Skoda Octavia review

There’s buckets of front space in the Octavia; a very tall driver will certainly be able to get comfortable and the interior feels more spacious than most rivals. Storage is very good, too. The door pockets are big enough to hold a 750ml bottle and the glovebox is a practical size. Behind the gearstick are two cupholders that will hold a large takeaway mug and, thanks to a special grip, allow you to open a bottle of water one-handed.

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Skoda’s so-called Simply Clever package is a worthwhile and reasonably priced option and adds convenience extras including a removable phone holder that sits in one of the cupholders and a lidded waste bin that fixes into a front door pocket. SE models and above also get a central armrest that doubles up as extra storage space.

The Octavia has the best rear space of any family hatch bar the Ford Focus, which matches it for leg room. Behind a tall driver with their seat pushed back, even a long-legged rear passenger will be able to lounge in comfort. There’s loads of head and elbow room, too; even more than there is in the Focus, in fact. Unfortunately, the middle rear occupant has no choice but to straddle the car’s large raised central tunnel. At least with generous under-seat foot space, there’s plenty of room for their feet, and the Octavia is still one of the more comfortable cars in the class for carrying three rear passengers.

A central armrest with two cupholders is an optional extra on SE models, but standard on SE L and upwards.

Document pockets on the backs of the front seats are standard and the deep door pockets are roomy enough to hold a 1.0-litre drinks bottle. Skoda's inexpensive Simply Clever package also provides tablet holders for the enjoyment of the rear passengers – and perhaps you, if that means the kids are occupied.

The Octavia’s seating flexibility is fairly conventional. Levers on the top of the rear backrests release the 60/40 split-folding seats, although for added convenience you can opt for a second set of levers placed handily just inside the tailgate opening.

All but entry-level cars get a height-adjustable passenger seat with lumbar adjustment. A fold-flat passenger seat is a well-priced option but on only SE models; it will allow you to carry seriously long items if you need to.

The Octavia’s huge boot is a big selling point. Despite its sloping lid, it’s as tall as the boots in most squared-off hatches, such as the Focus or Volkswagen Golf, but much, much longer. So long that it can fit 11 carry-on suitcases, while most cars in the class fit around five.

It also has neat touches, such as Velcro restraints that are clipped neatly to the side of the boot; when you want to prevent items from shooting around, you simply unclip them and stick them to the boot floor to lock an item in place. You can also add various practical add-ons, including a double-sided boot floor, which has carpet on one side and a washable rubber surface on the other to dump muddy boots on, as well as various boot nets and dividers.

You can't add a height-adjustable boot floor, though. Not only does that mean you cannot create a separate compartment, but there's also nothing to level out the sizeable step left in the floor when you fold down the rear seats.