interior
What’s going on inside?
This generation of Octavia caused a stir with its minimalist interior, favoring touch-sensitive buttons and sliders over traditional knobs and buttons. The first thing you need to know is that nothing has changed after the facelift.
For example, there is no dedicated temperature control device. Changes to temperature, fan speed, and air distribution must all be made through the main infotainment display, which is 13 inches wide as standard. But this is not alone. Both Volkswagen and SEAT take a similar minimalist approach.
Advertisement – Page continues below
And Octavia is better than Golf Estate or Leon Estate. That’s because Skoda has equipped it with heated front and rear screens, as well as buttons for quick access to the climate, settings and drive mode menus. Also, as part of the revamp, the menu structure has been redesigned to be more intuitive and provide customizable and easily accessible shortcuts.
The build quality is as solid as you’d expect, but I did notice that the touchscreen vibrations were a bit jittery over rough roads. This hasn’t been seen on other recent Skodas, but it’s something to be aware of.
What else is new?
This was already an attractive looking cabin, but Skoda has given it a slight refresh by updating the upholstery, trim and door panel design. It certainly feels more appealing than the Golf – acres of glossy black plastic designed to look like VW’s twin screens – and it’s more refined.
The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster has also been subtly redesigned and features faster USB charging. Meanwhile, ChatGPT will soon be integrated into Skoda’s digital assistant Lola, which will make it more intuitive and able to answer general knowledge questions. Based on our experience elsewhere, we would be happy to accommodate you.
Advertisement – Page continues below
Okay, Laura, but is it practical?
Boot space remains at 640 liters with the seats up (600 liters in the hatch) and 1,700 liters with them folded. This is much more space than the Focus Estate. In fact, you get more than you would with any other small property.
And since it’s a Skoda, it has all the ‘Simply Clever’ features. For example, there’s a flip-out hook in the trunk to keep your shopping from slipping out, the front door can store an umbrella, there’s an ice scraper under the fuel filler cap, and the backs of the front seats have dedicated small auxiliary pockets. there is. USB-C port above the rearview mirror for connecting your child’s smartphone and dashcam.
What else should I know?
Yes, cars equipped with speed warning and lane-keep assist automatically turn on every time you start, in accordance with the law. Moan. However, you can turn these off with just a few flicks of the steering wheel scroller, and you’ll learn quickly. I like that Skoda doesn’t have an off switch built into the touchscreen.
