Skoda Octavia II 2004 test drive - 2008 -

Get into good hands

What does this skoda do in the middle of a spacious meadow? Why photograph the road car in the grass to the waist? And this is not just a meadow! A year later, with a small one here, not far from Kaluga, between Grabetsevo, Olgovka and Kukarks, the fresh buildings of the Russian enterprise of the Volkswagen concern should stand up.
In the meantime, we took a new Czech Skoda-Octavia for a week in order to get acquainted with the car, which will receive Russian residence permit in a year.
 

In the folk garage

Skoda Octavia some time ago in an interview with a German colleague, I mentioned a new octavia as a car, undeservedly bypassed by attention. Well, in fact, many monthly queues are lined up on many classmates, the sales account goes for tens of thousands, and here 1600 cars in 2005 in Octavia? The interlocutor asked me. A very good car and a profitable offer in the market! Everything is correct, for some average Burger Skoda Octavia the same golf, noticeably larger and no worse; Or inexpensive Czech Passat. The Russians perceive a non -car from a neighboring country about the same way. As for Octavia, mindful of the schools of the late twentieth century, new cars consider too expensive.
 

My friends, forget the last century! Skode, I think, was lucky when a powerful German concern turned his gaze to her. The company fell into good hands: current cars, preserving its identity, acquired the best qualities of Volkswagenes, on the platform of which are built. In this situation, they are no longer too expensive, but rather expensive.
 

With your own hands

The machine we took for the test stands about the fifth golf in a similar configuration. It seemed noticeably more spacious to me, but the impression is deceptive: the salons coincide one to one, you can check the previous number of ZR, where we measured Volkswagen. The giant ranges of adjustments will arrange a driver of any physique; Unless the small and short -legged hobbits will seem long.
 

Starting from Monday, I used every reason to go somewhere at the wheel of Octavia. He visited the training ground, where the car was measured on a dynamometric road. I got to work and back. I visited a couple of stores. I drove into Crocus EXPO. And everything was looking for in her some special for alas! By Thursday, a record appeared in the notebook: not a very delicious car. Slightly short lower gears provide a good and very even acceleration, and you always want to describe a powerful pickup! The 115-horsepower engine 1.6 liters with direct fuel injection is deprived of it. True, it can boast of the efficiency of three hours in traffic jams brought a consumption of 11.4 l/100 km, which the free roads of the next day helped reduce to the total 8.8 l/100 km. This result was not shook neither measurements at the landfill, nor a journey to the neighboring area.
 

In a non -poor contrasting salon, you will find many family lines of Volkswagen and music, and the functions of the switches, and, most importantly, the quality of all the elements of the interior. The useful volume of the trunk, measured by standard 4- and 8-liter cubes, 484 liters. This is very many. The convenience of loading is facilitated by the huge fifth door; It recalls that Octavia of pure hatchback. Between the finely digitized tachometer and speedometer, the window of the flight comprehensive compartment. In it in the middle, the average consumption of the ninety -fifth in Saturday Moscow or on a free (including high -speed restrictions) highway. I was pleased with the trunk now where Octavia puts the golf brother on both shoulder blades! He overloaded it to it full, with a top, a hefty product cart later barely pulled out a 1.5-liter bottle that skeled into a free (!) Angle. And under the floor, by the way, there was a place for a full -fledged reserve for the joy of a practical owner.
 
Not too interesting a car. Without a spark. And when the last day remained, I suddenly realized that I did not want to part. I had a choroshist car in my hands, but you quickly get used to the good, albeit bright, quickly. However, Octavia and I still have a whole Friday and M3 highway, leading to the future factory.
 

Do not spoil!

Violation of the speed limit for 1.6-liter octavia is a pleasure. Enactily, without much effort, it passes the permits of the feet! We will reset the speed to the prescribed, the benefit of the Kiev highway is very fast. But direct, and so I want to once again turn a tight stern for a reactive force! The car definitely follows the steering wheel oh, the standard golf is felt here! The pendants are dense, energy -intensive and, of course, harsh.
 

A very spacious rear seat spoiled the high floor tunnel obviously, a tribute to unification with all -wheel drive octavia. Perhaps the car raised to adapt to Russia behaves worse than the original, but this, in my opinion, is a very reasonable fee for the fact that now I'm going to move out through the overgrown primer to the territory of the future plant and do it boldly, under the rustle of herbs from under bottoms. Oh, he cut off the top of the hidden bump for the fact that, traveling along the Kaluga streets, he did not plow in front of terrible potholes. For the fact that, having yawned the sign of the road at 80 km/h, jumped on a random springboard. For the fact that on Russian paths he felt no less confident than while driving the original Russian brand.
 

However, Skoda is not a foreign car for long. In the second half of next year, the first Octavia collected here will roll out of the gates of the Kaluga plant. Exactly the same as it was now wetting high grass in the territory of the future enterprise.
 

And I hope then it will be possible to summarize Skoda retained all its advantages, but also became more affordable. Got in good hands
 

Kaluga Cradle Octavius

The next step after signing the agreement on the construction of the Volkswagen plant in Russia to create a structure to be implemented by the project. It became organized at the end of June LLC Volkswagen Rus with an office in Kaluga.
 

The sloping opening of the rear door can interfere during landing, especially if the passenger is noticeably higher than average height. The Skoda Supposte program involves assistance on the road and evacuation to the nearest branded technical center. Today it is a free application to any new Skoda. As part of the new production, Skoda Octavia will create up to 3,500 jobs: 3,000 people are supposed to be attracted in Kaluga and adjacent regions, 500 vacancies Apolli with the help of the All -Russian competition.
 

The personnel question, perhaps, is the most acute in the new Russian auto industry to recall the strikes in Vsevolozhsk, the shortage of workers in Moscow. In general, the location of the plant is not in the capital, but the neighboring regional center, a city with developed industry, in addition, a large transport hub on the road to Central Europe (and not only Ukraine) is a balanced and correct step. However, the final assessment will give the near future. In the first half of 2009, under Kaluga, full -fledged production with workshops of welding, coloring and assembly should earn; And before that, in the second half of 2007, a large-sized assembly of Volkswagenes (the model is selected) and Skoda-Octavia will be organized.
 

Skoda Octavia 1.6 FSI Czech Volkswagen, German Skoda The essence does not change a very solid car, well adapted to Russian conditions.
 

+ High quality manufacturing, spacious salon, large trunk, worthy behavior on bad roads, large clearance.
- Inexpressive dynamics, high -octane gasoline is prescribed.
 
Anton Chuykin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"