Skoda Octavia Combi RS – fun for the family

The Skoda Octavia Combi RS is a spacious, family friendly estate

When is an estate like a hot hatch? When it’s the Skoda Octavia Combi RS.

Ok, it’s not quite as fast as a hot hatch, but with a 0-100kph time of 8.2 seconds, the diesel model we were driving is certainly no slouch.

The Skoda Octavia Combi RS is a beautiful car, both visually and in its driving appeal.

A lean looking estate, it sits low to the ground and our pure white test car got loads of looks around the city, not least because of the big red brake calipers on each of the tyres.

Roof rails, angry looking xenons and chrome surround twin exhaust tail pipes complete the exterior look.

Inside, the red of the calipers is carried through in the black leather and cloth upholstery, which boasts red inserts.

As you’d expect from an estate, and indeed from an Octavia, there’s oodles of room, for all passengers.

The cockpit in the Skoda Octavia Combi RS is well laid out and comfortable

There’s loads of space for two adults in the back, which also has a pull down centre armrest with adjustable cup holders.

There is a transmission tunnel running through the centre of the car so while a six footer probably wouldn’t call dibs on the middle seat in the back, even the tallest of passengers would be comfortable in the other two seats.

At 5ft5, sitting behind the driver’s seat I had at least a foot in knee room to play around with having the front seat set up for myself.

The boot is also huge, and can be further expanded by lowering the rear seats at the pull of a lever. They don’t lie flat, however. The boot also houses a spare wheel.

Tech-wise, the Bolero sound system with Bluetooth, which includes radio/CD/USB and aux, is standard.

While I found the Bluetooth easy to set up, it did get a bit confused when there was more than one accessible mobile device paired to it.

The test car also had auto lights and wipers, dual zone air conditioning and steering wheel mounted controls.

Skoda is all about the little things, and I liked that the car reminds you to take your mobile with you when you switch off the engine. I also liked the phone stand and the windscreen ticket holder.

The Skoda Octavia Combi RS has twin exhausts

Our route in the Skoda Octavia Combi RS took us around the city, up the mountains and on motorway and national roads – and it was beautiful to drive.

The test car was a six-speed 2.0l diesel manual and it was very fast at the lights, with a lovely long draw between the smooth gear changes.

It was great fun on the mountains. While its bountiful rear means it never quite handles like a hot hatch, you certainly never feel like you’re driving a big estate.

I also liked the suspension in this car – you don’t feel the bumps in the road.

Stop and start technology increased its urban efficiency, and rear parking sensors, which are standard, made parking easy.

The Skoda Octavia Combi RS is a stylish, practical family car that means you don’t have to compromise a fun driving experience with the space demands of family life.

The Skoda Octavia Combi RS is available now. Prices for the 2.0 TDI 184bhp start from €32,745, with options in the test car bringing the price up to €33,745.

Tech Spec
Engine: 2.0 TDI184bhp
Acceleration: 0-100kph in 8.2 seconds
Maximum Speed: 230kph
CO2 emissions: 119g/km
Combined fuel economy: 4.6l/100km
Annual road tax: €200

Visit the Skoda Ireland website and its Facebook page for further details.

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