Skoda Octavia - Boot space, comfort & practicality

The Skoda Octavia has traditionally been one of the more practical cars in its class, and this latest version is still extremely roomy, even if there are some similarly sized electric vehicles and SUVs that offer comparable or better rear-seat accommodation. Factor in the Octavia’s gigantic boot, and few other models at this price point can compete with the space this Skoda offers.

​​No new Skoda would be complete without a range of the brand’s ‘Simply Clever’ items. Some familiar features have been updated; the umbrella mounted in the driver’s door and the ice scraper/tyre-tread depth gauge stored in the fuel filler flap are now made from more sustainable materials. Other features include a ticket holder on the driver’s side A-pillar and a handy AdBlue nozzle for diesel-powered cars all make life just that bit easier.

A new addition is the optional storage box; it comes as part of the £250 Family Package on SE L models and above, and brings a small storage area that sits between the centre console and the rear-seat bench. 

There’s plenty of storage in the cabin without this, though, with the individual door bins capable of holding a 1.5-litre drinks bottle and the front central ‘jumbo box’ also available for keeping assorted items.

There are five USB-C ports in the Octavia – two in the centre console, two in the rear, and a final charging port in the rear-view mirror for those who want to hook up a dash camera.

Dimensions and size

The fourth-generation Octavia has a larger footprint than the previous model, and the facelift hasn’t changed this, with the hatchback being 19mm longer and the estate growing 22mm in length when compared with the Mk3. Both cars are 15mm wider, too. 

The overall dimensions for the Octavia hatch are 4,698mm (length), 1,829mm (width, excluding mirrors), and 1,470mm (height). In comparison, the Volkswagen Golf is smaller at 4,396mm long and 1,789mm wide (excluding mirrors), although it stands a touch taller at 1,491mm.

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How practical is the Skoda Octavia?

Seats & space in the front

The driver’s seat and steering wheel feature a wide range of adjustments, making it easy for a huge variety of body types to get comfortable. Also helping on the comfort front are the seats themselves; they’re approved by the independent German organisation AGR, which promotes back health.

A deep cubby beneath the centre armrest, huge door bins and a pair of cup-holders hidden beneath a sliding cover all contribute to a driver’s environment loaded with useful storage spaces.

Seats & space in the back

Rear kneeroom is fairly impressive by the standard of this class, rivalling even some taller SUV-based family models such as the Nissan Qashqai, if not delivering quite as much as the likes of the Volkswagen ID.3, whose dedicated electric platform has created more space for people on a smaller footprint. 

The centre seat is wide and soft, but taller passengers on each side will find that the way the roofline curves inwards at the sides compromises headroom ever so slightly.

Boot space 

At 600 litres, the Octavia has the largest boot in its class by some margin. But the load bay isn’t just big, it has some useful features, too. Beyond a couple of bag hooks, there are also levers in the luggage area so that the rear seats can be easily folded down. 

Unlike some rivals, including the VW Golf, the Octavia hatchback doesn’t have a split-level load floor like you’ll find in some versions of the estate, which means that when those back seats are dropped, there’s quite a significant step left in the boot. Still, the Octavia offers a gigantic 1,555 litres of luggage space. 

Another small gripe is that the load lip is quite high when compared with some rivals. So even though there’s lots of space, getting the items on board is more awkward than it could be. The Skoda Octavia Estate addresses this with a variable height boot floor in SE L trim and above that removes the awkward loading lip. It also boasts a huge 640-litre load capacity with all five seats in place, and 1,700 litres of cargo space when you fold the rear seats down.

Towing

The Octavia’s practical appeal continues with its decent towing capability. The entry-level 1.5 TSI has a braked trailer towing capacity of 1,300kg, while the more powerful 1.5 TSI 150 and the vRS have a maximum towing weight of 1,500kg. The 2.0 TDI 150 has the greatest towing capacity in the range of 1,600kg.