Skoda Octavia Estate review

A reminder, then: there are six powertrains to choose from (not including the vRS): 113bhp and 148bhp 1.5-litre petrols, mild hybrid variants of both, and 113bhp and 148bhp 2.0-litre diesels. A 201bhp 2.0-litre petrol is on its way in 2025. Choices galore.

We’ve tried the petrol engines in both standard and hybrid guise, and even without electrical assistance they’re quiet, refined (the more powerful variant slightly more so) and economical. The mild hybrids come paired with a smooth seven-speed DSG gearbox (more on that below) and 48V starter generator that provides some handy electrical assistance under acceleration and shuts off the engine when coasting.

The lesser-powered petrol manages 0-62mph in 10.5 seconds, while the punchier ones take 8.6s. On paper the former looks a little pedestrian, but you shouldn’t really notice beyond piling on the speed joining a motorway.

Quick word on economy: Skoda quotes around 50mpg for the petrols, and around 55mpg for the mild hybrids. We saw mid-forties in the former and slightly more in the latter, so you should recoup the extra up front expenditure in fuel savings eventually.

What about the diesels?

The big diesel claims 0-62mph in 8.6s. Not too shabby. Certainly feels quick enough, and in mixed driving mostly delivers on Skoda’s promise of 60mpg. But it’s a tad… diesely. It doesn’t transmit nasty vibrations through the steering wheel, pedal or seat, but it does grumble a fair bit under load. 

Said diesel also gets the seven-speed DSG (the lesser diesel gets a six-speed manual) which is really as good as auto 'boxes come, changing gears quickly and smoothly. We’d be tempted to go for it for that reason alone, sacrilege though it might be. But you do also get paddles on the wheel, for those, er, more spirited drives. However few and far between.

How does it handle for a big old barge, though?

It’s a stable, serene, comfortable cruiser that sits very happily at 70mph on the motorway. It doesn’t fall apart through corners, but it’s too sleepy to be considered dynamic. Go for a Focus Estate (if it’s still on sale by this point) if more responsive handling is what you’re after. The steering is precise but not exactly crisp. So be it: the Octavia’s chassis is plainly more geared towards comfort anyway. And that’s just fine.

The ride is good, though soft damping means it does float a bit over crests and the body can take a second to settle after you hit a pothole or speed bump. Top-spec Sportline models get progressive steering and sports suspension which lowers the ride height by 15 millimetres and stiffens things up a little.

Worth noting here that Dynamic Chassis Control – which provides different levels of damping and five drive modes (Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual) – is a £1,125 option. We'll reserve judgement until we’ve tried it back home, but on smooth European roads it's not really necessary.