Our cars Gardeners’ World…
We load up our Skoda Octavia Estate with as much garden-related bric-a-brac as it can handle. Richard Bush
Over the past month or so our Octavia Estate has been kicked, punched and downright battered in the name of garden renovations - and it hasn’t missed a beat. Tree trunks, roots, bags of leaves, stone and old garden toys are just some of the goodies it’s been home to. And don’t worry Skoda, we hoovered. Twice. The Octavia Estate doesn’t necessarily do anything groundbreaking - but it does a lot of the small things effortlessly, which I guess in itself is pretty special. The boot offers a no-nonsense square shape with storage extending to its wheel arches, with each arch housing a small cubby for odds and ends. The boot itself also sits nice and low and is devoid of any sort of load lip - which we were thankful for when loading hefty wooden appendages. The boot lid lifts up high and well out of the way, and the opening itself is wide.
The parcel shelf neatly tucks away under the boot floor as well, which can be adjusted for two heights, effectively giving you underfloor storage as wide as the boot itself. There’s still a decent amount of space under the boot floor in its lowest setting, which is big enough for shopping bags, a foot pump and trainers. Officially, the boot offers 640 litres with the seats in place, and 1,700 litres with the seats folded.
The rear seats don’t fold completely
Standard equipment: Adaptive cruise control, Wireless Smartlink for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB radio, 17in Rotare AERO alloy wheels, Columbus satellite navigation with 10in touch screen display, front heated seats, Microsuede upholstery, Climatronic dual zone air conditioning
Why we’re running it
to see whether the family estate still thrives in a world of SUVs.
flat - although sliding in long objects can still be done pretty seamlessly - but they do feature quick-release levers mounted in the boot. These send the seats flying down in one fell swoop, with no need to walk around and squash them down. Although unrelated to horticulture practicality - well, unless you’re heading to the Diddly Squat Farm Shop - there’s several cargo hooks for small bags, which has come in handy when securing delicate shopping.
The ski hatch in the Octavia came in particularly useful when loading long pieces of wood - especially considering that my two-year-old frequents B&Q with me, meaning that folding the rear seats down isn’t always an option. The ski hatch - which houses an armrest with cup holders - also makes it possible to load up the back seats with cargo while still accommodating long objects, and the wide opening rear doors help here. The rear seats aren’t anything especially ingenious - but they do manage to offer enough head room for six-footers and leg room akin to an SUV. There’s space to slip your feet under the front seats as well. The hump in the floor can make moving
Skoda Octavia SE L Estate 2.0 TDI 150PS DSG
P11D price £29,450 As tested £33,940 Official consumption 58.6-62.3mpg Our average consumption 55.5mpg Mileage 1959
about a bit of a faff, but the dual USB C charging capabilities make for a good peace offering for those in the rear. I’ve been generally impressed with cabin practicality, although it is lacking compared with other larger Skodas. You can tell the Octavia has hatchback rather than saloon roots, with limited centre console storage and fixed cup holders - rather than Skoda’s reversible cup holder/loose change tray thingy. These are small things however, and the estate’s cabin is still practical, with its large door bins, dual USB C charging and knee- situated cubby storage, offering plenty of flexibility.
The only overarching thing I’d change with the Octavia Estate we have is the part-suede upholstery. Aesthetically, suede is an acquired taste anyway - but from a chauffeuring a two-year-old and dog point of view - yoghurt, mud and chocolate don’t mix well with its supple surface.
46 | June 2023 |
www.businesscar.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
