What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

whatcar.com August 2020 9

4

1

3

2

3 Temperature controls

are now on infotainment

touchscreen, so they’re

 ddly to use on the move

2 Hi- volume is adjusted

by sliding your  nger

along this panel – or via

steering wheel controls

1 Glovebox and storage

area under the central

armrest are cooled by

the climate control

4 Con gurable digital

instrument panel is

standard; it can show

a full sat-nav map

potholes.Butapartfromtheoccasionalthud,

theOctaviaridesmorecomfortablythanits

directrivals.SomemightprefertheToyota

CorollaTouringSports’tightercontrolof

bodymovements,though.

Despitethesoftnessofitssuspension,the

Octaviaisperfectlycapablewhenitcomesto

corners,too.Theprecisesteeringhasplenty

ofreassuringweightandgivesagoodsense

ofconnectiontothefronttyresthrough

theleather-wrappedwheel.There’sabitof

bodyleanincorners,yettheOctaviagrips

tenaciouslyandevenlyfronttorear.That

leanmeanstheOctaviadoesn’tfeelasinitially

agileorwillingtoscythethroughanS-bendas

theFocusEstateorCorollaTouringSports,but

it’sstillstableandsecure.

Inside,theratherdowdyinteriorofthe

oldcarhasbeenreplacedwithsomething

thatlooksfarmorecontemporary.Qualityis

impressive,withlotsofsquidgyplasticsaround

thedashandonthearmrestsonthedoors,plus

attractivetrimssuchaschromedetailing.Even

theharderplasticsarepleasinglytextured,and

thewholeinteriorfeelssolidlyputtogether.

Entry-levelSEFirstEditionmodelscomewith

an8.25ininfotainmenttouchscreenwith

There’s loads of space inside; quality is much improved SE L First Edition comes with adaptive cruise control

Octavia has a more comfortable ride than all of its rivals, feeling particularly soothing on long motorway journeys

before, both when you put your foot down and

at a cruise. There’s more wind and road noise

than you’d fi nd in a Ford Focus Estate, though,

and the Octavia’s stop-start system can cut the

engine a bit too soon and take a moment or

two longer than is ideal to fi re back up again,

something that can frustrate when you’re

driving around town.

The motorway seems to be this car’s natural

habitat, with the softly sprung suspension

allowing the car to waft pleasantly down the

road for mile after mile of relaxed cruising.

On a more demanding stretch of undulating

road, the Octavia can feel rather fl oaty over

crests, while you can hear the suspension

working away over broken surfaces and