My new Skoda Octavia Style AT: Initial Impressions at 600 km odo

The 2-litre TSI is pure magic and the DSG just makes it a unique proposition in the market.

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This is a small write-up after I completed the first 600 km on my new acquisition - Skoda Octavia Style AT

Skoda Octavia exteriors

1. The new Octavia MK4/A8 has grown in size and I feel the width even after I was used to driving Jetta MK6. The new design language is not as aggressive as Octavia MK3 but it certainly has an elegance to it
2. The way the notchback design is integrated, you instantly fall in love with the execution. I especially like the rear look of the car and those LED taillights look awesome at night. Skoda has always executed the taillights like no other.
3. My car gets LED headlights in reflectors while the L&K gets auto-levelling LED projector lamps. This is the only negative in my book when it comes to Style vs L&K. I wish they had kept the LED projectors on Style as well.
4. The keyless entry-exit works like a charm. All you have to do is, have keys on you and just grab the handle (Any one of the 4) and the car unlocks. To lock the car, all you have to do is swipe on the sensor installed on the handles. Flawless.
5. I can see some part of the bonnet and it adds to the sporty feel of the driving experience. It also helps you navigate the car through tight spots
6. Overall, the dimensions are just perfect for a sedan. Not too long as Superb and not too narrow as Slavia. The size is easy to manoeuvre in the city and stable on highways

Skoda Octavia Interiors

1. Love the interiors and the overall upmarket feel of the cabin. This was one of the factors I fell for this car since the time I took the TD. The cabin just cocoons you and every touch point is finished well. Loved the Suede finish on the dashboard even though it's gonna be a pain to maintain in the long run
2. The switches have a good quality feel to them. They are tactile as well as have a soft operational feel to it
3. The usual rotary dial to adjust lights is replaced by 3 simple buttons - Auto HL, front fog lights and rear fog lights. You need to press the Auto HL switch to toggle between Auto HL, low beam, DRL only and Off. When its kept on Auto and you lock or unlock the car, the rear lights do a nice animation,
4. The steering wheel gets a new 2-spoke design. I personally find VW steering wheel designs much more elegant than this
5. Driver side seat gets a good range of electric adjustments and 3 memory functions. The passenger side is all manual in Style.
6. The rear bench is wide and can accommodate 2 adults and 1 kid with ease. The under-thigh support is good and nobody would complain even about long journeys
7. I find the driver seat-very comfortable and thanks to the material used, ventilation on the seat is not something I miss. Of course, it would have been nice to have one but I am not complaining. In my Jetta, I used to sweat a lot as it was all art leather but this thing keeps me all comfortable.
8. There is no 12v/cigarette lighter slot in the car. Now I am in search of an adapter which can help me retain my current dashcam

Skoda Octavia infotainment-MID

1. The graphics on the infotainment screen are crisp and there are no issues with illumination even in broad daylight. The virtual cockpit has 2 themes and displays a lot of information on the screen. There is no integration of GMaps (through AA) into the virtual cockpit though. It shows all the relevant info like DTE, Avg FE, inst FE, Navigation instructions from Android Auto, Radio/Media info etc
2. Style gets a basic 8-speaker system which to me is enough. The L&K gets the Canton system and the difference between the two is easily felt
3. Android auto integration is nice and the only issue I have faced is, that it goes blank once in 15-20 mins for a second or two.
4. Octavia in India has this system called 'Swing' while it gets other 2 systems internationally: Columbus and Bolero

Skoda Octavia drive

1. As the car is still running in, I have not gone passed 2.5K RPM yet but the demo car which I drove had insane pull when driven hard
2. The DQ381 on this car at times struggles to be in the right gear when you are doing 10-20 km/h in traffic. It has no issues when driven on highways
3. The gear changes as expected are pretty quick and it's a pleasure to drive her on open highways. The paddle shifters add the required drama to the equation and you find nirvana pacing her up on open roads. The 2L TSI is pure magic and the DSG just makes it a unique proposition in the market
4. The fly in the ointment is the steering feedback. After the Fiat Punto, I felt the VW Jetta had bad steering feedback, on the Octavia, the story continues. I feel there is less weight to the steering and it spoils the otherwise sorted driving experience to an extent.
5. The ride and handling are better than average but a nice suspension tweak would make this a fun machine. It feels overtly cushioning and you lose a tiny bit of confidence while you try to take the corner a bit aggressively
6. In the end, it's a nice family sedan and will keep you and your family happy and SAFE. Should you feel to go on an adventure, upgrade the suspension and tyres
7. As of now I get 12-13 km/l on my office commutes (24 km to and fro - 70% highway) but on open highways, it goes up to 16-18 km/l. In a city with bumper-to-bumper, you should feel happy to get 8-9 km/l. I don't think the 2.0 TSI gets the active cylinder tech like 1.5 TSI otherwise this would return some decent figures in mixed driving.

Shall update once I clock more miles, until then, happy motoring!!!

Update: Took some time out on a lazy Sunday morning and had been to a nearby place - Wai. The drive was pretty smooth and did not scrape anything even on some not so good roads.

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