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If you’re on the market for a car this size, the Octavia lives or dies on whether you can deal with the ‘Skoda’ badge.

To an informed car buyer today ‘Skoda’ means ‘Volkswagen build quality at a lower price’. To the unenlightened it’s still the punch line to dozens of rubbish jokes about Communism.

But is their 4x4 model a niche too far in a range that already offers a very popular sport model?

Read on for our verdict on the Skoda Octavia, or click the links below to skip to a section.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor | Rivals

1. Looks

The Octavia is a bit on the plain side, yes, but it’s not in any way unappealing.

It stands taller than the standard Octavia with greater ground clearance for all that off-roading you’re going to do every day. To me, the higher stance spoils the profile of the car.

8/10

2. Looks inside

Typical Volkswagen quality abounds inside – from the reassuring solidity of the switchgear to the intuitive controls on the stereo.

The only complaint I could offer is that if there’s nothing to hate, there’s nothing to love about it either. Skoda proudly claim the ergonomics of the interior are “perfect” – I’d settle for a more reserved ‘functional’.

7/10

3. Practicality

The Octavia is all about practicality. Particularly so our estate test car with its voluminous boot offering stacks of storage with the seats folded flat – 1,620 litres in total.

The revised Haldex Clutch system on the 4x4 is smaller, meaning no luggage space is lost to the extra differential.

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

It shares its platform with the Volkswagen Golf so the ride is every bit as good as you’d expect it to be. Any complications arising from the length of the Octavia’s rear are minimised.

The handling isn’t as sharp as the standard Octavia’s because of the slightly raised suspension. But it’s very responsive and the four-wheel drive endows it with superb traction.

8/10

5. Performance

There’s a choice of two engines for the 4x4 Octavia: the 2.0 litre FSI petrol engine we tested, and a 1.9 litre diesel.

The petrol gives 150 hp and propels the 4x4 estate to 60 mph in a sprightly 9.7 seconds, maxing out at 126 mph. The 105hp diesel carries quite a performance penalty with it – 3.3s slower to 60mph.

8/10

6. Running Costs

The petrol engines puts out 214g of CO2 per kilometre – if you need to keep the emission figures down you’re far better off with the diesel which emits 25% less. It costs £145 more but you’ll make that back in tax savings in no time.

Fuel efficiency for the petrol 4x4 is the worst of any engine/body combination available on the Octavia – 31.7 mpg on the combined cycle. The diesel manages a far more acceptable 47.1.

7/10

7. Reliability

The badge says ‘Skoda’ but everything else says ‘Volkswagen’, and that’s all you need to know.

9/10

8. Safety

As well as featuring an Electronic Stability Programme as standard the Octavia packs Engine Torque Control and an Electronic Differential Lock to prevent wheel slip – allowing you to get the most out of its four-wheel drive.

Side and curtain airbags are standard and the bumpers are filled with a special material designed to minimise potential injury to pedestrians.

8/10

9. Equipment

Equipment levels on the standard Octavia are decent and include heated mirrors and two ISOFIX mountings for child seats in the rear.

The usual bewildering range of cubby holes in which to lose things are on offer – the best of which is the cheerfully-named jumbo box which is a standard feature on the 4x4 model. The door storage pockets sculpted to hold water bottles are a smart touch, too.

Also standard on the 4x4 is electronic air conditioning with separate passenger and driver adjustments

8/10

10. X-Factor

The Octavia is a great car for the money and has deservedly won acclaim for bring quality construction at a low price.

It’s hard to say exactly where the 4x4 model fits within this niche, though – it’s not as frugal as the base models, nor as sporty as the vRS. And it’s not quite as rugged a cross-over as the Audi A4 Allroad or Volvo XC70. But it is pleasingly distinctive and definitely a smart purchase.

8/10

Rivals
You might want to consider:

Ford Focus FFV
Toyota Avensis Tourer
Saab 9-3 SportWagon

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