Skoda: Octavia's no joke

The new-look Skoda station wagon is a winner, literally, with ample space and a frugal 2-litre engine. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

Skoda's Octavia wagon was perhaps the most understated medium-car entry in this year's AA Motoring Excellence Awards. It didn't boast the sharp looks of the Honda Accords, the Ford Mondeo and Mazda6.

It didn't display the wizardry of Citroen's C5 and arguably, it didn't look as smart as Hyundai's Sonata.

Yet it won through to the finals of its class because it does everything it's designed to do, without fuss, and at $48,490 it's a reasonable price for the class.

If that statement allied with Skoda makes you laugh, clearly you haven't seen a recent one and realised how closely it's allied to Volkswagen quality. This is a facelift car, with new headlights, and new colour-coded mirrors filched from the larger Superb, which also supplies the radio and air con shared with the current generation Golf.

Beneath the bonnet there's a 2-litre TDI engine with 103kW and 320Nm - yep, the same output as the Golf reviewed on page 17, but no it's not the same engine.

That torque works on a relatively light body - each unit of shove pushing 4.3kg, to the Mondeo diesel's 4.9. This is a sensible wagon and you can't expect sporty. But the engine pulls strongly from the line - or out of corners - and rarely feels stressed, thanks in part to the efficient DSG double-clutch transmission, which is pinned to six gears as the seven-speeder can't cope with the torque.

The car feels as solid and assured as the engine suggests, confidence inspiring not just on gnarly roads but even on Taupo race track where I tested its stability systems, the ESP effortlessly reigning in my more reckless errors.

But it's the fruit that owners will appreciate. Rear parking sensors proved invaluable for our reversing exercises. The "puddle" down lighting's a nice touch at night. The boot's a huge 580litres, expanding to 1620 with the rear seats down.

There's even a chilled coolbox in the armrest and a chilled glovebox to keep those drinks and choccies cool, a partition net and 12 speakers for the six-stack CD.

Own an Octavia wagon and you'll constantly be fending off jokes. You'll never hear your car called sexy. But you will know you've got a frugal, comfortable family wagon with decent handling, a punchy motor, and VW-group standards of build and features at a sub-VW price.

All of which surely means you get the last laugh ...

SKODA OCTAVIA

We like:
Frugal punchy motor, big boot, generous features, better value than VW equivalents

We don't like:
Too-sober looks, slippery boot floor

Powertrain:
2-litre HDI, 103kW at 4000rpm, 320Nm at 1750rpm, six-speed DSG auto drives front wheels

Performance:
0-100km/h in 9.7 seconds, 6l/100km (claimed)

Safety:
Six airbags, ABS, ESP

What it's got:
Climate control air, six-disc CD, cruise control, luggage cover

Vital stats:
4572mm long, 580-1620-litre boot, 55-litre tank