Skoda Octavia Estate scoops Test Drive Gold Award

The Skoda Octavia Estate has been named the Compact Estate Gold Winner by Test Drive magazine. In their first annual Car of the Year Awards, staff at the monthly motoring magazine chose the Octavia Estate over a wide range of competitors.

The Test Drive road testers commented, "The Octavia is a good car. Really good. So you get a compliant ride, well-weighted steering and a tidy gearchange. There’s an overall sense of solidity to the experience; the Octavia feels built to last."

The Skoda Octavia Estate is available with a choice of engines - five petrol and two diesel – manual, Tiptronic or DSG front-wheel drive transmissions and a 4x4 version. Joining the range later this month is the exciting Octavia vRS Estate with its 200 bhp, 2.0 litre T FSI engine.

Petrol engines include the FSI range with 1.6and 2.0 litre choices. Both use direct injection to provideoutstanding fuel economy with lower than normal CO2 emissions. The 1.6 FSI delivers 115 bhp while the 2.0 FSI weighs in at 150 bhp.

Six trim levels complete the wide choice of Octavia Estates open to customers. The Classic trim includes electro-mechanical power steering, electric front windows and door mirrors, air conditioning, driver and front passenger airbags and central locking. The Ambiente adds features to the Classic such as front and rear electric windows, remote central locking, tinted glass, 15" alloys, trip computer, cruise control and a six-CD autochanger.

The Elegance adds 16" alloys, rear parking sensors, dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control and auto dimming rear view mirror with rain sensor wipers and fog lights. The top-of-the-range L&K adds full leather upholstery with active headrests and heated front seats, multi-function steering wheel, light assistant and electrically-operated driver’s seat and door mirrors with memory function.

Octavia Estate majors on space, both for passengers as well as stuff. Five passengers travel in comfort with excellent legroom in front and back. Luggage storage is unrivalled in its sector and larger than that of many cars that are much more expensive. With the rear seats in place, carrying capacity is 580 litres; with the rear seats down, it grows to 1,620 litres.

Another standard feature of all Octavias is great value. Prices for the estate start at just £12,840 for the Classic 1.6 FSI petrol and range to £16,500 for the Octavia Estate 4x4 2.0 FSI, to £20,285 for the top-flight Octavia Estate L&K 2.0 TDI PD with DSG automatic transmission.

With that combination of engine and trim choice, outstanding space and great value, it’s no wonder that Test Drive chose Octavia Estate as its Compact Estate of the Year.