologies such as AEB (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), rearview and surround-view camera, parking assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, tires. Pressure and fatigue tracking detection.
If an impact is unavoidable, there are 8 airbags on board, adding a front center and driver’s knee bag that hold up well in 2024 and show just how far along the Octavia was in the passive protection game when it was introduced here in 2021.
There are three child seat straps in the second row, with ISOFIX anchors in the outer positions.
The Octavia is subsidized through Skoda’s seven-year unlimited mileage warranty, which is two years longer than most of the mainstream market.
Roadside assistance is free for the first year and is renewed if you have your Octavia serviced by an authorised Skoda dealer.
The consistent core service is 12 months/15,000 km, which is in line with the top competition and Skoda offers five- and seven-year maintenance packages, the latter equating to $393 per workshop visit, which is an exaggeration for the model segment. .
And with Skoda Choice, you can opt for a long-term price guarantee offer of up to five years and thereafter at a rate of 6. 99 percent.
Is the Octavia SportLine your type of quiet motor vehicle?It’s well-equipped and attractively priced, with a sleek yet unobtrusive appearance, top-notch security, and an attractive asset package.
It also saves fuel due to its length and its refined, fun ride. Before you enter the busy lane of mid-length SUVs, I recommend you upload this Skoda (Liftback or Wagon) to your new list of chosen cars.
Note: CarsGuide attended this occasion as a guest of the manufacturer, providing accommodation and food.
Based on the retail value of the new vehicle.
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