Probably not many readers of this piece will remember when Skoda Octavias were assembled in Cork, writes Brian Byrne. That was back in the 1960s, when O'Shea of Cork was also an assembler of Opel cars here, competing in that franchise with the Dublin-based Reg Armstrong Motors. For the Octavia, O'Shea was one of only four assemblers globally, the others being in the Skoda brand's home country of Czechoslovakia, and in New Zealand and Chile. That particular Octavia finished production in 1971, and motor assembly in Ireland ended in 1984 exactly 50 years after that industry had been kick-started by then Minister for Industry and Commerce Sean Lemass.
All of which has little to do with the Octavia subject for this review, but some historical reminiscence can be helpful for modern context. The current Octavia is in its fourth generation since the nameplate was resurrected in 1996 when Skoda had come into partial ownership of Volkswagen, a process completed four years later. The model quickly became a favourite in Ireland, and last year was Ireland's second-best selling car, largely responsible for lifting the Skoda brand to overall third place here. That's some achievement for a family hatchback in this era of SUV super-trending.
Part of the success is maybe due to a fairly conservative styling, which would appeal to the beyond-Dublin buyer cohort responsible for more than half of the model's sales in Ireland. The same buyers also making a statement with two-thirds of them opting for diesel engines, substantially bucking the overall trend.
My review car was the facelift for the Mk 4 model, and arrived in Ireland during 2024. A bit of sharpening at the front end, including a new grille bringing the car up to date with the 'family' style. Changes to the lights front and rear, and to the bumpers, have all done their bit to refresh. The profile and character lines are as before, but a new take on the alloy wheels offer a change there. The Sportline pack provided a lowered sport suspension and also some black trim detailing including on the grille. In size, as has been a characteristic, Octavia is at the top end of the compact family car segment, with interior roominess that is probably responsible for maintaining the liftback saloon's popularity against the SUV onslaught.
From my perspective inside, there are improved graphics for driving information. Not showy, but offering that info in a straightforward and clear way. The centre screen is quite large, and includes the temperature and seat heat controls on a permanent strip at the bottom — thankfully staying there when hooked up to CarPlay. There's an annoying physical 'stroker' control for radio volume, and below it a set of piano-style keys for quick operation of defrost, hazard, door-lock and a couple of other functions. It's a decently laid out place for the driver to be and I felt at ease from the word go.
The review car's interior colour theme was grey and black, probably the most practical for a true family car, and that extra leg-room which Octavias have makes the rear seats a good place to be for even well-grown teenagers. The lift-back boot is a cargo-swallower.
The powertrain this time was a 150hp 1.5 turbo petrol, managed through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. With mild-hybrid tech to help economy it's also peppy enough at an 8.5s sprint capability, achieving that smoothly with the now well-established autobox. The suspension is tagged sport, but isn't in any way hard as the designation used to mean in previous decades, so there's a good balance of handling and ride. There's an RS version for the mid-lifer petrolhead, but this one is absolutely aimed at next-door Sean and Siodhna trying to accommodate their growing family's practical needs for both commuter and leisure transport. There's a combi estate version, though only 15pc of buyers in Ireland opt for it
There's all the expected driver assist tech. My car had the matrix LED headlight system which still entertains in night driving as you watch it adapt in almost infinite ways to the ambient lighting conditions and oncoming headlights.
Summing up, there's nothing spectacularly standout about the Octavia. It is, and does, just what it is supposed to be and do. And therein lies the recipe for the success that it is.
PRICE: From €43,500; review car €44,724. WHAT I LIKED: It made me feel, well, just like myself.
