New 2013 Skoda Octavia review, test drive

The new Skoda Octavia’s MQB chassis is significantly stiffer than the Laura’s old-generation A5 platform and this has allowed Skoda to get away with a softer suspension setup. 

You can see this in the way both the petrol and diesel better isolate you from expansion joint intrusions and rough sections of road so much better than the Laura ever did. However, there are noticeable differences between the dynamic behavior of the 2.0 TDI and 1.8 TSI Skoda Octavias, mainly because of the different rear suspensions. The diesel’s setup, for example, is slightly less pliant than the Jetta’s multi-link rear suspension and, at lower speeds, the torsion beam setup has this mildly annoying drumming sound from the suspension over lumpy surfaces, which gets amplified by the large boot cavity. It’s a sound that makes you think the ride is bumpier than it actually is. Drive the petrol’s more sophisticated setup over the same bit of road and you’ll find it rides quieter and softer, and in fact sets the benchmark for ride quality in this segment. However, it’s the diesel that feels more rock solid on the highway. The slight lumpiness you get at town speeds melds into a flat, unflappable poise at higher speeds, which is typical of a European car.The petrol makes you concentrate harder at high speeds – the softer suspension setup results in a rear end that’s constantly moving around over bumps, and you need to constantly make small steering inputs to counter this. We aren’t complaining though – the involving nature of the 1.8 TSI makes it an utter joy to drive.

In fact, both variants have an exploitable chassis that promises good fun behind the wheel. There’s plenty of grip, especially from the front wheels, that lets you really lean into corners, and even when you overstep the limits, the ESP will smoothly and almost unobtrusively cancel out the resulting understeer. Keen drivers may be disappointed by the steering, which though fairly quick and accurate, has an inert feel. Also, the brakes are quite grabby and a touch over-servoed, and this takes a bit of getting used to. But apart from these foibles, there isn’t much else to complain about.