Skoda Octavia 2011 Review

The four-wheel drive wagon has returned to the Skoda range in Australia with a six-speed DSG as well as a manual gearbox - the lack of an auto nobbling Scout sales when the brand returned three years ago.

Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner guesstimated that as much as 90 per cent of the showroom traffic for the first model were looking for automatics, which bodes well for the new model's chances of contributing to the brand's sales ambitions.

VALUE

Mimicking its main competition - Subaru's Outback - the Scout will be offered in two models, with a base Scout and a Scout Premium.

The range kicks off with the six-speed manual at $39,490, rising to $41,790 for a DSG-equipped wagon. Standard fare includes satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, a 30gig hard-drive equipped eight-speaker sound system, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake, cloth trim, cruise control, trip computer, 17in alloys, auto headlights and wipers, auto-dimming centre rearvision mirror, rear parking sensors, heated front seats.

The Premium pack ups those prices by $4000 but adds a polished finished to the alloy wheels, a sunroof, alcantara leather trim and power-adjustment to the driver's seat.

DESIGN

There's nothing outlandish about the design philosophy of the Scout - it's a jacked up (by 40mm) Octavia wagon that is conservative like its predecessor, but a little easier on the eye than the squared off look of the old Scout. The conventional exterior theme is carried over within, but the payoff is reasonable cabin space front and rear, as well as luggage room to the tune of 580 litres, or 1620 litres with the seat-backs down.

TECHNOLOGY

The all-wheel drive system used in the new Scout is the fourth-generation of the Haldex clutch, which uses sensors for wheel speed, accelerator pedal position, engine speed and data from the stability control systems to determine how much drive goes the rear axle - Skoda says as much as 98 per cent can be sent to the front or rear wheels as required.

SAFETY

The Scout is prepared for an emergency, with stability control - incorporating anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and a hill-holder - and six airbags. There's also the option of adaptive xenon headlights and cornering functionality for the front fog lights.

DRIVE

The brief drive of the new DSG model will need to be supplemented with a longer-term stint with the car, but first impressions of the Scout are good. The diesel drivetrain is quiet and the DSG shift is typically slick and swift. While the torque figure might not be groundbreaking, there's solid in-gear acceleration and little in the way of diesel rattle intruding into the cabin. Only at the very top of the rev range - near the power peak - was there any real noise of note.

Freeway cruising quickly brought the trip computer figure down toward the highway claim of 5.3 litres per 100km, although the freeway also brought a little tyre noise with it. The equipment list is decent but a glaring omission is the absence of Bluetooth phone link (even on the options list), something of an issue in the VW range as well. It's even more odd given the inclusion of satnav, which on some VW features list is teamed with the phone link.

VERDICT

The price is keen and the DSG/diesel drivetrain will win it many fans, but is up against established opponents - worthy of consideration.

SKODA OCTAVIA
"A good all-rounder that is worth a look"
Price: from $41,790
Warranty: 3-year / unlimited kilometre
Resale: 75% (est.)
Service interval: variable, condition-based
Safety: 4-star Euro NCAP
Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cyl turbodiesel, 103kW/320Nm
Body: five-door wagon
Weight: 1550-1570kg
Transmission: 6-speed manual and DSG, four-wheel drive
Thirst: 6.1 L/100km, CO2 160g/km