Octavia - brains as well as brawn (From The Northern Echo)

Skoda Octavia SE Plus 1.8 TSI (Price, as tested, £17,120)

9:10pm Friday 23rd September 2011 in Reviews By Matt Westcott

IF the Octavia estate were an animal, it would be Boxer, the Shire Horse out of Animal Farm.

Strong, dependable and with plenty of room behind its broad shoulders.

Calling a car a solid workhorse might, to some, seem somewhat derogatory, suggesting it does little more than what it was designed for.

But while there is no doubting the big Skoda is fit for purpose, there is brain behind the brawn and no little beauty behind the beast.

This particular model, the SE Plus, was introduced earlier this year with the aim of giving owners a little extra over and above the regular SE fare.

So for a few quid more than £17,000 you get the likes of rear parking sensors, 16ins alloy wheels and an ‘Amundsen’ satellite navigation system. The result is to make an already desirable car that little bit more attractive.

The Octavia looks good in any car park, be it the executive or the supermarket, and its design is neither too masculine nor overly feminine, ensuring a broad appeal.

Solid on the outside - tap a panel and you’ll see what I mean - the same build quality is replicated on the inside - something we are fast growing to expect from the junior partner in the Volkswagen corporation.

Doors shut with a thud and the indicator stalks, for example, are as broad as tree branches and return to their station with a firmness not seen on some rivals’ cars.

Gone is the godawful 80s stereo to be replaced by something far more modern and in keeping with its genre and the sound it produces is on a par with any of its competitors.

Light, airy and comfortable, there’s space in whichever area you are sat in and even the larger among us should not find cause to complain.

There’s also a huge 605 litres of space in the boot, which can be extended to a mammoth 1,655 litres if you care to drop the seats, something which can be done with ease.

Our test car came with a 1.8 litre petrol engine, which was never found wanting, be it in the confines of the town or out on the open road and loading it up with children and their bicycles and other associated paraphernalia did nothing to rein in its pulling power.

Those who need the Octavia to do more than this, however, will probably want to consider diesel as an alternative, but for our purposes it was more than able.

The Octavia is not designed to bring a smile to your face in terms of its driving attributes, but I must admit I had more fun flicking it through the bends of the County Durham backroads than I did a certain sportscar just a week earlier. Not once did it throw me about car as I turned the wheel in and the level of grip on offer belied its size.

Move over dog, for man might have just found a new best friend.

SPEC ENGINE: 1.8 litre petrol MAX POWER: 150bhp MAX TORQUE: 184lb/ft MAX SPEED: 139mph 0-62MPH: 7.8 seconds AVERAGE FUEL CONSUMPTION: 40.9mpg EQUIPMENT (includes): 16ins alloys; four spoke multi-function steering wheel; acoustic rear parking sensors; ‘Amundsen’ satellite navigation system; Kristal upholstery; manual air-conditioning; maxi-dot trip computer; multi-device interface; phone preparation including Bluetooth; textile floor mats.