Skoda Octavia Scout

By Jack Rix

August 2009

• Rating:
• Latest deal price: from £11,244 to £22,378

Here’s a Scout that can wear its badge with pride! Following in the tracks of the Audi A4 Allroad and Saab 9-3X, Skoda is meeting the demand for cars that bridge the gap between estate and full-blown SUV.

But can this facelifted version of the Octavia Scout, which first went on sale in 2007, rise above the competition?

The most obvious difference between this and the two-wheel-drive Octavia is a 65mm increase in ride height, plus the addition of four-wheel drive and tougher looking body protection. The latter boosts the length and width by 12 and 15mm respectively.

Aluminium scuff plates, plastic cladding and the jacked-up stance certainly mark the Scout out from its more discreet brother, and give it plenty of road presence. Updates include a new grille, sleeker lights and body-coloured mouldings – pulling the car into line with the rest of the refreshed Octavia range.

From inside, the extra height is barely perceptible – the Scout doesn’t have the commanding driving position of a full SUV. But the rough-and-ready theme continues with a chunky grab handle above the glovebox. Otherwise, there are redesigned seats plus new-look dials, and the same superb 1,620-litre load area with the bench folded.

On the move, the taller stance gives a subtle increase in ride comfort, but less body control in bends. The Haldex 4WD system can send up to 98 per cent of the engine’s torque to the axle with most grip. It works brilliantly, giving superb dry adhesion.

We drove the sprightly and smooth 160bhp 1.8 TSI. And with an impressive return of 36.2mpg, it’s hard to justify the slower and £1,780 more costly 140bhp 2.0 TDI, which offers only an extra 7.9mpg combined. Overall, the Scout is far from being a fully fledged SUV. But it is a very capable and practical family estate.

And if you don’t want or need an SUV, the Skoda is certainly well worth a look.

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