Skoda Octavia SE L Hatch

A new model is cause for both excitement and trepidation, finds Charlie Flindt. Would the Octavia remain endearingly practical or veer towards fripperies and pretention?

- Charlie Flindt

FOR dedicated Octavia-lovers like me, the launch of a brand-new model is a moment of high excitement and anticipation. What have they done to it? Will it still be the benchmark in no-nonsense and practical motoring or has it gone all la-dida? The answer is ‘a bit of both’.

First impressions, as you look at the outside, are that it’s immediately recognisable as an Octavia. However, styling tweaks have been made, such as narrowing the headlights to a more dramatic and aggressive front end. Why this is considered to be a good thing baffles me.

The inside has the same feel: similar but different. The driving position is excellent but the view out feels slightly poorer past thick pillars – and the hatchback styling does little to help. It’s a huge shame that the dashboard has gone digital – it took ages to find a display featuring speedo and tacho – and even sadder that the handbrake and the starter are now push button; it’s the way of the world, although I’ve never come across a single advantage to either of them.