The Skoda Octavia has traditionally offered Passat-style space for Golf money, and this one is no exception. For the driver, this translates as a roomy front cabin area with a deep, usable glovebox and door pockets and cavernous storage areas between the front seats. There’s a pair of cupholders in the centre console – which have a sliding cover – but are limited in their use if the folding armrest is in its most forward position.
For back seat space, it’s equally roomy and usable, particularly when it comes to passenger knee room, as no rival comes close. A six-footer can sit behind another six-footer without any issues, and there’s room for three friends. There are air vents for those in the rear, and storage pockets on the back of the front seats with additional cut-outs tailored for your smartphone.
Being a Skoda, the new Octavia is also packed full of ‘Simply Clever’ touches. Skoda fits an umbrella in the door jamb – just like on a Rolls-Royce – plus optional winged head restraints in the rear that allow passengers to have a proper sleep. These are small touches but they do make a big difference.
The luggage area is also the best of all its comparably-priced rivals. The Octavia Hatchback offers 600 litres of boot space seats up, and 1,555 litres with them folded. To put that into perspective, these numbers compare with 640 and 1,700 litres for the Octavia Estate, which is larger than many cars in the class above. The Volkswagen Golf doesn’t get a look-in with 381 and 1,237 litres respectively.
The cabin is also well stocked with cubbyholes, so you get a voluminous storage areas in the centre console between the front seats, and deep door pockets that easily swallow a full-sized water bottle.
Is it easy to park?
The Skoda Octavia looks like a full-sized saloon out on the road, but it feels agreeably compact when you’re driving it. The view forward is good, although the wide pillars are more than capable of obscuring your visibility in town driving. Front and rear parking sensors are available across the range, while a rear-view camera is optional on most models.
Driver assistance tech is one area where the new Octavia has made a big leap over its predecessor. Much of the new safety tech that debuted in the Volkswagen Golf has made it to the Octavia, meaning it no longer feels like it’s second-best to its German cousin.
It wouldn’t be a new, updated car without some more tech to headline the specs, so the Octavia has been loaded-up with a host of new technology. There’s a head-up display for the first time, while the selection of driver assistance and safety tech has been increased. In addition to the existing adaptive cruise control and blindspot monitors, there is greater collision avoidance tech that will control the car if you don’t, alert you to a potential collision at a junction, and warn you about traffic jams coming up – all available for the first time.
The adaptive cruise control works well without being too abrupt on the brakes, making for smooth progress most of the time. It can get caught out by lorries on the inside lane next to you, however, as it will cautiously slow you down as if the lorry was directly in front of you. LED headlights are standard throughout, with the option to upgrade to matrix adaptive units. These make a huge difference for anyone driving at night, and help stave off driver fatigue on a long overnight journey.
Skoda Octavia safety equipment
The driver also gets a knee airbag in conjunction with the full suite of front, side and curtain ones fitted around the cabin. There are three Isofix points in the Skoda Octavia, found on the front passenger seat and outer rear seats.
Collision Avoidance Assist: avoids pedestrians, cyclists or other vehicles to avoid a collision
Turn Assist: detects oncoming traffic when turning left at a junction
Exit Warning system: warns if a vehicle or a cyclist is approaching from behind when a car door is open
Local Traffic Warning function: automatically warns of hold-ups in the immediate area
Area View system: 360 degree parking camera
Side Assist blindspot warning
Predictive Cruise Control: uses camera and sat-nav data to adjust the cruise control speed, works down to stop even on cars with a manual gearbox
Crew Protect Assist: prepares the car for a head-on or rear-end collision, by tensioning the front seat belts, and closing the windows and panoramic roof
Multi-Collision Brake: stops the vehicle after a collision to prevent rolling
Watch: Skoda Octavia Euro NCAP crash test video
Basic equipment
The basic equipment list includes equipment that is standard across all versions of the Skoda Octavia Hatchback.
3x3 point rear seat belts
ABS
Alloy wheels
Climate control
Cloth seat trim
Driver`s airbag
Electric mirrors
Folding rear seats
Front electric windows
Height adjustable drivers seat
Isofix child seat anchor points
Lumbar support
PAS
Passenger`s airbag
Rear electric windows
Remote locking
Side airbags
Traction control
Equipment by trim level
To view equipment options for a specific trim level, please select from the following list:
Equipment included on some trim levels
Audio remote
CD
Cruise control
Electric driver`s seat
Front fog lights
Headlight washers
Heated mirrors
Heated seats
Metallic Paint
Roof rails
Sat Nav
Sports seats
Steering wheel rake adjustment
SE equipment
SE standard equipment
CD
Cruise control
Heated mirrors
SE optional equipment
None available
SE First Edition equipment
SE First Edition standard equipment
Cruise control
Heated mirrors
SE First Edition optional equipment
Sat Nav
SE L equipment
SE L standard equipment
Headlight washers
Heated mirrors
Heated seats
Sat Nav
SE L optional equipment
None available
SE L First Edition equipment
SE L First Edition standard equipment
Electric driver`s seat
Headlight washers
Heated seats
Sat Nav
SE L First Edition optional equipment
Cruise control
Heated mirrors
Roof rails
SE Technology equipment
SE Technology standard equipment
Cruise control
Heated mirrors
Sat Nav
SE Technology optional equipment
None available
vRS equipment
vRS standard equipment
Audio remote
Front fog lights
Headlight washers
Heated mirrors
Heated seats
Metallic Paint
Sat Nav
Sports seats
vRS optional equipment
Steering wheel rake adjustment
Euro NCAP Rating – 5 stars
The Skoda Octavia Hatchback was tested by Euro NCAP in 2020 and was awarded a 5 star overall rating.
This overall rating is calculated from the following individual ratings:
Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe.
The safety ratings are determined from a series of vehicle tests, designed and carried out by Euro NCAP.
These tests represent, in a simplified way, important real life accident scenarios that could result in injured or killed car occupants or other road users.