Skoda Octavia II 2004 test drive - 2008 -

Second coming

Skoda Octavia II: Cinderella became a princess
 
In less than ten years, the adoptive daughter of the German VW Skoda after quite long thoughts nevertheless reprinted her most long -playing model - Octavia. It was first represented in September 1996, and then eight years later in the salons of Moscow dealers appeared the second generation of this in every sense successful and popular in our country. Nevertheless, the previous version has every chance of becoming one of the oldest cars of the Old World - according to the statements of representatives of the Czech company, its release will continue for another five years.
 
Since its appearance, the old Octavia, we repeat, was successful with the Russians - the Czechs were able to offer the domestic buyer a rather practical and, importantly, an affordable C -class car. However, the discreet appearance, boring interior, frankly cheap decoration materials, and far from rich basic equipment did their job over time - against the backdrop of more presentable classmates, the car began to lose the face, the demand for it fell noticeably (although we can talk about not entirely justified producer pricing policy). The restyling spent at the turn of the millennia did not save the situation. And now the second generation of the model is designed to attract not only past, but also new associates under the banners of Skoda.
 
The Czechs did not need to reinvent the bicycle - the design of the first Octavia was extremely successful, it was only necessary to make the car more modern and fresh, more attractive to the buyer, which the authors of the project were undoubtedly succeeded. Czechs did not refuse the continuity of generations - the novelty is similar to the previous model, but, by and large, from the latter, she inherited only familiar body contours and the usual fifth door, masking hatchback to a more prestigious sedan (by the way, the new Octavia mimicrates much better) . All elements of the exterior - bumpers, a radiator grille, headlights, rear lights ... changed in the sizes of stamping on the hood, powerful longitudinal ribs along the sides, and the side indicators of the turn, as well as on the new VW, moved to the mirrors, were subjected to changes.
 
In addition, the new Skoda has become noticeably larger. It is based on a new platform on which the VW Touran, Golf V and Audi A3 are built, so in addition to the 66 mm body, the wheelbase increased in all three body parameters. So in its dimensions, the novelty is closer to the family D-class, not to Golf, but to Passat.
 
Naturally, all this affected the size of the salon. And, without that more than a voluminous 528-liter trunk, increased to 560 liters, after a complete transformation into Octavia, 1350 liters of cargo can now be poured. In addition, the living space for the rear passengers has noticeably increased. If earlier, with completely pushed back the chairs in size of the rear of the car, the car was quite much like a VAZ nine, where it would be possible to place the children without problems, now the supply of passenger legs has increased markedly and three adults will be easily located on the sofa with acceptable comfort man.
 
Another important achievement is a cardinal improvement in the quality of the interior decoration: there was no trace of explosive hard plastic. However, as well as from the Spartan laconicism of the interior. Inside, the new Octavia has become even more like VW products - modern, beautiful, elegant and, most importantly, conveniently, and all the panels are made of expensive, pleasant to the touch of materials ... By the way, unlike the previous version, all panels are fitted in German impeccably . Apparently, the Czechs seriously decided to compete with their big brother.
 
As for the ergonomics of the driver’s place, in this regard, the car practically did not change - convenient landing, the range of adjustments of the chair and the steering column allow the driver to find the optimal position regardless of its dimensions. What is noteworthy: you can also guess about the kinship with VW along the gas pedal - this time the Czechs placed it on the floor. The only inconvenience is quite small numbers on the instrument panel (to determine the position of the shooter on the dials, you will have to peer, however, this is already an insignificant trifle).
 
Under the hood of the test version, a 102-horsepower 1.6-liter engine that was inherited by the predecessor was inherited. It would be more logical to equip a new car with something more powerful, but for some reason the Czechs preferred this particular option. By the way, today it is the only gasoline power unit that is equipped with cars supplied to our country (although the old-generation line has another 1.6-liter FSI engine with a capacity of 114 hp, but they do not offer it). Buyers will also be offered two turbodiesels with a volume of 1.9 and 2 liters with a capacity of 105 and 140 horses, respectively. Nevertheless, this engine also has advantages - reliability, unpretentiousness and economy. Subject to regular and qualified maintenance, it runs out of 200 thousand kilometers without problems. Moreover, you can refuel a car not only with 95th gasoline (recommended by the manufacturer), but also by the 92nd, and without much damage to health.
 
Octavia with such an engine behaves more than calmly. The old version with the same power unit did not particularly shine on the road, so there is no need to wait for unusual dynamics from the new one, because the car has grown and hone. By the way, soon more dynamic machines with a 2-liter gasoline power unit should appear in dealer centers, and this option will probably be more interesting.
 
Hundreds of horses 1255-kilogram hatchback are clearly not enough, so there is no need to dream of a car about satisfying racing ambitions. No, you can spin the engine to the red zone, squeezing from it to the maximum, but a little sense. Firstly, ineffective, and secondly, noisy, even despite the fact that noise insulation of the second Octavia is not an example better than that of the first. It is much easier to move along the roads in calm mode. The car behaves quite worthy - well -chosen engine settings and gear rates of the manual transmission allow you to quite briskly start from the traffic light and maneuver in the stream. This is especially acute when driving in a tear of urban rhythm. At the same time, the third gear, on the contrary, was quite long, so in the range from 30 to 90 km/h you can not switch, which is also quite convenient.
 
Like the previous version, the second Octavia is very well steel and keeps the road, and at any speed. Brakes work excellently (by the way, ABS (with ASR) on Czech is now installed in the basic configuration). Another significant change is the suspension (McPherson remained in front, and a multi -leaf structure is now installed in the back of a half -dependent beam). The old version seemed quite soft, but some kind of smeared, slurred - tangible longitudinal buildup, decent rolls on corners. The second is its complete opposite. The car has become more rigid and assembled, the buildup has practically disappeared, the rolls decreased markedly, but it shakes more at the irregularities. And yet, in general, the new Octavia is much more comfortable.
 
As a resume, it is worth noting that the Czechs turned out to be a very decent and, most importantly, competitive car in European markets, a really worthy continuation of the once popular model. By the way, its cost plays an important role. Of course, the Czechs made a bet not on accessibility, but on the prestige of the brand, and the former principle of the company - more for less money - does not fit into the modern price policy of Skoda. But nearly $ 20,800, which they ask for dealers for the car in the basic configuration of Classic (ABS+ASR, air conditioning, front windows, electric mirrors and four airbags), in general, not so much money. Especially when it comes to a modern family car.
 
And yet, in my opinion, the Skoda brand is not so promoted if you want to stand on a par with such stamps as, say, Toyota, Nissan, Opel, and even more so Volkswagen (to which it is approaching at the cost). However, I emphasize that this is a personal opinion. As for the prospects, here the new Octavia is all right: there is every chance of becoming more than popular. Firstly, given the almost 100 percent growth of sales of new foreign cars in our country, it is unlikely that buyers will deprive the novelty with their attention (especially when versions with a 2-liter engine appear on sale). And secondly, the success of the new items in Russia can significantly contribute to the change of generations of VW Passat. The beginner, most likely, will be noticeably more expensive than its predecessor, so a certain price niche will almost certainly be released on the market, which Skoda Octavia is quite capable of.
 
Text: Vladimir Zhidkov
 

Source: Mkobil magazine [31.01.2005]