Review: Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI and 1.4 TSI Manual Transmission

Interior, space and equipment

Both the 1.4 TSI and 2.0 TDI variants are available only in the Ambition trim as their top variant which means that some premium features are not available in these variant. You do however save more than a fair bit of money for choosing these variants though.

The bigger dimensions of the car are evident inside the cabin as well. The interior is much airier and more spacious then the outgoing version. The premium looking fuselage is feature laden and built with quality materials. The dashboard, the switches and the materials are reminiscent of premium cars from German carmakers. The new Octavia also features a brand new four spoke multi function leather wrapped steering wheel which is tilt and telescopically adjustable.

Skoda have provided ample cubbyholes to makes sure you never run short of spaces to pop odds and ends in. There is a glares holder up front, along with a big storage space under the front central armrest. The door pockets have enough space to store big water bottles and there are cup-holders in the rear central armrest too. The armrest can be dropped completely to access the big boot directly from the back seat. The transmission tunnel does interfere with the leg-space of the fifth passenger in the backseat though. Also, the rear seat doesn’t have a head rest for the middle passenger.

The front seats are wide and comfortable, offering great back and lateral support over long journeys. At the rear, the leg and head room has increased substantially, placing the new Octavia somewhere between the Laura and the Superb space-wise. The boot space on offer is phenomenal to say the least. The car gets approximately 600 liters under its trunk, which can be expanded to a whopping 1600 liters by folding the rear seats. Adding to the convenience factor are the several hooks that the boot offers.

The Ambition trim for the manual versions has several features stricken off from the Elegance variant available only for the automatic variants. The car doesn’t get the daytime running lights. It also loses out on 4 airbags, featuring only two. It does, however have traction control, digital MID and a full feature audio system that sounds great. Air conditioning is manual, though back benchers get separate vents. Sunroof and Cruise Control are also missing.

While the 1.4 TSI Ambition may look a little faded in front of the better equipped Elegance trim, the fact remains that as a standalone product the Ambition trim is still fairly well equipped and should appeal to the value seekers.

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