Skoda Octavia

You might look at the Skoda Octavia, as many do with the brand’s range, and consider it just the Volkswagen equivalent (Golf, in this case) with a different badge.

But the Skoda Octavia Limited Edition in particular is more than just a rebadged Golf Wagon. For a start, it’s physically bigger by just a smidge. It’s 56mm longer, 40mm wider, and 33mm taller. I did say a smidge.

Under the bonnet, too, there’s a smidge more. An EA888 2.0-litre turbo four sits in place of the 1.4 found in most of the Golf and Octavia Range. The EA888 is the same engine found in the Golf GTI and Octavia RS, though with the wick turned up in those cases.

But the Octavia Limited Edition also costs a ‘smidge’ more than a Golf Wagon. At $51,990 drive-away, the Limited Edition is more than $10,000 north of the Golf Life Wagon ($36,250 plus on-roads).

But with more in the cabin and more under the bonnet, is it worth it?

The list of standard goodies in this Octavia is extensive, even visible from the outside the car in the form of its 19-inch silver alloys, as well as less obvious features like the fully automatic matrix LED headlights.

Inside though, is where you really start to notice how much the Limited Edition has going for it, and why its drive-away price tag is up past $50K.

Upholstery made from a mix of real and manufactured leather, for a start, is welcome on the electrically adjustable front seats that are also heated, ventilated, and feature massage functions.

It’s also worth noting that the Octavia is one of what must be a very short list of cars in which the seat heating and cooling can be turned on simultaneously. Honestly, it’s more useful than it sounds.

There’s a little bit of simple elegance about the layout of the interior too, with some denim-like cloth and leather adorning the dash in a style that could easily have come from Peugeot. Although the minimised gear selector seems at first a little small for anyone used to a traditional shifter.

Its lack of HVAC button controls can be a little annoying, though the Octavia (like its Golf twin) makes up for it with a climate button that opens the appropriate menu on the main screen, which also features ‘Smart Climate’ controls comprising options like ‘Defog Windows’ or ‘Warm Hands’ to set the airflows and temperature behaviour accordingly.

The rest of the infotainment tech is solid. Shared with Volkswagen and relatively simple to operate, it’s a step up from previous systems but occasionally prone to very minor lag when doing things like scrolling to navigate a map display and moreso with the wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, though this seems to be an issue with the software rather than the car.

Other models have also shown to lag slightly with audio and menus on wireless mirroring. The Canton sound system itself is great though, and another value point to the Limited Edition.

Plugging a phone in for mirroring does slightly reduce the usefulness of the wireless charging pad, though passengers can still make use of it. There’s also a cup holder insert for sitting a phone upright, useful for keeping a phone in place and out of the way. Chalk up a ‘simply clever’ point for Skoda there. Another Skoda point of difference from the Golf is the umbrella stowed inside the door.

Behind the driver, another. Rear passengers are treated to not only the same level of seating comfort as those up front but also a convenient mount for a tablet (a phone also fits) that can be attached to either front seat.

Fold the rear seats down and the 640 litres of boot space becomes a cavernous 1700L storage compartment, fitted with netting to hold cargo in place and hooks for hanging bags. There’s even a blanket that can be used for wrapping objects to protect them or the boot itself. Also a win over its Golf sibling, the Octavia boot has 29 litres more with the seats up, and 58 more with them down.

Fortunately, the difference between the two doesn’t become too distant when it comes to their road manners. With the same essential underpinnings as the Mk8 Golf, the Octavia Limited Edition Wagon is a talented and comfortable cruiser.

Well-judged suspension tuning and a multi-link rear set-up make the wagon feel stable without being too firm, resulting in easy control over its road placement at any speed. Steering too is comfortable, the flat-bottom wheel being a nice diameter and shape to use, with the rack quick, turning accurate and the level of assistance relatively light.

Steering and suspension feedback from the road isn’t incredibly detailed, though the trade-off for comfort feels appropriate, and any adjustments you’d need to make while cornering are still clear.

The 225/40 Pirelli Cinturato P7 tyres, as well as the electronic traction control, ward off any damp-road slips effectively, and the aforementioned multi-link suspension holds the wagon’s posterior in place nicely.

But it’s what’s up the front that might make this Limited Edition truly worth considering for some. It has 2.0-litres of Volkswagen’s turbocharged EA888 goodness under the bonnet, the veteran four-cylinder producing 140kW and 320Nm instead of the 110 and 250 made by the smaller 1.4 found in other Octavias, or the Golf.

On the spec sheet, a claimed 7.4 seconds to 100km/h already trounces the 9.1sec of the lesser wagons, even with a fair chunk of extra heft. The Limited Edition has a 1435kg tare weight (slightly less than a kerb weight), versus the 1355kg of an Octavia Ambition or Style Wagon. Even the Golf wagon weighs 1371kg.

This all does, however, mean the Limited Edition likes a little more to drink than the rest of the range, though its claimed 6.2L/100km isn’t astronomical compared to the others’ 5.9L/100km.

Lively and playful aren’t quite it, and it’s not like the front wheels are overwhelmed with force, but the Limited Edition’s extra bit of pull is certainly noticeable and welcome even in the most mundane of driving situations. The seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto also has a little more torque to work with, but isn’t quite as smooth as the traditional eight-speed auto in the Golf.

Like the Golf, however, the Octavia has a five-star ANCAP rating, scoring in the average range for adult occupant protection but quite well for child safety. Its rating for driver assist systems was better than most in the medium car category, which feels appropriate. Its active systems aren’t overbearing, but keep drivers on their toes where necessary.

Over lesser Octavias, the Limited Edition also gets Traffic Jam Assist, Emergency Assist and Side Assist as standard, plus the tech you get on all variants such as Park Assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and front AEB. Its reversing camera and good outward vision from all angles also contribute to an easy avoidance of obstacles.

The timing of the Limited Edition is quite fortuitous for quick buyers, too. Until December 31 this year, Skoda is offering a seven-year warranty over its usual five. Skoda also now has a seven-year service pack, which costs $2400 for the Octavia and includes the first three services for free.

Without the service pack, maintenance prices are based on monthly subscriptions, with four levels based on how far you drive, across three ‘tiers’ of plan: Complete, Essential, or Value. Pricing ranges broadly between $50 per month and $145 per month, so it’s best to see which one suits.

Fortunately, working out Skoda’s servicing is the biggest inconvenience of Octavia ownership, and it’s something you should only need to do once.

If you can stump up the $52K to own one, the Octavia Limited Edition oozes practicality and its extra features over the other models are welcome. It’s the pick for those who want to head to the top of the range but don’t love the idea of the more sporting RS.

Skoda Australia expects the Limited Edition to hang around for a few months from the time of writing, so if something like a Mazda 6 Atenza or the likes of the more exxy Peugeot 508 is on your list, give the Octavia a glance too. For the right person, it might even be just enough to convince you not to drop $80,000 on that BMW 3 Series Touring. The chances are no, but $30,000 is a fair saving.

Skoda Octavia Limited Edition Wagon specifications