While the Škoda will speak of the ordinary Octavia as the fourth generation, the “scout” will be the third. No one was wrong, there is only a difference between the “third generation Octavia” and the “fourth generation Octavia in the Scout version”. The raised all-wheel drive station wagon first appeared in the second generation of this Mladá Boleslav bestseller, so I have the honor of its third version.
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The carmaker introduced it a few months ago, but journalists were given the opportunity to ride only now, even off the tarmac, albeit only briefly. Plastic coating, which looks nice, but worsens the approach angles on the bumpers a bit, so I won’t go into detail.
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The wooden decor of the dashboard is nicer to look at than to the touch.
Photo: Škoda
But I will stop indoors, more precisely at the dashboard. It is partly covered with alcantara and also got a wooden decor, which looks really beautiful. Unfortunately, the wood does not resemble a touch at all. There is no point in dealing with the rest again, the materials are valuable and the workmanship is durable – on a broken road, cobblestones or even on gravel you will not encounter creaking or squeaking.
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Despite the widely adjustable seats, however, due to the shape of the dashboard, I can’t find the right position behind the wheel as easily as in the previous generation Octavia. And of course all four places and the suitcase are pretty spacious.
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The front seats are comfortable to sit thanks to the wide range of seat settings.
Photo: Škoda
One interesting feature is worth mentioning – the central airbag, which the Octavia RS and Scout were the first to receive in the standard offer at the Volkswagen Group. In the event of a side impact, it unfolds between the driver’s and front passenger’s seats and prevents them from colliding with their heads. Otherwise, there is a standard army of driving assistants and guards, which is numerous depending on how deep you reach into your pocket.
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Only in the Czech Republic with an ATV…
The Octavia Scout will be available on the Czech market exclusively with all-wheel drive and automatic shifting, ie a DSG dual-clutch transmission. Versions with front-wheel drive and manual transmission will be available on the markets, especially in southern Europe. You will also receive a mild hybrid powertrain; According to the carmaker, the plug-in hybrid with the iV designation is not to be expected anywhere in Scout.
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The 200k turbodiesel is the top of the range.
With a small selector in the middle tunnel, I turn D, release the brake and the car starts moving with a slight increase in the speed of the 200-horsepower turbodiesel. Compared to the standard “sheep”, the chassis is increased by 15 mm to a total of 161, but compared to the RS, it is already 30 mm and behind the wheel you can see it.
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The driving performance is indistinguishable close to ordinary octavia, perhaps only with slightly larger inclinations in corners. However, I found a point where the adjustable suspension works great for most driving situations – in Individual mode, I placed the slider somewhere halfway between the center, ie the imaginary “Normal”, and the point indicating the “Comfort” setting.
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“Offroad” mode changes the car’s behavior for safer driving on unpaved surfaces.
Photo: Škoda
The ground clearance of 161 mm is ridiculous in the world of off-road vehicles, but the octavia scout also does not want to compete with real off-road vehicles – its goal is to manage field roads without any problems. And she is doing very well until you take a step at a speed greater than a step, on which the wheel falls quickly down. At such a moment, a real blow sounds.
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… Which worked
All-wheel drive also has a special behavior mode for driving off asphalt. When called up under the name “Offroad”, the system sends more torque to the rear wheels. This is especially noticeable when starting off, but not significantly, because the ATV starts off on asphalt in this way.
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Under full throttle, the scout willingly digs into the gravel for “all fours” at once. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity or the time to create it to get the car into a slightly more complicated situation – for example, to lighten the opposite wheels. At such a moment, the bread breaks.
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The Škoda Octavia Scout all-wheel drive system is shown in green. The wet multi-plate clutch, which ensures the connection of the rear axle and the amount of torque transmitted, is located at the rear differential.
Photo: Škoda
The delicious 200-horsepower turbodiesel under the hood is the same engine as the RS TDI. I can’t evaluate the consumption, because I only rode the scout for a very short time. However, I recognized the thrust of this engine, and it is powerful and very pleasant. There is a lot of torque at low and medium speeds, so overtaking is a matter of moments and pulling up to a two-ton trailer uphill will not be a problem either.
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He’s not just a poser
Just as the RS version can proudly boast the title of the flagship of the Škoda Octavia offer for more sporty drivers, the Scout is an excellent choice for those who need or just want to travel outside the safety of asphalt roads.
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He manages them with complete clarity, without this property being redeemed by any significant compromise in his ability to ride comfortably on asphalt.
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| Skoda Octavia Scout 2.0 TDI DSG | |
| Motor: |
1968 ccm, in-line diesel four-cylinder, turbo |
| Max. performance: |
147 kW (200 hp) at 3600-4100 rpm |
| Max. torque: |
400 Nm at 1750–3500 rpm |
| Transmission: |
seven-stage two-clutch |
| 0–100 km / h: |
6,8 s |
| Top speed: |
230 km / h |
| Average consumption according to WLTP: |
5.7-5.9 l / 100 km |
| Standby / maximum weight: |
1602-1766/2195 kg |
| Length x WIDTH X HEIGHT: |
4703 × 1829 × 1487 mm |
| Basic / maximum luggage volume: |
640/1700 l |
| Driven axle: |
4×4, electronically controlled multi-plate inter-axle clutch |
| Basic price of the model: |
CZK 533,900 (Octavia Combi 1.0 TSI 110 hp Active) |
| Basic version price: |
CZK 926,900 |
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