Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi

The insides of the Octavia have an overriding sense of functionality which subdues any air of luxury, you would expect from a Rs 10 lakh-plus car.

The square dashboard looks unimaginative as well. But look closely and you quickly realise that everything is made up of top quality materials and the fit and finish of everything is difficult to fault, keeping in mind the price of the car. No, the interior quality is not as good as the Mondeo’s but is ahead of the Astra and that’s saying something. We still can’t get over the way the Octavia’s air vents shut micron tight. The switches too feel great and  we loved the clarity of the instruments. However, the instrument binnacle’s failure to eliminate stray reflections is an embarrassing pitfall.

That said, the sophisticated action of the cup holder cover smacks of quality and the manner in which the stereo systems rear tweeters are incorporated into the door handle mouldings is neat. A large glovebox and four generous door pockets offer loads of space for carrying knick knacks.
The front seats are pretty supportive and both get height and lumbar adjustment, though it’s all done manually. The steering wheel is also adjustable for height and rake. The rear seats are pretty wide but legroom is more in the league of a C-segment car, the Octavia unable to hide its Golf wheelbase.

Equipment level wise, you get a full range of adjustments for both the front seats. Airbags are standard for both front passengers and the rear seat also gets three seatbelts. An onboard computer is also standard which calculates average speed, fuel consumption, range and also gives a read-out of the outside temperature. Other nice touches include the tiny sun visor above the rearview mirror, a headlamp leveller, courtesy lamps and windows that wind themselves up when you lock the car.