SKODA OCTAVIA RS HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

In a very astute piece of marketing that began in 2004, Czech carmaker Skoda has made its name synonymous with Le Tour de France. No exciting driving shots – apart from swerving to avoid wobbly bikes or suicidal spectators – but lots of exposure for the distinctive bold Skoda grille and winged arrow logo. To capitalise on this Skoda Australia has released a number of new or upgraded models that we’re currently road testing and will report on over the next few weeks. Starting at the top, we’ve just finished… Read more

SKODA RAPID SPACEBACK LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

Czech car maker Skoda has added another station wagon to its list. Building on the company’s focus on practical vehicles the new Skoda Rapid Spaceback joins the recently introduced Octavia, the just updated Yeti SUV and the Superb. Skoda has chosen to call this Rapid variant a hatchback, as small car sales in Australia are dominated by that body style. But it has given the hatch/wagon the title of Spaceback to draw attention to the practical nature of the vehicle. Such are the joys of marketing. STYLING Unlike the Skoda… Read more

SKODA YETI PRICES SLASHED

Skoda has reduced the prices of its Yeti SUV by as much as $4400 and at the same time has added important extra features, particularly on the safety front. The prices have been cut in an unashamed move to entice more Australians to sample the Czech vehicle that’s still struggling to make a name for itself on the local market. Price drops are obviously good news, the not such good news is that this is the old model Yeti, and despite the upgraded looks it’s starting to lag in the… Read more

2014 SKODA OCTAVIA WAGON REVIEW

Skoda still lags in perception in the minds of many Australian car buyers. Which is a shame because this week’s road test car, a Skoda Octavia Elegance station wagon, gives you a quality Euro vehicle for a pretty modest price. Indeed, the sort of money that normally only gets you a car from Japan or South Korea lets you sit in a European machine, albeit one from the Czech Republic rather than Germany, in your driveway. A Skoda doesn’t give you the prestige of an Audi or Volkswagen, with which… Read more

OCTAVIA THE BIG-HEARTED SKODA

The big-hearted Skoda Octavia just got bigger in a bid to make its mark on the mid-size segment. The third generation of the vehicle, which comes as a sedan or wagon, has grown markedly in length, width and wheelbase with occupants being the benefactors with increased space, especially in the rear. The cabin is longer (1782 mm), there’s more knee room (73 mm) and more headroom at the back (980 mm) than in the previous model. Other interior dimensions increased over Octavia’s second generation are front elbow width (plus 39… Read more

THE SKODA SPECTACULAR

Question: when is it not bad form to mention the phrase ‘performance enhancement’ in the same breath as the Tour de France bike race? Answer: when talking about Skoda. The VW Group owned, Czech based automobile manufacturer recently re-signed as the official partner of the cycle race at the same time as launching its Octavia RS high-performance sedan in Australia. The RS designation stands for ‘RallySport’, and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The Skoda Octavia RS is simply the quickest production Octavia of all time with a zero to… Read more

SKODA OCTAVIA MAKES SENSE

Skoda Octavia is all-new from the ground up and continues the long time design that gives maximum interior space with excellent occupant comfort. It has been reduced in price compared with the model it supersedes and is being promoted as providing value and European image. Prices begin at a tempting $21,690, plus on-road costs, for the Skoda Octavia Ambition with manual transmission. Introductory deals are being done to reduce on-road costs, no time limit has been announced at this stage, but it might be an idea to make an early… Read more