On the road price: £19,960 & £13,585

Range price: £17,755 - £19,690 (Octavia) & £12,510 - £14,070 (Roomster)

Insurance group: 10E (Octavia) & 7E (Roomster)

Tested: May 2007

On the road: May 2007

Road tester: Stuart Milne

There are two new kids on the block. They're tough, pack rugged looks and some beefy mechanicals – and the bigger of the two sports four wheel drive.

But they're not the latest SUVs – they're an estate and mini-MPV from the Czech Republic.

The Octavia and Roomster Scout are the models Skoda hopes will continue to draw the headlines, long after its Fabia cake TV ad has disappeared.

And both cars certainly look the part.

We chose the four wheel drive Octavia Scout as our transport for the morning, where we would take it through some challenging countryside around York to an off road track.

But before we could take it on the bumpy stuff, we had to test its mettle on the road.

We've driven the previous Octavia 4x4 before, and found it to be a strong performer, but the Scout moves it up a gear – taking on the Subaru Forester, Volvo XC70 and Audi Allroad.

Looking beneath the jacked-up suspension and rugged bodykit, it's apparent where the money has been spent.

It features a second-generation Haldex clutch, which constantly varies the amount of power being sent to the wheels. In normal operation, it’s strictly front wheel drive, but if the ABS sensor detects a wheel spinning by more than 10 degrees, it transfers power to the other wheels.

It can even transfer its power to the wheels on one side of the car, should the car end up losing grip on a grass verge on side, while the other is on a grippy piece of tarmac.

We'd find out more about that later, but suffice to say it eliminated wheelspin on the road, and operated quietly in the background.

And that was the story for the whole car really. It feels a little heavier under acceleration than the old 4x4 and estates, but that's the only real indication you're driving anything different.

This means it's perfect for the outdoor types who occasionally find themselves towing a horsebox across a muddy field, or negotiating a waterlogged car park.

It comes with features such as Hill Hold Control, which will keep the car steady on a slope for five seconds without the need for the handbrake – handy when moving feet from the brake to the clutch.

There's also a automatic brake drying system, which keeps the brakes free from water and dirt by gentle applying the ABS system.

It has all the softroader go, without the show; as we were about to find out on an offroad course.

Naturally, we weren't about to embark on some deep wading or steep slippery slopes, but the Octavia was a blast to drive along the course's dirt roads, complete with bumper-threatening potholes and boulders.

The Skoda team did try to push the Octavia out of its comfort zone with a proper low-speed off road run and a steep descent, but it managed both with ease.

But even when the Octavia Scout, complete with raised suspension, bottomed out on the occasional lump and bump, it was fully protected by a sump guard (to prevent damage to the bottom of the engine) and robust skid plates on the front and rear bumpers.

The cabin is standard Octavia fare, save for some Scout kickplates on the door lips and a grab handle for the passenger, should the going get too rough.

Skoda reckons the Octavia Scout has what it takes to compete with its rivals, and it's certainly priced keenly. A staggering £10,000 less than a Volvo XC70. And its rivals from Subaru, the Forester and Outback don't currently offer a diesel engine, so more brownie points there.

Bad points? There are a few: acceleration does feel sluggish with the extra mass, and the steering feels slightly vague – but far less than a fully-fledged SUV which are too much of a compromise for many drivers.

So after a spot of lunch and tales of heroics avoiding the occasional badger on the route, it was on to the Roomster.

We chose a 1.4 TDi Roomster Scout, with its fizzy little three cylinder engine.

Accelerating from slow speeds on steep hills, the 1.4 Roomster felt out of its depth, but came alive when the tarmac flattens out. However, this may be a different story when loaded with passengers and luggage.

The surprising thing about the Roomster Scout – and Roomsters in general – is how much fun they are to drive. For a cheapish mini-MPV, they're still capable of putting a smile on the driver's face. Even if this one had only 80bhp.

It's easy to see Skoda selling out its initial run of 1,000 Octavia Scouts for the UK market, but slightly less so with the Roomster.

Unlike the Octavia, which has to have the off road ability to compete with some competent rivals, the Roomster sits in a tiny niche of its own.

It does without the Octavia's sophisticated drivetrain, and just wears its butch bodykit and jacked-up suspension.

But those looking for something different could well find it here.

Rivals

You might also like to consider:

Skoda Octavia 4x4

Subaru Forester

Toyota RAV4

Auto Trader Links

Read more car reviews

Compare the best prices on a new Skoda Octavia Scout or Roomster Scout with Auto Trader's New Car Search