Skoda are about to launch the new Octavia in like a week. It’s shrouded in secrecy, however, I know people.

Cop for this:

How pretty is that?

Me too.

How pretty is that?

Lovely colour but the Octavia hasn’t been a good-looking car since the original VRS. They’ve successively wrecked it since then 🙂

Front view of that,

View post on imgur.com

It’s shrouded in secrecy, however, I know people.

LoLz!

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/first-look/new-skoda-octavia-joyously-sensible

OK, I’ve been misinformed. :-p

Did I not see something just last month that VW were about to be shuffling about their brands? Skoda was to go downmarket a bit, VW remain as is, SEAT to be rebranded as Cupra and go upmarket to sit between VW and Audi. Something like that anyway. Wonder how that Octavia fits in with that ’cause it looks quite smart.

Bland as a very bland thing. Reminds me of a Renault Laguna from about 20 years ago.

I don’t know all that much about new cars. However I *do* know that…

The screen measures between 8.25 and 10 inches depending on spec – the flashier ones can be controlled through gesture or voice (Skoda’s voice assistant is called Laura – seriously) and get a built-in eSim so you’re always online. Beneath the screen is a touch-slider for controlling volume or map zoom. A second screen acts as the instrument cluster, and for the first time in a Skoda you can get a head-up display.

…none of that clobber is going to still be working in terms years or so when I get a chance to buy one.

What’s wrong with a button, anyway? And get those damn kids off my lawn.

Back end looks like an Audi A4, front grill is hideous. I’m sure it’ll be a perfectly good car and I’d take one over my 2011 fiesta.

Pretty? No.
Inoffensive is about the best it can hope for. Bland and I had to look twice I thought the badge said Laguna…

Will be an excellent car though. I seem to be in the minority of people who like the mk8 golf so what do I know…

Skoda don’t do pretty. Try do inoffensive, bland cars that don’t upset people. They’re very good cars (well my vRS was) but exiting they’re not.

it looks good for about a minute then becomes quite dull – as I suspect most cars do these days.

I quite like that – but then I drive a Hyundai i40.

Will there be a hybrid like the Passat GTE?

Another boring VAG. At least it will be cheap to buy 2nd hand.

Reminds me of a Renault Laguna from about 20 years ago.

Bang on – doesn’t look good.

We’re mountain bikers, we have attitude and gnar. We’re sporty and fun. Buy the Seat Leon-if you look at it from the right angle it’s a Lambo 😄😄😄😎

Skoda don’t do pretty. Try do inoffensive

My Fabia estate hit every branch and twig falling out of the ugly tree!

Not sure about the fad for s k o d a across the boot lid these days . Saw a kodiaq go past the other day, thought the owner was a f o c u s fan and had done it himself with stick on letters from halfrauds…

Rear looks like a 2010 era Laguna

Front like a 2010 era Lexus IS 250

You photo depicts neither, Elshalimo

Looks alright, in a slightly meh way most modern cars look ‘alright’ I suppose. Not keen on the front, why do manufacturers feel the need to fit MASSIVE GRILLS on everything these days?

SEAT to be rebranded as Cupra and go upmarket to sit between VW and Audi.

That doesn’t sound entirely right.

Looks decent enough to me, in the sector it sits ‘out there’ styling is never going to be a wise business decision. Certainly looks way better than current gen BMW 3 series IMO. I have a mk2 face-lift Octavia estate and that’s proper fugly so my standards may be lower than average :p

Quite like it personally. I had three Skoda’s in the past they were great cars. My first Skoda was a 2006 Octavia really nice car. Replaced after four years of ownership with a yeti then another two years subsequently (lease cars). I’m on Renault vans now for sport and interests I would say Renault makes better engines to be honest, smoother and less agricultural is the phrase I would use 😉 Anyway I think they’ve moved upmarket even more.

JeZ

Looks like the Kia Optima…

had an eye out for this, in 4wd VRS guise as a replacement for my A6 Avant when the PCP option renews next year…think I’ll stick with Audi !

The estate looks quite nice, but why-oh-why don’t VAG make Skoda (or Seat) vans?

If they can make half a dozen variants on the Golf platform across their brands, surely they could make a cheaper T6 too?

If they can make half a dozen variants on the Golf platform across their brands, surely they could make a cheaper T6 too?

I wouldn’t bother plenty of other vans are actually better and cheaper anyway i.e. Peugeot, Renault, ford….the ford you can get as a hybrid which makes sense because they’re beginning to start banning diesels in cities…

Bland as a very bland thing. Reminds me of a Renault Laguna from about 20 years ago.

this ^

At what point am I allowed to blindly recommend it has the car of choice to anyone asking?

SEAT to be rebranded as Cupra and go upmarket to sit between VW and Audi.

That doesn’t sound entirely right.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/seat-could-rebrand-cupra-upmarket-push

VBH was talking about the Cupra rebrand on 5th gear last week.

Ah – OK. I’d heard about the Cupra sub-brand.

The estate looks quite nice, but why-oh-why don’t VAG make Skoda (or Seat) vans?

If they can make half a dozen variants on the Golf platform across their brands, surely they could make a cheaper T6 too?

Because then they wouldn’t sell as many T6’s, plus it would dilute the cache of owning a T6.

What they might do is badge engineer a MAN Transporter equivalent, but it’s not going to be cheaper.

Because then they wouldn’t sell as many T6’s, plus it would dilute the cache of owning a T6.

Why not the same thinking re. Golfs though?

Skodas VW Arteon perhaps?

BLAND.

I’ll have a Kawasaki Z-H2 please.