Skoda Octavia I test drive - 2010 -

Car without compromises

Recently, some manufacturers of relatively inexpensive cars, especially domestic car factories, began to use the low price for new cars as the most powerful argument, which, incidentally, greatly affects the affection and tastes of people who want to acquire a new one, albeit not the most prestigious , car. Moreover, they use this cheapness not only to attract new customers, but also as an excuse for all shortcomings. When a joyful potential buyer, already confident that he found an inexpensive, but, oddly enough, a very good option, suddenly discovers some kind of Sergey flaw, whether it is a constructive blunder or just the result of a careless assembly, and with reproach declares this to the seller, practically in All car dealerships are about the same thing: the seller looks at the client in surprise, after which, spreading his hands, annoyedly declares: what did you want, what price is such and the car.
 
Nobody expects miracles, of course, but sometimes they present such outright hack under this cover that we are immediately rich in mind, we are not so rich as to buy cheap things. Some are really ready to put up with shortcomings, but what to do when you want normal, without any but a car, preferably, not a toy size, but money, as they say, in a cut. It seems that there are quite a lot of options, but when the immediate consideration, various nuances begin to emerge, and gradually come to the conclusion: either a high-quality and modern car in design, but a golf class, or even lower, or more, but ... just like a satirop : These are large, but five, and these are three, but small. You can, of course, buy some other reincarnation of the famous model of past years, now released somewhere in the third world in the license, and bearing another name, but this option is quite for an amateur.
 
Until recently, I myself was unlikely to be able, without any reservations, to name a car that meets such requirements, but the answer came quite unexpectedly. The test of the updated Skoda Octavia was quite interesting, and the car really liked it, but the biggest surprise was already waiting for us in the editorial office when the price list captured in the salon came into view. Honestly, at first it seemed that it was just a typo and the prices for the Fabia model were indicated there. Where is it visible that a high -quality and modern European -made car cost approximately at the level, and maybe even a little cheaper than Korean (!!!) Odnoklassniki?
 
Yes, of course, the Octavia is made on the golf-class platform, but you can only feel this in the rear seats, and then only when large comrades sit in front. Outwardly, the car looks much more massive than its brothers, made on the same platform, and the luggage compartment is simply huge. Do not forget about the quality of the assembly and components, because this model was designed from scratch with a VW concern, under the patronage of which is Skoda. And they can do cars!
 
Despite the fact that the car has been in production for almost four years, it seems to me that for a couple of years he could have been successfully sold in this form, but, apparently, the leadership and pi -arches of the concern about this is literally another opinion - literally A month ago, modernized Octavia went to production. No serious changes occurred, just the model was a little refreshed with small strokes like a new bumper and a radiator grille, the rear lights a la Fabia and introduced a new order of designation of various versions, already familiar to us according to the Fabia model. Now, instead of letter indices, the basic versions have the designation Classic, Ambiente and Ele-Ganse. We had the last, the most chic, which included almost everything, starting from the cast fifteen -inch discs and ending with air airbags for the driver and the front passenger and air conditioning. You can no longer mention the immobilizer, ABS and the central castle - such bells and whistles have long become serial for most cars, especially the production of VW.
 
The salon can be called typically German, or rather, it will even be said, typically, Volkswagen, both in terms of performance and design. A simple but language does not turn to say a boring front panel is surprisingly similar to that in Fabia, and the tidy itself is already familiar to us from other models of the concern. Ergonomics and the convenience of managing all devices deserve praise, except that the control of electrical drives of mirrors has a slightly unusual work scheme. If you just move the joystick located on the driver's door, next to the chrome door handle, then both mirrors react to this movement at once. Therefore, you need to configure the left right away, after which, turning the joystick regarding its axis, put the right in order. The sightseeing of the driver’s place is good, but the right mirror, perhaps, will be a little small - the right side of the car and a small zone near it shows it normally, but it remains only to guess that it happens literally in a meter -half -month from the car. Planting, thanks to numerous seats adjustments, including height, is very convenient. The steering column is also regulated, and a person of any complexion can be found the optimal pose, but only the clutch pedal, as it seemed to me, is either a little high, or has a long move, but for squeezing the clutch, you have to tear your leg out of the floor. The front central armrest, which is also a mini -box, where you can leave, for example, a mobile phone, is very convenient - it is adjusted in height, and very original by changing the angle of its inclination.
 
For Octavia, five gasoline and three diesel engines are provided, and the most expensive version is 110- strong turbodiesel. True, more recently, a sports modification of RS, developing a capacity of 180 hp, went into the series, and it will clearly be much more expensive. But only knowing the attitude, or rather, the unwillingness of our buyers to lay out money for extra LS, you can predict in advance not the rapid appearance of such a version in our area. However, you can not particularly get upset about this - the 150 -horsepower version is also a very worthy Driver's Car, even if you do not take into account a relatively low price.
 
Turbocharger on a gasoline, as well as on a diesel engine, is, of course, it is good, especially when its purpose is not reduced to the development of maximum power by any ways, but simply to an increase in torque in a certain speed range, as is done on Skoda Octavia 1 8 Turbo. This power unit is already well known to specialists, since it is installed on a few more concern models, including the notorious Passat B5. At one time, he even received the title of the best power arhegat of the year, but then this engine was installed on the Audi A4. With a working volume of only 1.8-liter, it gives out a herd equivalent to one hundred and fifty horses, and thanks to a low-pressure turbocharged, the tangible pickup begins already at 1750 rpm. And if Passat with such a motor can be called a little sluggish at low speeds, then the lighter Octavia is practically devoid of this drawback. Of course, with habit, I had to bastard a little more when touched even for insurance, but in fact the slightest adding of gas led, if not to slip, then to a very brisk start. From a place to hundreds of Octavia Turbo should accelerate in 8.9 seconds, and the level of overloads arising during active acceleration leaves no shadow of doubt in this, and even the maximum speed that exceeds two hundred, judging by the zeal with which the speed of the speedometer In the third gear, it jumps for the mark of 150, the car will generally take playfully. The noise level at such speeds is very acceptable, and the tasty sound of the motor, coming from the muffler area dominates, but if you switch to the fifth gear, then it disappears. The suspension is very similar to the Passatovskaya - elastic and energy -intensive, somewhere even a little sports, but by no means oak, it is ideal for this engine, especially for movement in active modes. The car holds the road very well, and even on the most broken primer you can be sure that the suspension will not break.
 
A typical middle class - so you can say about Skoda Octavia. And besides, very dynamic - we can add from ourselves. A good European car is always pleasant, and it is doubly nice if it can also be available to our buyer.
 
Pavel Kozlovsky
 

Source: Auto -Gazeta / N 41 (300) dated 29.11.00