Sadly, the 1.9-litre diesel engine lets the side down. It’s the same engine as fitted to the Golf in the class below this, but with more to haul around, it struggles in the Octavia. Leave plenty of time to reach your destination, as it takes 21.6 seconds to go from 30-60mph. The Octavia felt rather floaty through the lane-change exercise, and took longer than most to stop from 30mph. For a front-wheel-drive car, it coped well enough on the hill start, however.
Another fine showing in the recent JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey suggests that Skoda owners can look forward to years of trouble-free motoring, and the list price is keen.