Skoda has revealed the Octavia’s mid-life facelift, bringing technology and sustainability upgrades for its best-selling hatchback.
The new look is distinct from the rest of the Skoda line-up, with more angular LED headlights nestled above a bold crease in the front bumper – producing a reference to the Czech flag that is especially pronounced on the vRS range-topper.
The most notable refinements come inside the new Octavia. A new 13.0in infotainment touchscreen (shared with the recently updated Volkswagen Golf) has been added as an optional extra.
Regardless of which screen is fitted, ChatGPT artificial intelligence is integrated into the infotainment software’s voice assistant, with Skoda promising flexibility and capabilities “far beyond” its current iteration.
The options for charging devices have also been upgraded, with the new ‘Phone Box’ providing up to 15W wireless charging – and, crucially, air conditioning to help mitigate the heat generated in the process. Moreover, the USB-C connections now deliver 45W, triple what they provide in the outgoing Octavia.
The three ‘smart dial’ controls introduced on the new Kodiaq and Superb – which provide a physical interface for various functions, such as the air conditioning, sat-nav zoom and drive mode – have not been included. As such, the only way to adjust the temperature in the new Octavia is to use the touchscreen.
Skoda has placed an emphasis on the use of sustainable materials in the new Octavia: the leather seats featured as part of the Suite upgrade package are tanned using coffee husks, rather than chemical dyes, while the cloth seats featured as part of the Lodge and Sportline interiors are made from recycled fibres.
The ‘Simply Clever’ ice scraper and optional umbrella have also made the switch to more sustainable materials, according to Skoda.
Under the skin, the Octavia’s tweaks are primarily aimed at boosting efficiency. The entry-level 114bhp 1.5-litre powerplant’s turbocharger has been reworked to minimise thermal losses and boost economy. It’s paired with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but it can be had with a seven-speed dual-clutch ’box. Going for the auto adds a 48V mild-hybrid system that does not add any additional power or torque but allows the car to coast with the engine completely off – boosting fuel efficiency.
The 1.5-litre unit can also be had with 148bhp, offering the same combination of manual and auto ’boxes, with the latter mild-hybridised.
The range-topping vRS gets the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot as the new VW Golf GTI, sending 261bhp and 273lb ft through the front wheels. The lone gearbox option remains the seven-speed auto, after the manual was dropped last year.
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Why wouldn't Skoda bring the same ergonomic controls to the Octavia as recently introduced elsewhere? These cars are all based on the same architecture so what's the reason? Laziness? Penny-pinching? A cack-handed attempt to offer an upsale opportunity to a Superb or Kodiaq?
VAG says it has learned its lesson from the awful user interface in ID and Golf, but it seems they have not.
The main lesson learned, as far as the Octavia and Golf are concerned, is to just bung in a larger screen. And anyway, shouting about ergonomic controls that are really (maybe) only as good as those being fitted years ago is a rather desperate thing to shout about.
Personally I can't see anyone who want's an Octavia paying many £££'s extra for a Kodiaq or Superb just to have a control knob for the temperature. I certainly wouldn't. But I can't understand this facination with knobs.?
The volume control was always stupid complaint. I increase or decrease the volume using the button on the steering wheel therefore can't understand the issue.
Temperature - I rarely ever touch the temperature. I have it set to 21C and let the system auto maintain it.
So in mid winter when it's freezing outside, inside my car is 21. In high summer when it's boiling outside, my car is 21. I quite like my car being at 21C - why do I want keep changing the temp inside the car?
Take it you're straight then?
I'll stick my neck out here, the name, Skoda still has zero appeal to most.
I actually jumped to the comments before reading the article!
I take your point scotty, but sometimes i get in the car and i am cold and really need to warm up. Or get in the car with lots of clothes on and can't be bothered to take them up. Or me feet are wet and need drying out so needs redirecting. Or clear the scheme, or the dog is hot in the back, so i find quite a lot of reasons to change the settings.