MODEL ON TEST: SPORTLINE 1.5 TSI E-TEC DSG AUTOMATIC – MILEAGE – 2,203

The Škoda Octavia is now in its fourth generation – if you discount the 1959 car and skip forward to the modern bloodline launched in 1996 – and in that time, it has been a car close to the hearts
of many British drivers. More than 380,000 have found homes here, and along with the Fabia, the Octavia transformed Škoda’s brand perception and reputation. The car that’s joined our test fleet is the facelift of the fourth- generation hatchback, with sharper looks and technology, and notably, the 13-inch infotainment touchscreen from the Mk8.5 Volkswagen Golf.

We also picked the popular SportLine trim, which we reckon is the sweet spot in the range, thanks to its vRS-inspired makeover with a more comfortable ride and efficient engines than the full-on performance model.The SportLine is offered with Škoda’s 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine in 148bhp-tune, but we’ve instead taken the opportunity to test the 1.5-litre TSI mild hybrid petrol engine that cheekily comes with a ‘Hybrid’ badge on the boot. Before options it’s just over £36k, costs £1,380 less than the diesel and sits in the 30% Benefit- in-Kind band for company car drivers. Its hybrid description might be a bit of a stretch here, but the Octavia’s mild-hybrid ‘e-Tec’ hardware and ‘ACT’ Active Cylinder Technology are still very impressive, shutting down two cylinders or the entire engine under light loads as you coast along with your foot off the gas.

Hop inside and you’re reminded that Škoda really knows how to nail a cabin. It feels almost traditional now when compared with some of the more open-dashboard designs of the latest electric hatchbacks, but that’s not to say it’s lacking in technology. There’s just a useful and somewhat reassuring familiarity to its layout, even if most of the controls have been relegated to the big central screen. Happily, this is very responsive, and while it takes a few days to get used to where everything is located, the strip of shortcut icons along the top and bottom of the screen are a godsend.They include single- press icons for functions like switching off start and stop, adjusting the cabin temperature and choosing the driving mode, along with a pull-down menu offering another set of shortcuts. There’s also a set of piano-key physical buttons beneath the screen and a touch slider for the volume that works okay for the passenger, but is made almost redundant for the driver by the attractive knurled metal steering wheel controls. There’s a handy shortcut to deactivate lane keeping and speed alerts in a few clicks, while the steering wheel itself is both attractive and good to hold.

Unlike older wireless charging pads that seem to act only to heat your phone, the 15-watt pad below the dashboard can top-up my smartphone convincingly, and four USB-C ports boast a beefy 45 watts of power to fast-charge portable devices or even laptops. There’s even a USB-C port hidden behind the rear-view mirror for accessories like a dashcam. The seats in the SportLine deserve a special mention too, because not only do they look fantastic, I also emerged from the Škoda ache-free after an unplanned trip from Staffordshire to London and back in the same day.

So far, the combination of an efficient 1.5-litre petrol engine and twin-clutch gearbox is proving to be pretty quiet and smooth, with the engine emitting a pleasantly rorty note when pushed a bit harder. As you’d expect from a car with an 8.5-second 0-62mph dash and 142mph top speed, it feels plenty quick enough to keep up with briskly driven traffic, but what really impresses is its resistance to petrol stations. In just over 2,000 miles the car has averaged 49.1mpg, but it should have been even better.The summer heatwave with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees meant the air-conditioning had to be pelting out cold air for the duration of the month, which had a notable impact on its figures. Evening drives in cooler air saw single trip economy figures as high as 60mpg. It just goes to show, it’s not just EVs that are affected by really hot or cold weather.

ANDY GOODWIN

WHAT’S HOT: It might be petrol powered but driven carefully you can see 60mpg.

WHAT’S NOT: There’s just basic cruise control, which seems a bit stingy for a £36k car.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT:

10.25-inch digital instruments, 18-inch alloy wheels with Goodyear Eagle F1 225/45 R18 tyres and tyre repair kit, 60/40 split/fold rear seats, Alarm system, Aluminium pedals, Ambient lighting, Anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist, Auto-dimming rear-view mirror, Automatic headlights, Autonomous emergency braking, Blind spot warning system, Cruise control with speed limiter, DAB radio with 13-inch touchscreen, navigation, 8-speakers, USB-C sockets, voice control and steering wheel controls, Cloth/faux leather upholstery, Drive mode selector, Driver, passenger, centre, side, head and driver’s knee airbags with passenger side de-activation, Driver drowsiness detection, Dual-zone climate control, Electric and heated mirrors with power folding and driver’s side auto-dimming, Electric park brake, Electric windows front and rear, Electronic differential lock, Electronic stability programme with traction control, Emergency e-call system, Heated front seats, Hill hold assist, ISOFIX child seat safety fasteners for front passenger and rear outer seats, Keyless start, Lane assist, Leather steering wheel, LED daytime running lights, LED headlights with high beam assist, LED rear lights, Parking sensors front and rear, Rain sensing windscreen wipers, Rear privacy glass, Rear spoiler, Reversing camera, Traffic sign recognition, Tyre pressure monitors, Wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth smartphone compatibility and Wireless smartphone charger (15-watts) with cooling functionality

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT FITTED TO TEST CAR:

Rear wiper (£0)

Space saving spare wheel (£200) Velvet red exclusive colour (£410)

Winter Package Plus – Heated steering wheel and heated windscreen (£525)

FACTS & FIGURES

PRICE: (NEW) £36,235

PRICE: (AS TESTED) £37,370

COLOUR: Velvet Red exclusive colour

BUILT IN: Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic

CODENAME: A8

GENERATION: 4 Facelift

PLATFORM: MQB Evo

BODYSTYLE: 5-door hatchback, 5-seats

LAYOUT: Front-wheel drive

POWERPLANT: 1,498cc, 4-cylinder, 16-valve, turbocharged petrol with mild hybrid technology and stop/start system

GEARBOX: 6-speed twin-clutch automatic

MAX POWER: 110kW/148bhp/150ps

MAX TORQUE: 184lb ft/250Nm

TOP SPEED: 142mph

0-62MPH: 8.5secs

CO2 EMISSIONS: 116g/km

ECONOMY: (COMBINED) 55.4mpg

ECONOMY: (ON TEST) 49.1mpg

FUEL TANK: 48 litres

RANGE: 585 miles

INSURANCE: GROUP 21

BIK RATE: (2026/2027 TAX YEAR) 30%

SIZE: (LENGTH/WIDTH WITH MIRRORS/HEIGHT/ WHEELBASE) 4,698/2,003/1,455/2,686mm

BOOT SPACE: (MIX/MAX) 600/1,555 litres

KERB WEIGHT: 1,397kg

TOWING WEIGHT: 1,500kg

EURO NCAP RATING: Five stars

SPARE WHEEL: (FULL-SIZE/SPACESAVER/RUN-FLAT/ SELF-SEALING/REPAIR KIT) No/£200/no/no/yes

WARRANTY: 3 years/60,000 miles

DATE ARRIVED: 2nd June 2026

COSTS: None

FAULTS: None