• Petrol, diesel, mild-hybrid and PHEV
• Excellent refinement and efficiency
• Something for everyone, really

Petrol engines

The smallest engine in the Octavia Estate is a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit. With 110hp and 200Nm of torque, it delivers adequate performance, but will likely struggle with a full set of passengers and a loaded boot. The larger 1.5-litre is more potent so will be better suited to family duties.

It’s less responsive at low engine speeds than the equivalent diesel, but it’s really smooth and feels more than fast enough for most applications. It’s also a great pairing to the six-speed manual gearbox, which feels solid and positive. Though like many Volkswagen Group gearboxes it doesn’t like to be hurried.

Diesel engines

A pair of 2.0-litre TDI units make up the diesel offering, with 116hp or 150hp, available with manual or DSG transmissions. Drivers who do particularly high mileages or plan to tow and load the vast boot up to max capacity will prefer one of these muscular units. They’re a little noisier than the petrols (though not by much) with a metallic edge to their sound that disappears once you’re on the move.

We think the 150hp car is the best version currently available, mixing plenty of easy-to-access torque and bulletproof fuel economy on offer. With 340Nm of torque and an 8.8-second 0-62mph time, it’s more than fast enough for most needs with the car empty, hinting at sufficient performance even when it’s loaded up. Top speed is 139mph.

Hybrid engines

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Octavia iV is also available, which uses a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and an electric motor. It uses a six-speed DSG automatic, and Skoda says that the 13kWh battery means it can travel up to 43 miles on electricity alone. It’s not that the iV is a performance model in any sense, because those punchy power and torque figures don’t translate into quite the straight-line speed you might expect. That said, this Octavia certainly feels swift enough, despite it carrying 135kg of extra weight.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Confidence-inspiring grip
• Lower-sec models car a bit roly-poly
• Excellent for long journeys

This is one area where previous Octavia owners will notice an improvement – this fourth generation just feels more grippy, especially when equipped with the optional adaptive dampers. The steering feels precise – although just as uncommunicative as before – allowing you to accurately place the car on the road.

You still get quite a bit of body roll (when the car leans away from a corner) and really it’s this, rather than the high level of grip the tyres summon up, that limits the car. That said, there’s less wheelspin when you pull away quickly, and the sophisticated traction control system allows you to hustle the Octavia along without interfering too harshly.

The plug-in iV offers a similar story, other than the extra weight and soft suspension giving a slightly floaty quality. The nicely weighted and calibrated driving controls remain, although the brake pedal can feel a bit abrupt in comparison to a non-hybrid model’s.