New 2013 Skoda Octavia review, test drive

There is a big step up in quality. The plush seats, faux-wood on the doorpads, high-quality splashes of chrome, piano black surfaces and soft-touch materials everywhere point to an exceptionally well-built cabin. Look closer and you’ll see Skoda’s attention to detail – the glovebox opens with an expensive, well-damped motion and it is felt-lined. There’s a rubberised cubbyhole ahead of the gearlever for your cellphone, and even the door pockets are lined with beige felt (although this might get dirty very soon). Then there are the little things, like the new angular air-con vents that look really smart, and the superbly clear dials, as you’d expect in a Skoda. 

If anything, the India-spec model doesn’t get as much kit as the European one – the touchscreen, for example is not the full-size one you get in the top Euro spec, it doesn’t have the selectable driving modes, and there’s no plug point below the rear air-con vents, there's no reverse camera and no keyless entry and go. That apart, you won’t be left wanting for much – there’s a massive sunroof, a powered driver’s seat with seat memory, Bluetooth, a six-CD changer (wonder how many people still use CDs though), dual-zone climate control, parking sensors, remote locking and a media input port. The cabin’s design, meanwhile, is clean and simple and the additional display systems are easy to read and operated by large buttons. The air-con controls in particular, with their knurled finish, feel great to operate.The view out is good as well – the Octavia doesn’t have the high dashboard cowl that the Jetta has and with the huge range of seat and steering adjustments, it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position.The biggest improvement over the Laura, though, is in the rear seats – the extra wheelbase has liberated a lot of space and the seats themselves are supremely comfortable, with adequate thigh support, a broad seat base and superb cushioning. We also liked the wide door openings and the generous headroom. In fact, it is now at least on par with, if not better than the VW Jetta, which had until this moment, the best seats in the class – high praise indeed for the Octavia.

Then of course, there’s that Octavia strong point – its huge rear hatch that opens to reveal an equally massive boot. With the rear seats in place, there’s 590 litres of boot space, and this goes up to a gigantic 1,580 litres with the seats down.