Skoda Octavia RS 2014 Review

I have been a fan of the Octavia since the previous generation car in 2007. Each new variant – such as the Scout, for instance – has impressed with its all-round competence. But the latest Octavia, in high-performance RS 162TSI form, has it all. It's enjoyable to drive, yet easy to use, refined and comfortable, but also safe and economical – and all wrapped up in a very handy-sized package.

First impressions of the new car centre on its handsome looks, courtesy of the strong, clean lines. Inside, and on the move, the Octavia feels light but very taut; it is one of the quietest, most refined cars around for under $50,000.

Skoda's engineers have absolutely nailed the new car's dimensions, delivering a compact footprint that even the most timid driver will find easy to place on the road or park in tiny nooks. Yet there's significantly better rear-seat legroom than was the case with the previous Octavia. And there's abundant headroom, even with the large glass sunroof hanging overhead. Despite all that, the Octavia's boot space hasn't suffered.

And the luggage space is expanded by folding the rear seats down, although they don't fold completely flat. Skoda is one of just a handful of brands – mostly from Japan – to adopt seat-folding finger pulls in the luggage compartment. This is a handy facility to rely on when you're grappling with some long, bulky object needing to be loaded through the tailgate.

The driving position is excellent, with an unobstructed view of the instruments, controls placed within easy reach and requiring little familiarisation to understand. Controls like the indicator stalk (on the left of the column) and shift paddles approach the ideal between soft damping and crisp operation. If there is one minor ergonomic concern – other than the indicator stalk location – it is the handbrake lever, positioned closer to the front-seat passenger. But cars twice the Octavia's price struggle with ergonomic issues like this.

Following a long-standing Volkswagen tradition, the Octavia provides such a range of seat adjustment and practical switchgear for this purpose that finding the ideal position is simplicity itself. The seats are also outstanding for comfort and support. And even the seats in the rear – often the poor relations in seat design – are a pleasant place for adults to put in an extended stay.

For the front-seat occupants the infotainment system is fabulous – nice audio reproduction and rapid Bluetooth audio streaming, allied with a very responsive touch screen system that displays P-I-P-style information (the satnav map overlaid with the audio track being played, for instance). The system pre-empts the physical contact of finger or thumb with the screen, selecting or enlarging an icon as the digit draws near. It's kind of magic, and has to be used to be believed.

Build quality is excellent, with the doors pushing closed gently and quietly, while sealing securely. Adaptive bi-xenon headlights cast an even spread of light and shine well ahead, even on low beam. They aren't the best xenons we've experienced, but most drivers will find them acceptable. The field of vision all around from the driver's seat is almost exceptional, with the A pillars relatively thin and canted back to deliver the optimum view from behind the wheel.

At freeway speeds, NVH comprises road noise primarily, with a light hum from the drivetrain on the cusp of audibility. One of the first things to strike you about the Octavia is how serene it is inside the cabin. On a reasonably well maintained arterial road in Melbourne, the tyre noise was prominent simply because other sources of NVH were so well suppressed. Much of the noise seemed to penetrate the cabin through the large glass roof.

The engine itself is almost too quiet. It burbles at low speeds, with the note rising to a snarl in the mid-range, and under load. Highly effective in the way it delivers its power, the four-cylinder turbo engine verges on the point of being too hot to handle for the traction control once the weather turns sour. Under light loads it is muscular enough to pull higher gears in the DSG transmission (with my one NVH-related niggle being the labouring vibration experienced as the engine is called upon to deliver torque below 1500rpm).

Fuel consumption averaged 9.9L/100km for the week. That's a fairly favourable number given other 2.0-litre turbocharged cars we’ve driven in the recent past have been up around 11L/100km or higher. The figure for the Octavia would have been higher if not for the auto-stop system – a facility that would restart the engine without inordinate teeth rattling. Unlike some cars with similar fuel-saving systems, the Octavia's system can keep the engine stopped for longer periods, even with accessories and headlights drawing significant power from the battery.

On first impression, the steering is very light, yet there's good feedback through the wheel and it's a fun car to drive, with plenty of grip and consistent handling. The Octavia only surrenders to understeer (with power applied) very late in the corner. Lift off into the corner and there's a sensation of weight transfer, but it never quite makes the full transition to oversteer. Ride comfort is not as admirable, with reasonable compliance over smaller bumps around town, but it's pretty firm on lumpy-surfaced country roads. I found the brakes to be very touchy, but you do get used to them quickly.

The long and the short of it is this: Octavia RS 162TSI is a minor triumph of packaging, refinement and driveability. Of all the MQB platform derivatives from the Volkswagen Group to date, this just might be my favourite.