Table of contents:
- Funny: a detailed test of the previous generation Octavia came out almost a year ago. And he turned out to be a kind of farewell, because then we knocked out the pros and cons of the outgoing model. At the same time, the fourth generation Octavia at that time was presented for five months already (it was shown back in 2019), but it only reached the Russian market at the very end of 2020. Joy, delight and a new wave of people's love? Yes, yes, and … it is not clear yet. Because the Czech darling has moved a little away from the people, becoming more elegant, cooler and, of course, more expensive. So, it's time to figure out if it was worth it
- Interior
- Practicality
- Technique and reliability
- Riding
- Equipment
- Competitors
- Output

Video: Suffer! Fall In Love? All The Pros And Cons Of The Skoda Octavia: A Detailed Test

2023 Author: Natalie MacDonald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 02:36
Funny: a detailed test of the previous generation Octavia came out almost a year ago. And he turned out to be a kind of farewell, because then we knocked out the pros and cons of the outgoing model. At the same time, the fourth generation Octavia at that time was presented for five months already (it was shown back in 2019), but it only reached the Russian market at the very end of 2020. Joy, delight and a new wave of people's love? Yes, yes, and … it is not clear yet. Because the Czech darling has moved a little away from the people, becoming more elegant, cooler and, of course, more expensive. So, it's time to figure out if it was worth it
SkodOctaviA8 1,443,000 - 1,791,000 Editors' Choice: Ambition Plus 1.4 TSI AT package for RUB 1,590,000 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Pros
- Fresh salon
- Controllability
- Practicality
Minuses
- Limited options
- The need to pay extra for most "special stages"
- Price
Ownership cost * per year with a mileage of 17,500 km: OSAGO 12,050 ₽ CASCO 83,050 ₽ Maintenance per year 22,300 ₽ Transport tax 5,250 ₽ Fuel 68,740 ₽ Total 191,390 ₽
* The cost of policies and tax are calculated for a driver over 22 years old and with more than 4 years of experience living in Moscow
Of course - SkodOctavi has not lost its basic qualities, which made it a bestseller. It is not very logical to draw conclusions in the introduction to the test, but the following statements are unlikely to be a spoiler for someone: Octavia is still incredibly roomy, comfortable and very pleasant to drive. Moreover - in almost everything in which the model has changed, it just got better!
However, if for the third generation the level of two million rubles was attainable, but rather fantastic (we do not take into account the "eresku" and "scout"), then for the new model this is the real reality. And we are not talking about cars with a top-end two-liter engine, which are not yet available in Russia, but about this 150-horsepower Octavia 1.4 TSI with a complete set Style Plus and a set of options for 430.5 thousand rubles. Total - 2,221,500 rubles! For Octavia!
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Interior
Here it is - a complex and infinitely important new thing for Octavia. It's not as boring here as it used to be! Yes, after sitting and driving the new product for several days, you understand that the fundamental approach has not changed: everything is still smooth and strict. Maybe even too much. However, the interior is drawn from scratch and feels fresh and light. A calm style, as before, will benefit in the future - the interior will age slowly. The two-spoke steering wheel also pleases - also from the category of something cool, which Octavia lacked all her life.
And most of all questions are caused by the transition to touch control for almost everyone and everything. There are a handful of physical buttons left under the touchscreen, but among them there are no buttons for adjusting the air temperature or heating the seats - and this is a reason to grumble. The rest is rather a matter of habit. Because the interface is clear and the display response is fast and stable. And only an indistinct volume control touch strip really makes you miss the knobs. However, the situation is saved by a comfortable lamb on the steering wheel.













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As before, there is only one way to dilute the gray-black kingdom of the interior - choose a beige interior. Only you cannot buy it - this is a free option, available only when ordering an older configuration
Practicality
From the previous captions to the pictures, you probably already understood that you will have to pay extra for many things in the new Octavia. And let this thought continue to run like a red thread in our test, but a Czech car will have something in any, even the poorest configuration - space! Yes, the preserved high central tunnel will still interfere with the third passenger in the second row. But the Octavia is still honestly a five-seater with a gigantic 578-liter trunk and a wonderful fifth door.
Also here by default there will be two USB Type C connectors, the most convenient Vag's armrest in front (thanks to the multi-stage height adjustment - I would have to oblige everyone to do just that!), An excellent box to the left of the steering wheel with soft upholstery inside, a 12-volt socket in the trunk, pressure sensors in tires, a system for starting the engine with a button and "start-stop", as well as, I repeat, the LED head light. And Isofix mounts, including in the front passenger seat.













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There is as much space in the second row as before - and it has even become a little more spacious above the passengers' heads. And if the owner is not stingy with the equipment, then the back will generally be a business class! By the way, you can buy an armrest from the middle configuration Ambition Plus (9,300 rubles). And the top Octavia will have it by default
Technique and reliability
The test car, like all new Octavias in Russia, is equipped with a 150-horsepower "turbo four" 1.4 TSI with 250 Nm of torque. This is the unit of the well-known EA211 series in the DJK version (Euro-6), which has been produced since 2018. Its differences are only in the engine control settings and the presence of a "double" catalytic converter. So you can breathe out and not wait for dirty tricks: significant ailments of this TSI have long been cured, so 150-200 thousand trouble-free kilometers for it is almost an absolute norm.

The turbo engine is combined with either a manual box or an eight-speed "automatic", as in our case. Yes, yes, with the Aisin "automatic", and not with the DSG, although the weak points of the previous seven-speed DQ200 also seem to have been eliminated, and the "robot" has ceased to be something terrible. A bunch of these units left on Russian roads a little over a year ago, first appearing on the Karoq crossover. And so far, we have not heard about any problems with the Japanese automatic transmission. And it shouldn't, like the unit belongs to a widespread family, which has been produced since 2013.
Octavia with other sets of units is about to appear on the market. Firstly, the version with the same 1.6-liter aspirated. No revolutions have happened to him, therefore, with a certain degree of confidence, one can fear the old problem with increased oil consumption. It happens that the lubricant level has to be monitored regularly - it can take liters from replacement to replacement. Otherwise, the 110-horsepower unit does not stand out for any systemic flaws. The same can be said about the previous choice of five-speed "mechanics" and automatic six-speed Aisin.
Another version of the Octavia A8 will be with a new, but familiar from the older Superb iron. Instead of the 1.8-liter turbo at the top of the lineup, there is now a 2.0 (CZPB) combined injection engine. This engine is already collecting complaints about the oil appetite, but so far relatively rarely.

What exactly will require the attention of the owner is the chain - you need to carefully monitor its condition, especially closer to 150 thousand kilometers. Quite often, users also complain about the modest pump resource and the difficulties with the injection pump, although in general, during the normal course of life, the engine reaches 300 thousand without overhaul. The top engine will be combined only with a seven-speed DSG, but you shouldn't be afraid of it either - this is a box with "wet" clutches, initially more durable than the same DQ200.
It turns out that there is nothing to scare you in this section so far, so let's move on to how the 150-horsepower liftback with hydromechanics rides.
Riding
And it rides well! And even fans of the DSG rate of fire will be satisfied, because the "automatic" switches very, very quickly. Yes, you can feel that he is just a little slower than the "robot", but this is not at all a reason not to love him. Moreover, against the background of the DSG, the box is completely devoid of twitching.

In general, Octavia always responds vividly to the desire of the driver to drive. And it's not even about sufficient sharpness, but about predictability - an intuitive understanding soon comes when and how many gears the car will throw off and what power can be expected. Of course, one should not expect a truly explosive return from the 150-horsepower "one and four", but we can praise it for dedication - the motor pulls juicy. And at the same time it is able to fit into eight liters of 95th per hundred!
And if you want more - there is no problem using the sport mode of the box. It is activated by the same familiar movement of the selector "down" and allows you to drive like this even all day. The revs will always be slightly higher, but the "automatic" quite precisely understands when it is no longer necessary to keep the gear and it is time to switch to an increased one.

As before, a system for selecting driving modes is available for a surcharge, and with the ability to customize an individual option. However, hardly anyone will like the absolutely artificial weighting of the electric power steering in "sport". Or that at least someone will feel a noticeable difference in the nature of the engine when changing settings. And certainly nothing happens in the "sport mode" of the suspension, although there is such an item in the settings. After all, the adaptive chassis has not yet been brought to Russia.
But there are a couple more reasons to grumble about electronics. Each time after completing a trip, Octavia forgets that the driver has deactivated the lane keeping assist. A trifle, but - this is what an item could be added to the "individual" mode, so this is a set of always activated assistants.

But if you generally like the way the cars of the VAG concern drive, especially those built on the MQB platform, then the new SkodOctavi will not disappoint you. I apologize for the words hackneyed by this topic, but they most directly describe the sensations: tight, elastic, understandable.
Octavia is not afraid of beaten roads in winter, although she copes with them quite noisy, and sometimes rude. I am sure that abandoning the 18 disks on the test machine would partially solve these problems. But if you are ready to put up with periodically detailed suspension, then here are your favorite bonuses - in the form of pleasant stability, a sense of tenacious travel and pleasure in energetic cornering.

I'm sorry, what? Beam, you say? Yeah, she's here too. The disadvantages are clear: “it could have been better” and “they didn’t report it” (by the way, the Octavia with a two-liter engine, which is about to enter the market, will have a multi-link). However, if you forget about the very fact of its existence, but remember that the "octaha" is still not a tank or a rally round, then this suspension does not give out its constructive "budget".
Equipment
I must say that the Russian Skod configurator takes time and effort to clarify all the circumstances. The point is in the numerous packages of options - seemingly well thought out and more profitable in price than their separate components. There are almost a dozen and a half of these packages alone (plus 10 options for their combinations and changes in price), and there are also enough individual options. Therefore, assembling the perfect car at the perfect price is not easy. It is probably easier to use the paper version the old fashioned way.

So, in the basic OctaviActive Plus per 1,443,000 rubles there will be only a simple air conditioning, steel 16-inch wheels, only front and side airbags, as well as an initial multimedia with an eight-inch display and four speakers instead of eight in the other two trim levels (it's good that at least there is Bluetooth!). But at the same time, it will immediately be equipped with an electromechanical "handbrake", a tire pressure sensor, a start button, cruise control with a speed limiter and even automatic gearshift paddles, if any. By the way, the surcharge for an “automatic machine” in this and all other trim levels will be 57,000 rubles.
In the complete set Ambition Plus (from 1,533,000 rubles) there will be lumbar supports for the front seats with mechanical adjustment, curtain airbags, dual-zone climate control, rain and light sensors, heated washer nozzles and rear parking sensors, a couple more USB ports for rear passengers and plus one in the area of the central rear-view mirror (for DVR) - in addition to the previously mentioned.

The most expensive, but far from the richest configuration Style Plus (from 1,734,000 rubles) there will be some cosmetic and finishing benefits, ambient interior lighting with two separate contours and many colors (bonus: logo projection from under the doors), a couple of additional electronic assistants, keyless entry and alarm, digital dashboard and Bolero multimedia with a 10-inch touchscreen. Unfortunately, we are not familiar with the latter, but for the Columbus complex, which you saw above, in any case, you will have to pay extra.
Of the individual options for the middle and older versions, I would like to highlight the electric heated windshield (11 400 rubles) and electric boot lid (21,000 rubles), adaptive cruise control (43 700 rubles), rear view camera with washer (21,000 rubles) and circular video review (41,200 rubles), adaptive matrix headlights (74 800 rubles), autonomous parking heater (59 600 rubles) and the not-so-good-sounding Canton audio system for 28 500 rubles - and it was all on a test car. And if not all, then many of the above you want to get on your car, isn't it? If yes, then be prepared for the fact that the final price will be another 200-300-400 thousand higher than the one that stands opposite the name of the configuration you like.
Competitors
Volkswagen Jetta
Формально в конкуренты нужно записывать Джетту, но с аналогичным двигателем импортная модель, а не локализованная, как Octavia, стоит намного дороже - от 1 961 000 рублей. И едва ли многие захотят переплачивать только за более богатое оснащение" style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;">

Hyundai Elantra
Новая Элантра меньше чешского лифтбека по внешним габаритам, но обладает при этом большей колёсной базой. И со старшим 150-сильным двигателем соответствует по ТТХ. Стоит такая модель от 1 514 000 до 1 795 000 рублей, и сделать её ещё дороже не получится - доплатить можно только 15 тысяч за цвет" style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;">

Hyundai Sonata
Ну а что? Если кто-то захочет полностью укомплектованную Октавию, то есть у корейцев альтернативное предложение классом выше: за самую-самую Сонату просят 2 339 000 рублей и 18 тысяч за опциональный цвет. А двигатель здесь будет атмосферный и аж 2,5-литровый, мощностью 180 л.с." style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;">

KiCeed SW
Среди модельного ряда Kiможно рассматривать сразу несколько альтернатив. Первый - более-менее сопоставимый по габаритам универсал Ceed. С топовым 140-сильным турбомотором он может стать вашим за 1 789 900 рублей, уже в неплохой комплектации. Подходит и седан Cerato: в полностью укомплектованной топовой версии, со 150-сильным двигателем он обойдётся в 1 639 900 рублей " style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;">

KiK5
А можно присмотреться и к седану KiK5, с которым мы недавно провели сравнительный тест. Если важны простор на втором ряду и принадлежность к более престижному классу, то смысл посмотреть на К5 вживую точно есть. С атмосферным мотором 2.5 на 194 силы и почти в топовой комплектации стоит большой седан почти столько же, сколько тестовая нафаршированная Octavia" style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;">

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Volkswagen jetta
Formally, you need to write down Jetta as a competitor, but with a similar engine, an imported model, and not a localized one, like Octavia, costs much more - from 1,961,000 rubles. And it is unlikely that many will want to overpay only for richer equipment.
Output
In this text, equipment clarifications are deliberately placed throughout. Because the new Octavia is good at everything but price. And prices raise questions only because it is still not possible to get used to such a rapid rise in the price of cars in Russia. To the very same Octavia, as to a car, there are no questions at all. It gives the impression of a modern car, in which "got in and went", which does not force the driver to adapt to himself and which is not capable of annoying anything. The new liftback is driving better than the previous one, it is quiet (noise insulation has been increased - even the wheels cannot be heard!), And its design, if not amazing, is definitely pleasing. Well, and most importantly, everything that the owners of Octavia liked so much remained in their places. Or it got better
The only problem is that buyers will have to strongly restrain their desires in order to assemble a car in the configurator at least within 1.8 million rubles - even though the OctaviA8 is initially well equipped. Fortunately, not only a priori a more expensive two-liter version, but also a more democratic 110-horsepower version awaits us. And it will be very interesting to meet him! Do you agree?