2017 Skoda Octavia review: A looker that's practical

Sales of premium cars have seen significant growth in India as automobiles form a significant part of the aspirational lifestyle. The market scenario is attracting premium carmakers to bring new and more valuable products in the segment. And when we talk about premium or entry-level luxury cars, one of the prominent names is Skoda, which is mostly recognised for its Octavia.Though the car was discontinued in 2010, the noticeable demand and following for the model coerced the company to relaunch it in a new avatar.Now after four years of its relaunch, the car has received its first major update. The recently-launched 2017 Skoda Octavia promises to deliver more than its predecessor and even much more than the other offerings in its segment. So, does it deliver on its promises?ExteriorThe new Skoda Octavia looks all-new from the front. The new quad headlamp design is a head turner. The smaller headlamps merge with the signature butterfly grille flawlessly and make the car look wider from the front. The main headlamp unit features unique LED daytime running lights with a feature called eyelashes by the company.The front bonnet has been redesigned with stronger lines providing a bold feel to the new Octavia. The front bumper continues featuring a honeycomb grill but that too now gets a centre chrome stripe and new fog lamps to complement the revised headlamp design. The well-outlined side profile looks almost untouched and the only difference that catches attention is larger 16-inch alloys providing the car with a bigger road presence. The chrome stripe throughout the bottom of the windows enhances the premium feel and the rear view mirrors with LED turn signals also look elegant.Updates to the rear end are not that much noticeable except you see the new C-shape LED taillamps. The lower part of the rear bumper also receives mild tweaks to gel with the new updates.The efforts Skoda has put in to make the car more premium looking is visible.InteriorThe interior of the new Skoda Octavia also gets a host of updates, headlined by the new infotainment system that receives a big 8-inch touchscreen. The unit has been integrated with the glossy black centre console so well along with the new optical touch buttons. The resolution, brightness and touch sensitivity of the screen are also impressive and it further offers most of the connectivity options available in the market including AUX, USD, SD-Card, Bluetooth, Wifi, Mirror Link, Apple Carplay and Android Auto and BossConnect in the top trim.The beige leather upholstery along with chrome inserts give a premium feel inside. The interior in the top-trim also gets ambient lighting with ten changeable colours which further enhances the feel. The seats have adequate supports and the cabin also offers enough room to sit comfortably in both front and rear rows. There is a sliding centre armrest for the front row while the rear row gets a foldable one with cup holders. The driver seat is 12-way electrically-adjustable with built-in memory that can store three different seat and external side-view mirror positions.The Octavia also offers USB charging sockets for the rear passengers just below the rear AC vents and the dual-zone auto climate control is another feature adding to the comfort for co-passengers. Behind the new, sleeker steering wheel with infotainment controls is the same twin-pod instrument cluster with an LCD screen in between but with some minor tweaks.The Octavia offers a cool glove box to keep your drinks chilled while travelling. The storage spaces have been designed wisely like the door pockets offer good space and a class leading boot space of 590-litre that can be further extended to 1,580-litre by folding the rear row's back support. A windshield slip holder and bag hook looks very small but comes handy when you want you small papers and shopping bags to remain in place.Drive ExperienceThe new Skoda Octavia offers three engine options including a 150PS, 1.4-litre petrol, 180PS with a six-speed manual, 1.8-litre petrol with seven-speed DSG automatic and a 143PS, 2.0-litre diesel with both the transmission options.We got to drive the 1.8-petrol that not only offers a quick DSG gearbox but it is the only variant that comes with multi-link independent rear suspension. Another noticeable fact is it is the most powerful offering in the segment that further enhances the thrill in the drive experience. The turbo petrol motor delivers a peak torque of 250Nm between 1,250rpm and 5,000rpm, and the power delivery also remains linear throughout the rev-range. The Skoda Octavia with 1.8L quickly reaches to three-digit speeds and refinement at cruising speeds is top-class. The DSG gearbox works seamlessly and one can hardly feel the gear shifts or need to do that manually. Still, the gearbox offers manual operation as well along with the steering mounted paddle shifters that further makes it a strong driver's choice in the segment.The suspension setup has been updated and the rear track gets 20mm extra for the torsion beam while 30mm extra is there for the independent suspension setup. The suspension has been softened a bit for improved comfort but the level of road-hold and high-speed stability remains excellent.FeaturesAs we have already talked about the infotainment system, let's move to the electronic driver aids and safety features.The new quad headlamp set-up comes packed with safety features like adaptive light and the front fog lamps also work as cornering lights. There is a telescopic headlight washer to keep the lights bright in a dusty or muddy environment. Both the external and internal rear view mirrors get auto dimming function for hassle-free night view and the external mirrors also get defogger.Along with the basic ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), the new Skoda Octavia receivesHBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistant), ASR (Anti Slip Regulation), MSR (Motor Speed Regulation), ESC (Electronic Stability Control), MKB (Multi collision braking) and TPM (Tyre Pressure Monitoring). The car offers up to eight airbags including dual front, side (front and rear) and curtain airbags, making it one of the safest cars in its segment.The hill hold control is there to help driver during ascending steeps and the new Octavia is surrounded by distance (Parktronic) sensors, guiding with sound and visuals through the centre console. It also features cruise control reducing driver's fatigue during long journeys. Still, it features an iBuzz fatigue alert that senses the driver's fatigue behaviour and tells him/her to take a break if needed.The 2017 Skoda Octavia is the only car in its segment to feature hands-free parking, in fact, the technology comes with a very limited number of luxury cars in the country. The feature automatically controls the steering while parking in both parallel and perpendicular parking slots. It comes really useful, especially when it is your first long car.The keyless entry and ignition is not something unique in the segment so is the panoramic electric sunroof.VerdictStarting at Rs 15.71 lakh (ex-showroom), the new Skoda Octavia comes in a price bracket which is now dominated by SUVs. However, the Octavia is a much better car on the practical front and now provides even better value than the previous model. Besides the impressive performance and ride quality, the most important fact is it is one of the safest cars in its price range.Though the top-spec trims cost a little more than its competitors (Hyundai Elantra, Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Corolla Altis), the plethora of features on offer provides an unmatched value for money proportion. At an ex-showroom price of Rs 21.63 lakh, the fully loaded 1.8 TSI Style Plus trim is the choice that gives a segment above luxury feel for a slightly premium price tag.