In pursuit of snow. Catching up with winter in a Skoda Octavia 4x4 Combi

This is roughly how I imagined meeting another test car — the Skoda Octavia 4×4 Combi. I had arranged it in advance, a couple of weeks earlier. Looking at the snow-covered streets, I was already looking forward to the drive. While I was waiting, the weather gradually warmed up. Those very turns where I planned to 'work the handbrake' turned into a mess of mud and leftover snow, and then dried out completely. The sun quickly dealt with the snowdrifts, turning them into streams, and snow in the city remained only in the shadows of buildings. What winter tests these are — more like a check for aquaplaning! I specifically asked the dealers for an Octavia 4×4 Combi with a six-speed manual gearbox, a two-liter FSI engine with 150 horsepower, and, of course, all-wheel drive based on the Haldex coupling. The manufacturer promises that it engages almost instantly — just a quarter turn of front-wheel slip is enough for the rear axle to kick in. That's what I was going to check. And I will check — surely there's still some snow left somewhere! After picking up the car, I immediately set off in search of winter. It would seem that the combination of a 150-horsepower engine and a six-speed manual should provide brisk dynamics. Overall, it does — the engine is sufficient in any situation. It delivers its horsepower reliably, but without any reserve. It works monotonously, and the 2.0 FSI is surprisingly characterless. It pulls evenly and, frankly, boringly. You don't want to rev it to 4–5 thousand rpm — to avoid boredom, you strive to shift up quickly. The shifts themselves, on the contrary, are pleasing — the gearbox works precisely and pleasantly. I had already started to complain about the engine's lazy character and was thinking about how I'd describe it in the article. But then my eyes fell on the onboard computer. And I immediately forgave the engine its boring torque and delayed responses. After all, 7–8 liters of 95-octane per hundred in the city is, you'll agree, quite little for a 150-horsepower unit that hauls a heavy all-wheel-drive wagon. That's with calm driving and no serious traffic jams. If you drive faster, consumption will, of course, increase, but it will still remain moderate. Fuel efficiency — that's what justifies all my nitpicking. Moreover, when I got out of the city, it turned out that on the highway it feels very confident. The engine is a real workhorse, and it seems not to care from what speed it accelerates the car. The speedometer needle briskly crawls toward the right edge of the scale even beyond 'a hundred', and even if you fill the cabin with passengers and the trunk with luggage. And it fits a lot, I must say. Two long-legged passengers will comfortably sit in the back. A third will also fit, but with less comfort. But the trunk of the Octavia is simply enormous. Honestly, I can't even imagine how to fill it to the brim. For travel, the Octavia's cabin is excellent. The chassis is also top-notch — on the highway, the Octavia goes like a destroyer. It holds the straight perfectly, no worse than a heavy cruiser, although it does react to ruts. This is especially noticeable when changing lanes. But we don't drive diagonally. Although we could — the car responds very willingly to the steering wheel, despite the suspension being quite soft. Interestingly, behind the wheel of the Skoda Octavia 4×4 Combi, you feel like you're in a crossover. In front of you is a huge hood, and you sit a bit higher than drivers of regular cars. And this is no accident — the Octavia wagon's ground clearance is increased to 163 mm. I think I won't be held accountable for revealing the secret that our roads are far from ideal, and these extra centimeters are an extremely useful thing. It's clear that the Octavia is not an SUV, but increased ground clearance and all-wheel drive will allow you to calmly survive an uncleaned courtyard after a snowfall. I did find a bit of snow when I wandered into some wilderness. The roads there were even worse than in Moscow, but I didn't slow down. 'Boo-boo-boo!' — that's how the Octavia's suspension comments on potholes. It's quite talkative, but it has enough energy capacity. Again, increased ground clearance and high-profile tires allow driving almost anywhere. Here it is, the cure for our roads! Almost anywhere — on dirt roads, large potholes are still better to avoid; the suspension, though assembled, is not bulletproof. If you drive sensibly, it will be enough. And here — the remnants of winter. Not much to play around, but thanks for that. On snow, the Octavia Combi enters a corner in an all-wheel-drive manner, with understeer of all four wheels. The engagement of the rear axle is practically unnoticeable — the car behaves very adequately in extreme modes. With the throttle, you can slightly 'tighten' the turn or, conversely, straighten the trajectory. But breakaways into slides and the operation of the stability control happen somewhat abruptly — the main thing is not to be late with correction. However, you can simply not turn off the ESP. Although all this, of course, is nonsense — there's no proper snow left. But even without a full winter test, I liked the car. And I still don't understand why the Skoda Octavia is considered a golf-class car. It's very large, spacious, with quality finishes and good equipment. And the price is 'better' than competitors — the test car with dual-zone climate control, leather interior, parking sensors, and xenon cost 39 thousand dollars. That's exactly what they ask for all-wheel-drive wagons a class higher, like the Mazda6 or Subaru Legacy. And what could make you choose the Skoda? Quality. I don't mean reliability, but the level of execution. The finish, chassis balance, informativeness of the steering wheel and pedals. The floor-mounted gas pedal is very convenient, the seat adjustment ranges are huge, and their profile is very successful — with good but unobtrusive lateral support. The level of ergonomics of the Skoda Octavia is something most Japanese cars can only dream of, and attention to detail — even more so. If something is absent in this car, it means it's absent. But if it's present, it's done at the highest level. The operation of the climate control is almost unnoticeable, the headlights shine exactly as they should — they illuminate the road well and don't blind oncoming drivers. The list could go on forever. Yes, the Octavia 4×4 Combi for its money can't boast particular power or rich equipment, but it has something to attract with. Things that aren't noticeable at first glance, but when you switch to another car, you begin to understand where and on what its creators saved. And yet, looking at the price again, you think — maybe it's not 'quality of execution', but simply extravagance?

Technical specifications of Skoda Octavia Combi 4×4 2.0 FSI

Specifications	Skoda Octavia Combi 4×4 2.0 FSI
Body
Length, mm	4572
Height, mm	1495
Width, mm	1769
Ground clearance, mm	163
Engine
Type	Petrol, with direct fuel injection
Displacement, cc	1984
Number and arrangement of cylinders	4, in-line
Number of valves	16
Maximum power, hp at rpm	150 at 6000
Maximum torque, Nm at rpm	200 at 3500
Transmission
Drive	All-wheel drive, pluggable via multi-disc Haldex coupling
Gearbox	Manual, six-speed
Chassis
Front suspension	McPherson, with anti-roll bar
Rear suspension	Multi-link, with anti-roll bar
Front brakes	Ventilated disc
Rear brakes	Ventilated disc
Performance characteristics
Exhaust emission compliance	Euro-4
Maximum speed, km/h	202
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h, sec	9.7
Fuel consumption — extra-urban cycle, l/100 km	6.6–7.0
Fuel consumption — urban cycle, l/100 km	11.6–12.0
Fuel consumption — combined cycle, l/100 km	8.4–8.9

Equipment of the tested car

Standard equipment

• ABS
• ESP
• Front airbags
• Front and rear electric windows
• Heated electric mirrors
• Alloy wheels 15 inches
• Climate control
• Onboard computer

Additional equipment

• Side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Heated front seats
• Xenon headlights
• Leather steering wheel
• Seat upholstery in leather and fabric
• Fog lights
• CD changer
• Rear parking sensors
• MaxiDot multi-function display
• Alarm system

Price of base configuration — $33090
Price of tested car — $39200

The car for the test was provided by 'Volkswagen Group Rus LLC' Skoda division.