2012 Skoda Roomster Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the first and second generation Skoda Roomster from 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 as a used buy

When Skoda returned to Australia in 2007 it did so with two models, the mainstream Octavia sedan and a quirky, boxy little city car called the Roomster. While the Octavia has been successful, the Roomster didn’t appeal to local buyers, partly because of its relatively high price and partly because of its awkward looks, and was dropped from the Czech carmaker’s Australian range in 2010.VALUEThe past couple of years have seen a marked change in Australian car buying habits with smaller cars growing in popularity so Skoda has decided to give Roomster a second chance. While the styling remains much as before, the price has been cut by over $4000 from the 2007 model.The 2012 Skoda Roomster sells for $22,490 with five-speed manual and $24,790 with seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. Government and dealer charges need to be added to these prices.Equipment levels are modest with standard features that include front, side and curtain airbags, ABS brakes, electronic stability control, cruise control, air conditioning, black roof rails, protective side mouldings and Bluetooth phone connectivity. The options list contains a panoramic sun roof $1690), rear parking sensors ($390), climate control air conditioning $390), front fog lights ($340), and leather trim ($1190).DESIGNStyling of the Roomster is distinctly different and likely to polarise opinions. But it will gain a tick of approval from those who bemoan the sameness of contemporary cars. We were able to talk with Skoda’s chief designer back in the 2007 and he explained the design philosophy: “We wanted to make our Roomster look like an aircraft at the front and a house at the back.” His logic being that it was possible to produce a vehicle that looked sleek at the front but which also functional.Despite its compact exterior dimensions (4214 mm long and 1684 mm wide) Roomster provides plenty of interior space. Leg and head room will only provide problems for the tallest of occupants, most contact will between shoulders and elbows.As always check it out with the broadest of potential testers on your road test before making your final decision – but make sure to check out the options provided by the clever rear seating system first.The Roomster’s rear seats are raised above the level of the front seats to allow better vision and the rear windows are large, two big plusses for young passengers. Likewise, visibility from the driver’s seat is also very good with the exception of the front side where the A-pillars are bulkier than we prefer.There are numerous interior features such as storage drawers beneath the front seats and stowage areas for sunglasses, mobile phones, diaries and suchlike. We did try it out with five adults on board for a short trip and they just managed to squeeze in. Certainly not a long distance cruiser – but it’s not intended to be one.Skoda calls this seating system Varioflex and we’ve seen it previously in the Yeti compact SUV. It offers a number of different seating and cargo variations including the ability to easily remove one or more of the rear seats and gain up to 1780 litres of storage space, effectively turning this versatile little hatch into a light commercial van. Even with all seats in place the maximum boot space is an amazing 530 litres – that’s more than many a family sedan. There are also some useful storage areas within the boot to prevent small items from rolling around.When carrying four passengers the centre rear seat (it comes with a 40/20/40 split) can be removed allowing the two remaining seats to slide towards the centre of the car and spread the available space. Alternatively the centre rear seatback can be folded down to create a small table with built-in padded armrests and holders for drink containers.TECHNOLOGYThe original Roomster came with the choice of 1.6-litre petrol or 1.9-litre turbo-diesel engines. This time around there’s just one, an all-new turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine with an official fuel consumption reading of just 5.9 litres per hundred kilometres. The previous diesel engine returned 5.5 L/100 km so the decision to not import it does make sense given our relatively low petrol prices.DRIVINGOn the road Skoda Roomster handles surprisingly well for such a tall, boxy vehicle with little body roll at normal cornering speeds. Steering is neutral at normal to higher-than-average cornering speeds. Even at freeway speeds, despite the small engine, it cruises comfortably.VERDICTSkoda’s decision to give Roomster a second chance in Australia is much more likely to succeed than before. While the unusual styling will polarise opinions the mini MPV’s functionality and versatility, together with a much better price, could make it a valuable addition to the Czech carmaker’s range.

Skoda Roomster isn’t for everyone, its unusual styling is the result of very practical interior design. Australia is a rather conservative market so the Roomster failed to find many buyers when sold here between 2007 and 2010. Now Roomster has been reintroduced and the importer of the Czech marque hopes it will be more successful this time around.PRICEFor starters Skoda is using the best sales incentive of all to get back into the market. It’s slashing the price to just $22,490 or about $4000 less than previously. Add $2300 for the seven-speed DSG automatic transmission over that of the standard five-speed manual. These prices don’t include on-road costs.ENGINEAs well as the big price drop the Roomster adds appeal by having a new-design turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine with an official fuel consumption reading of just 5.5 litres per hundred kilometres. Diesels are no longer being imported, but couldn't have beaten the new petrol unit by much.DESIGNRoomster has also benefited from a facelift, though this does nothing to the challenging shape of side profile. These days Skoda is controlled by Volkswagen but still has a fair degree of independence, particularly in the styling department. Anyone who complains that all cars look the same should immediately add Roomster to their short list.The chief designer tells us, “We wanted to make our Roomster look like an aircraft at the front and a house at the back.”DRIVEHandling of the Roomster is good, the steering is neutral at normal to higher-than-average cornering speeds. The added height of the Skoda over that of a conventional hatchback is noticeable if you push hard, but this is a people mover not a sports hatch.Skoda Roomster is only 4.2 metres long yet provides stretch out space for four big adults. It’s relatively narrow, so three grownups in the rear will be uncomfortable. But, three children have room to move. The back seat has a 40/20/40 per cent arrangement so one of the junior travellers should ideally be smaller than the others.The window line is significantly lower at the rear seats than the front, resulting in huge side windows that let even small children get an excellent view of outside. This is a major factor in boredom reduction so parents who cringe at the thought of hearing “Are we nearly there?” should also be adding Roomster to the aforementioned short list.The boot is huge and a pair of large suitcases can be carried with ease. The rear seats can be folded down to further increase cargo space. They can be folded individually, either in a single motion, or double folded. The three seats can be removed individually in a matter of seconds to give an almost van-like space.A popular option is to remove the centre-rear seat. Then you have the choice of a good sized gap between the two rear seats, or you can slide them closer together. A further option is to fold down the backrest of the centre-rear seat to create a small table with built-in padded armrests and holders for drink containers. There are numerous interior features such as storage drawers beneath the front seats and stowage areas for sunglasses, mobile phones, diaries and suchlike.