Volvo S60 vs Skoda Octavia
What's the difference?

Volvo S60

—

2024 price

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Skoda Octavia

$39,590 - $59,990

2026 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 6

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2024 Volvo S60

2026 Skoda Octavia

By Emily Agar

By Marcus Craft

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Inline 4, 1.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

1.4L/100km (combined)

5.5L/100km (combined)

Energy consumption

—

Electric range

90 km

Battery capacity

18.80 kWh

Seating

Likes

Elegant proportions and styling
Feature-laden
Superb on-road driving experience

Smooth driving
Packed with features
Impressive value-for-money

Dislikes

Sedate cabin compared to rivals
Works best as a four-seater
Not a lot of storage options

Some lag in initial acceleration
Space-saver spare
Mild-hybrid adds little

2024 Volvo S60 Summary

Sedans have long been supplanted by SUVs as the family favourite but they still have their charms for those drivers who like something that feels more dynamic on the road.

Enter the limited edition Volvo S60 Recharge Black Edition which sees the return of a plug-in hybrid powertrain for Volvo’s only sedan.

I’ve been family-testing the PHEV variant to see just how practical a sedan is for the modern family, and whether it's rivals, the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C200 have anything to worry about.

View full pricing & specs

2026 Skoda Octavia Summary

Once a solid mainstay on our roads, wagons have fallen out of favour somewhat as a result of the ever-growing popularity of SUVs and utes.

But is a wagon actually a better and more family-friendly daily driver than a bigger, taller SUV or ute? Perhaps.

And throw a mild-hybrid system into the mix and it could be an even more appealing purchase.

Skoda’s Octavia has built a strong following in Australia and now comes its new mild hybrid grade, available as a wagon or liftback.

So, what’s the Skoda Octavia Select mHEV wagon like as a daily driver for families?

Read on.

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Deep dive comparison

2024 Volvo S60 2026 Skoda Octavia

Verdict

The Volvo S60 Recharge Black Edition proves sedans can still be sexy and an excellent family car, providing your family is on the smaller side. I only have one kid, so it's perfect for our activities and gear. It’s wonderful to drive and has a great features list but it's not without its quirks.

My son thinks it looks cool, and we enjoyed bellowing out a few renditions of the original Batman theme song this week. He has had a lot of comfort in the back seat, too.

Verdict

The Skoda Octavia has always been impressive in wagon guise and this mHEV variant is no different. While the mild-hybrid set-up adds little to the Octavia package there’s still plenty to like about this wagon. It’s smooth and refined to drive, packed with features and has ample appeal as a value-for-money buy.

It’s no surprise if this wagon is at or near the top of your vehicle shopping list.

Volvo S60 vs Skoda Octavia What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Volvo S60 vs Skoda Octavia
What's the difference?