Style packs substance

Once again, an excellent wagon has Damien O’Carroll asking whether you really need an SUV.

We’ve had the fantastic RS version of the latest iteration of the Skoda Octavia, but how does the entry-level Style measure up?

So how does it measure up?

Obvious question. The new Skoda Octavia has long been one of our favourite cars on the big mix-andmatch box of Lego that is the Volkswagen Group MQB platform, and now it has become one of the first to use the new version of the ubiquitous vehicle architecture, joining the latest versions of the Audi A3, Seat/Cupra Leon and Volkswagen Golf MK8.

And like all those newgeneration cars from VW Group, the Octavia is a delightfully lithe and responsive thing to drive, with wonderfully precise steering, agile handling and deeply impressive ride comfort.

Compared with the more aggressive looks of the RS, the Style is definitely on the more conservative side, a feeling amplified by the dark metallic blue of our test car, while its comparatively ‘‘tiny’’ 17-inch alloy wheels look a tad underwhelming.

With a bigger set of wheels the Octavia would look like a far more expensive car than it actually is, however, so it would pay to see what your dealer could do there. Or visit the local tyre shop for options.

What’s it like on the road?

The Octavia Style is every bit as frugal as you would expect a smallish wagon with a modern engine to be. Rightcar quotes an NEDC combined average fuel consumption of 5.7L/100km.

That seems pretty accurate given my mainly around-town running time in it. I got it the same week the country re-entered lockdown, so it was limited to short supermarket runs until things eased. It was sitting on 7.1L/100km most of that time, almost bang-on Skoda’s NEDC urban consumption figure of 7.0.

Around town, it is punchy and smooth, while out on the open road it is a strong cruiser with a deeply impressive ride that betters most equivalent-sized SUVs. It also goes around corners far better than most SUVs, with an expected understeer-bias when pushing but delightfully sharp and accurate responses.

And the rest of it? It’s a wagon, so we guess you love that?

Of course. Regular readers will know I am an unashamed fan of the venerable station wagon, a segment of the market that has come under assault by the buying public’s appetite for SUVs these days.

So, yes, I absolutely do love it because it is a wagon, but the rest of it measures up in a very satisfactory manner as well.

The Octavia range is an allwagon affair, with the brilliant RS topping the range at $58,990 and the Style opening it at $48,990.

The Octavia’s interior is a pleasant mix of nice design and thoughtful touches such as the clever crease that runs under the touchscreen and acts as a little shelf to steady your hand on. It is all nicely put together from highquality materials too, although there are a few hints of hard plastics that creep in here and there. Overall, though, the inside of the Octavia Style is a very pleasant place to spend time, with comfortable and supportive seats being another highlight.

Of course, being a wagon it also packs some impressive and useful boot space, with 640 litres on offer behind the rear seats and more than a metre of load length as well.

So is it better than an SUV?

Well, obviously it is. If, like me, you don’t think you could bring yourself to buy an SUV (other than an uber-luxury monster or a proper off-road beast, that is) then something like the Octavia Style should be on your list.

It drives brilliantly and is fun on a winding road, superbly comfortable, and wonderfully practical and easy to drive around town. If you are hanging around a Skoda showroom looking at a new Kodiaq or Karoq, then you really should cast an eye over the Octavia as well.

Any other cars to consider?

The wagon space is a small one these days, and even smaller in this price range. Hyundai offers an i30 wagon ($38,990), while Toyota has the Corolla GX ($30,260), but both are much lower-spec cars than the Skoda.

In a similar price bracket, but larger, are the $47,295 Mazda6 GSX and the $49,990 Subaru Outback (the Levorg would be a closer size match, but has gone from the local lineup until the new one lands) – both of which are entry-level, lower-spec cars too.

The most obvious direct competitor for the Octavia, however, is the Seat Leon FR Sportstourer that is positioned to haunt it at every turn. Packing the same engine and transmission as the Octavia, the Seat is $4000 cheaper (at $44,900), but lacks a lot of the Octavia’s standard equipment.

Not that it is a low-spec car in any way, but it will probably come down to how much you like the brand and how much you will miss the Octavia’s half-leather upholstery.

Still, either represents an excellent wagon choice. And one less tick in the SUV sales column.