IF EVER there was a car built to serve most purposes and fulfil our wishes then it has to be the Skoda Octavia Estate 4x4 two-litre FSI.
Here is a vehicle that drives like a sports car, can tackle rough surfaces and atrocious weather conditions and can carry a substantial load.
Of course there are other 4x4 estates out there but I have not driven anything that packages optimum qualities like this one.
An example of the thinking that has gone into this car is that the 4x4 system used is compact and does not affect the height of the loading deck.
This particular car was the petrol engined FSI version which is powered by a two-litre 150bhp unit mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Differences to the standard Octavia are a Haldex transmission clutch, 15 inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, headlamp washers, raised suspension protective covers over brakes pipes and more.
But it is that rare mixture of sure-footedness and harmonisation of control that makes this estate so special.
It has a 126mph top speed and takes 9.7 seconds to reach 62mph. But it is all done in a smooth and effortless way that belies its muscular nature.
Roadholding is spectacular and conveys that fact that the car is riding on rails. But it is the precision of control that impresses most.
In many ways the 4x4 estate is more pleasurable to drive than the superfast Octavia vRS.
Its performance ability stems from the direct fuel injected engine which would not be out of place in a car costing much more than the 4x4’s £16,585.
These days driving a Skoda carries a lot of street cred because gone are the days of this Czech marque being a wheeled joke.
Skoda’s rise to heights of popularity in recent years began with its takeover by the giant Volkswagen group.
Suddenly Skodas were being turned out with VW precision and a brand new manufacturing facilities were being built at the old Skoda site which in past years was better geared up for turning out tanks than cars.
Skoda was once one of Europe’s premier brands known as Laurin and Klement and after years of bouncing along the bottom as a manufacturer in a Warsaw Pact country Skoda is hitting the heights again.
I have to admit I had my doubts when VW took over Skoda but like a number of pundits I am now happy to eat my words.
The market is really still coming to terms with the turnaround of fortunes in this manufacturer. Skoda has a marketing slogan of offering an ‘extra bit of car’ for the money. With the Octavia 4x4 estate you get much more than a bit.
FAST FACTS
Skoda Octavia 2.0 FSI 4x4 Estate
Price: £16,585
Mechanical: 150bhp, 1,984cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving all four wheels via 6spd manual gearbox.
Max speed: 126mph
0-62mph: 9.7 secs
Combined mpg: 31.7
Insurance group: 11
CO2 emisisons: 214g/km
BiK rating: 29%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage, 3yrs paint, 10yrs anti-rust