New Skoda Octavia review, test drive

This diesel, however, comes with a non-independent rear suspension. So, while straight-line stability is impressive and confidence from behind the wheel is good, agility isn’t great. The front and rear suspension feel quite disconnected when you drive enthusiastically and the Octavia doesn’t really respond well when you attack a section of corners.

The level of agility is much higher on the 1.8 TSI-powered version. Skoda says cars above a certain horsepower will get an independent, multi-link rear suspension and that makes a huge difference to the way the car drives. On a suitably fun road, the 1.8 TSI will have enthusiastic drivers beaming. It’s like a completely different car. It darts into corners with the agility of something half its size, the rear feels totally in sync with the very grippy front, and the really fast steering rack makes punting this car around a real joy. It feels light, agile and very modern from behind the wheel. What ups your confidence is the truly great set of brakes, which allow you to carry higher speeds into a corner with a bit more confidence. So complete is the transformation, it even rides better over poor patches. The electric steering system still feels a bit dead around the centre and there isn’t very much in the way of weight or feel, but the rest of the car is so good, you actually tend to forget the steering and enjoy the drive.