Family Car of the Year 2025: Skoda Octavia
The Skoda Octavia is the 2025 Auto Express Family Car of the Year, with the Citroen C4 and Dacia Jogger commended
What makes a great family car? Value, space, efficiency and choice – and the Skoda Octavia absolutely nails that brief. Available with petrol and diesel power, or as the sporty 261bhp vRS, the generously sized hatchback and estate offers something for everyone.
Few rivals can match the Octavia’s sheer space and usability. The hatch’s 600-litre boot – expandable to 1,555 litres – outclasses competitors’, while the roomy rear seats match even mid-sized SUVs for legroom. Skoda’s signature ‘Simply Clever’ features, such as integrated umbrellas, rear-seat USB-C ports (five in total!) and hidden storage solutions ensure family life on the move is organised and effortless.
To drive, the Octavia’s standout quality is its supple suspension, which delivers plenty of comfort. The updated engine range ditches plug-in hybrid power, but includes a smooth 1.5-litre petrol (also available as an efficiency-boosting mild hybrid) and an ultra-efficient 2.0-litre diesel, with plenty of low-down torque to get you sailing along.
Last year’s facelift brings higher-quality materials and a tech-focused cabin. Every model has a 13-inch touchscreen with wireless phone connectivity and charging, heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, plus keyless go.
And that’s not forgetting the five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating and a suite of safety features. Combining comfort, space, efficiency and thoughtful design, the Skoda Octavia remains the benchmark in its class – making it a thoroughly deserving winner of our 2025 Family Car of the Year award.
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Our choice
- Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI SE Technology (£27,845)
The entry-level Octavia has all the kit you need, down to its digital driver’s display and durable but classy ‘Loft’ cloth interior. The £27k base car gets a 114bhp petrol engine and a six-speed manual, or go for the punchy 148bhp diesel with its DSG transmission while you still can.
Commended
Citroen C4
The Citroen C4 is a very different proposition to the Octavia but it has similar virtues: bountiful space that belies its compact dimensions, keen prices and supreme comfort thanks to the French brand’s trick suspension. Buyers can pick from fuel-sipping mild-hybrid or all-electric power.
Dacia Jogger
Got a big family? Dacia’s Jogger is the cheapest seven-seater on the market, with prices starting a whisker beneath £19,000. That gets you a utilitarian but huge estate car with a choice of 108bhp petrol or 138bhp hybrid powertrains, officially good for up to 57mpg.
See all the winners...
Click on the gallery below to see all the winners of our 2025 New Car Awards...
You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2025 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more…
New Car Awards 2025: the winners
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Skoda Octavia
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