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The Octavia models are aimed at biggish people who like comfort, reliability, durability and space. Photo Gallery
Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the Skoda Octavia Scout - and says it's a Tardis.
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Space. The final frontier. The place where Gene Roddenberry went to find inspiration for his Star Trek behemoth and where, on his death at age 70, he was rocketed to end up in a planned eternal orbit.
For Gene, space was everything. For new car buyers, space is often hard to find. That is, unless you travel off the beaten track and go Czech.
Skoda, once a miserable reflection of how an invasive communist regime can really numb any desire to enjoy motoring, is packaged space. Its Octavia Scout - effectively an Octavia Estate wagon with extra height and plastic pseudo-macho body panelling - is based on components from the Volkswagen group. That's not surprisingly because Skoda is owned by Volkswagen.
Space and fit-out
The Octavia models are aimed at biggish people who like comfort, reliability, durability and space. People, indeed, like us. So the Octavia sedan and wagon derivatives are very roomy and, to suit family life, functional and versatile.
Indicative of the volume inside the Octavia Scout is the size of the boot. It's simply colossal. You swear you could park a small car in the back. Golf bags? It sneers at golf bags. Prams? Octomum, come on down. Mountain bikes get swallowed up and even luggage items will fit within the squarish hatch opening.
One of the most amazing features is that despite the Scout having all-wheel drive - which means bulky drive components under the floor - the depth, length and width of the luggage area defies logic.
It's made even harder to understand when you realise that there's a full-size spare wheel under the boot floor. Subaru - which has a rather budget-size boot, a high floor and a space-saver spare wheel - should take notes.
Engine and gearbox
But the Scout is more than just about space. Skodas are no Cold War carryovers. The Octavia gets the drivetrains and chassis expertise from the VW Golf and Passat so the fuel economy and performance are up with the best in class.
In the Scout's case, it's a 2-litre turbo-diesel mated to a six-speed manual with all-wheel drive and a drive system that allocates power to the wheels with the most traction.
We would, of course, prefer an automatic gearbox. I'm told that the Volkswagen DSG dual-clutch gearbox which is effectively an automatic - is to become available in a matter of months.
For those who can't wait or who like changing their gears, the manual model is a really enjoyable drive. The gearchange is crisp, the clutch light and the torque of the turbo-diesel sufficient so you can start skipping cogs and taking corners in third.
And as for fuel economy, the 6.7L/100km in city and suburbs was excellent for a car with this performance and of this size. Last month I tested the smaller BMW 123d manual coupe with stop/start technology and had problems getting less than 7L/100km.
Stylng
Of course, with so much going for it there has to be a downside. And there is. It is a very conservatively styled car. Skoda last year changed the headlights and grille to "modernise" its Octavia range and made so much fuss at the time you would have sworn they were about to lay eggs.
On the road it is a tad frumpy - functional, but frumpy - and in a sea of flash models with headlights like crystal slivers, raked windscreens, subtly slitted grilles and tapering side glass, the Skoda is a gramophone to their iPod.
Driving
It's also noisy, particularly at low speeds. This is unusual given the same engine is used in heaps of Volkswagen and Audi products and they're all quiet, hinting that the Skoda is thin on sound deadening. At cruising speed it's almost inaudible but press the accelerator and the engine responds like rolling gravel.
It is, however, a solid performer. I was surprised it hits 100km/h in more than 10 seconds because it feels quicker. You also have to watch the cruising speed because it'll creep up and easily put you outside the law.
On-road handling is excellent and reflects the Passat's solidity and confidence. That's backed up with all the top-end safety gear including stability control and six airbags.
In the dirt the Scout competes directly with the Subaru Outback, though the Skoda's Haldex drive system allocates power to all wheels in a more effective way than the Subaru system of braking the tractionless wheel.
Both cars, in fact, are very similar in their ability. Both could do a beach run with enough tyre rubber to allow deflation, though both have limited ground clearance. Firm sand, gravel tracks and some mud should be the limits in both cases.
The Scout gets a superb list of standard features to more than justify the price - including iPod-compatible audio, cruise control and trip computer - and it's only bugbear is the lack of an automatic gearbox and, sadly, its name. Buyer haven't yet caught on to this car and that's a shame.
Rating: 83/100
Skoda Octavia Scout
Price: $39,490
Engine: 2-litre, 4-cyl, turbo-diesel
Power: 103kW @ 4000rpm
Torque: 320Nm @ 1750rpm
Performance: 0-100km/h: 10.2 seconds, top speed: 197km/h
Fuel: Diesel
Economy (official): 6.6 litres/100km, (tested): 6.7 litres/100km
Emissions: 178g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)
Transmission: 6-speed manual; constant 4WD
Tow (max): 1600kg
Rivals
Subaru Outback diesel ($40,490) 84/100
Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.9TD ($35,990) 85/100
Mazda CX-7 diesel ($43,690) 85/100
VW Tiguan 103TDI ($36,690) 84/100
