Skoda Octavia I test drive - 2010 -

Autumn Octavia

So, Skoda Octavia. A new middle -class machine. She clearly succeeded in designers. The car turned out to be very okay and beautiful. It is perceived as a sedan, although in fact it is a notchbeck with a full -fledged rear door. In front there is a slight resemblance to Rover 600/800 thanks to the decision of the radiator grill, which will become a family line of all subsequent models of the company. The most interesting element in the design of the front of the machine is the shape of the hood. It is made in three levels and, in addition to the stamping, in the entire width of the grate, has another stamping in the middle with a large emblem on the lattice. The same infamation was on the 1957 Octavia model.

 

Powerful side lines of the body create a feeling of strength and safety of the car. The back of Octavias with an expressive step solution and integrated lanterns meets the latest stylistic directions. The entire design of the car was made by Skoda specialists, in Mlad Boleslav. The thorough study of the body aerodynamics made it possible to get SC 0.31. The body is galvanized and has a 10-year guarantee until through corrosion appears.

 

In most modifications of Octavia, the bumpers are painted in the color of the body, the outer mirrors are black, and the stamped wheeled wheels are adjusted with decorative caps. Only at the very expensive version of the SLX mirrors are painted in the color of the body, and the wheel drives are cast.

 

Black rubber molding passes along the entire length of the body, which not only visually adds lightness to the car, but also, as stated in the factory specification, protects the owners from various troubles.

 

Apparently, from scratches when overcoming narrow places and when opening doors in these places. The same molding also passes through the bumpers.

 

In the cabin, spaciousness, sophistication and at the same time functionality. Everything is done carefully, soundly and without unnecessary luxury. Gray plastic torpedo and doors goes well with a darker shade of upholstery of the seats and inserts in the doors. Manufacturers emphasize that the material of the seats is very durable and immune to the mud.

 

The driver's workplace is organized competently. Usually, sitting behind the wheel of a new car, you have to spend for some time a chair, the steering wheel, if it has such an adjustment (it has it), mirrors. And sitting in the new Skoda, only mirrors had to be adjusted, everything else seemed convenient and so. I would like to note one feature. In addition to the usual set of adjustments, the driver's seat has height adjustment. Comfortable. But the front passenger has the same adjustment!

 

Rear seats with tangible side support and headrests. Three here will quite fit, the seat is nevertheless covered for two. By the way, a rarity in modern cars is the four upper handrails.

 

An additional stop -signal is installed on the back door behind the glass, and above it, but on the roof, is a non -removable antenna.

 

In the design and location of the governing bodies, there are many from Volkswagen. For example, like Golf and Passat, the head lighting switch is put to the panel under the left hand of the driver, and only the near/high light switches the left steering lever. Everything is traditional with the right of the right, it is responsible for the work of the wiper. Unfortunately, we could not check whether it was as usually as on Volkswagen cars, an external rear -view lever was arranged - on all cars, the adjustment was with an electric drive.

 

I liked the instrument shield - not only beautiful, but also convenient. Speedometer and tachometer dials are very large, with well -readable indications, numerous control lamps, odometer windows and monitor of the on -board computer are placed on their work field. Of course, there are indicators of fuel level and coolant temperature. Red light backlighting. The graduation of the tachometer is individual for each model, depending on the maximum permissible revolutions of the engine used. This is rare. To the right of the dashboard, above the deflectors of the ventilation system, there is a rather large overlay with the inscription Octavia - not the most common solution in the design of the salons. By the way, the car ventilation system provides air supply to the legs of the rear passengers -start for the products of the Volkswagen concern.

 

The console with heater controls, air conditioning and radio is convenient, no questions. Above the radio there are a button to turn on the heating of the rear window and the heating regulator of the front seats. In the same row - 3 more plugs. This means that the most complete SLX set for today will become even wider over time.

 

On the ceiling, above the rear view mirror, is a small control panel of the lighting and electric hatch.

 

In SLX - the highest level of Octavia equipment, the windows control panel of all doors is mounted in the armrest of the driver's door, while its design and decoration compared to versions with mechanical windows completely change.


 

A beautiful and optimal diameter steering wheel with a pillow was absolutely hard, not like other concern cars. When you take it up for him, all the impressions of the car, as soft and tender, disappear.

 

The steering wheel seems to warn that the appearance of Octavia is deceiving.

 

The volume of the trunk is incredible - 528 liters, this was not necessary to see. Even Rolls-Royce is only a little more. And if you fold the rear seat, you get 1328 liters of volume - in the advertising video there are three teenagers who have been placed in the trunk, look satisfied.

 

The trunk is traditionally two -story. On the lower floor, under the shelf, there are a full -size spare wheel, tools, an emergency stop and a first -aid kit. On this occasion, the designers remarked in relief: we finally were able to save the driver from the need to attach these objects that are not the most necessary every day.

 

We are going. The first segment of the path is around the city. The exact steering wheel with a hydraulic wrap allows you to confidently move along the narrow streets of Staraya Prague. Many sites are repaired, and now and then it is necessary to go around fences of a more intricate form than those to which we are used to in Moscow. Octavia is such a balanced car that it allows you to enjoy the landscapes, almost not being distracted by management.

 

At some point, I had to check my ability to quickly evaluate the dimensions of the new car. In the next section of active repair, several cars rushed at once at once. A huge bus climbed into it a little sloppy and almost won the brand new Octavia. But is it possible with such a nimble machine, the dimensions of which seem to relatives from the moment that as soon as I got behind the wheel? The pedal is on the floor, and we jump out from under the very bumper of the bus.

 

We get out for an autobahn. A 1.8 liter engine can be twisted to 7500V7800. Its temperament becomes noticeable from 3500 rpm. The box at the car is 5-speed manual, with intensive acceleration it seemed that the 3rd gear was slightly short. There are no other claims to the checkpoint, the course and clarity of the work of the box lever is beyond praise.

 

The speed that we developed on the autobahn amounted to a speedometer of 195 km/h. We did not dare to move faster due to constant warnings about the ferocity of the road police. Although there was a stock. The engine noise appeared only with 130 km/h, but even at maximum speed it was not annoying.

 

On some machines you have to drive a few kilometers while you are getting to the work of the brakes.

 

The brakes of Octavia (disk, front ventilated) we felt complete confidence immediately. By the way, the brake system of the machine is equipped with a multi-channel Bosch of the 5th generation, which also performs APS functions, however, only up to a speed of 40 km/h (motor 4).

 

We turn off the autobahn. Now you have to go along the paving stones. We tensed a little, but we were waiting for another discovery. At any speed, the car walked along the paving stones absolutely silently. No creaks, no vibration, as if on asphalt.

 

The front suspension of Octavia is the same as on the Audi A3 - Macpherson. Its interesting element is the reptile stabilizer of a very non -standard shape and a diameter of 21 mm. The suspension is mounted on a subframe, which is attached to the body through rubber elastic elements. The rear suspension is with a tubular (18x3 mm) stabilizer of the anti -resistance stability carried out by shock absorbers and springs of variable stiffness. It was this solution that made it possible to make the trunk so huge.

 

The designers paid a lot of attention to passive safety. The power frame of the body has deformable areas in front and behind. Two tubular power elements are protected from injuries during the side strike of passengers, one of which has a special mechanical castle, thanks to which the door cannot be pressed into the cabin. Under the decorative lining of the threshold along the entire body there is another power tube element. Additionally, safety is provided by a pillow in the steering wheel and pyropatron in the belt tension mechanism.

 

The front pillow for the passenger will appear next year, at the same time, side airbags will be offered to customers.

 

In the production of Octavia, 40% of components - local production, the rest come from abroad. But not all of Germany. One of the engines - 1.8 liters, is supplied from Hungary. The engine is modern: the intake system with alternating cross -section, valves with hydrothens - 3 inlets, 2 exhaust. Two camshafts: the one that controls the exhaust valves is driven by a gear belt, its other end is connected by a chain with the camshaft of inlets. Two -electrode candles have individual ignition coils. Candles are closed with a valve lid and 60,000 km of run are maintained. The distributed injection system is Bosch Motronic.

 

In addition to this, there are two more engine in the gamut - 1.6 MPI gasoline from Volkswagen, a familiar Skoda Felicia, and a turbodiesel 1.9 TDI. Next year, a more powerful gasoline volume of 1.6 liters and a diesel bankrupt engine engine with a volume of 1.9 liters will be added. Then the machine will receive a 4-speed automatic box with the possibility of blocking the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears.

 

Skoda Octavia is focused on poor Europeans. The announced price was pleasantly surprised - the car costs $ 13 thousand in the basic configuration in the domestic market. Following the Czech and Slovak markets, Octavia will begin to master the markets of other countries, including the former social camp. In the design and appearance of the machine there is no revolutionary momentary, because of which in five years it could be an anachronism. Octavia is made with a supply of durability not only engineering, but also emotional. We take a chance to assume that in ten years the owner of the current Octavia will still feel like the master of a completely modern car.

 

Text: Sergey Aslanyan, Alexander Pikulenko

 
 
 
 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 11/1996]