Skoda’s new Octavia estate, or Combi, as they’d prefer you call it, boasts the biggest boot in its class, claims Skoda. The new car is 90m longer and 45mm wider than the old Octavia estate, a growth spurt made possible by the smaller, Seat Toledo-based Skoda Rapid slotting in lower down the range. t
So, is the new Skoda Octavia Combi now a 3-series Touring rival?
Though it won’t compete with the BMW for badge or pricing kudos, the new Octavia Combi is actually 60mm longer than a BMW 3-series Touring. An extra 110mm in the wheelbase versus the outgoing car means it also scores highly for interior legroom: Skoda reckon it’s the most spacious car in the class.
Rivals will follow up soon: CAR scooped the VW Golf Mk7 estate test mule in 2012, and the larger new Ford Mondeo will also get a wagon version in 2014.
What’s under the skin of the 2013 Skoda Octavia Combi?
Engines are shared with the hatchback Octavia. The range comprises four petrol and four diesel engines, including an eco-special GreenLine TDI version, good for a claimed 69.2mpg CO2 emissions of 89g/km. A vRS wagon will return later in 2013, packing over 200bhp from a turbocharged 2.0-litre motor.
Among the Skoda Octavia Combis on show at the 2013 Geneva motor show from 5 March will be an all-wheel drive ‘Combi 4×4’ version. Rather than an Audi Allroad-style quasi-off-roader (like the last-gen Octavia Scout), the Combi 4×4 will simply pack a Haldex part-time AWD system into the regular Combi bodyshell. It” be on sale in the UK in right-hand drive configuration from summer 2013.