The Skoda Octavia Estate has made a big impression since its launch, with sharp yet unassuming looks, endless space and competitive pricing - making it a serious contender in its segment.

The official word is that it competes against models like the Volkswagen Golf Estate and Hyundai i30 Tourer. But it’s a weird one, because strictly speaking, when you consider its dimensions, it sits between segments - 10cm longer than a Golf Estate and 10cm shorter than a Passat Estate.

Excellent efficiency, great practicality and a host of standard kit will no doubt appeal to private buyers and businesses alike.

Performance

The highest-powered diesel in the range, as tested, is the 2.0-litre 148bhp unit, which hits 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds with a top speed of 134mph.

But despite the decent sprint time for this sizeable estate car, its performance seems disappointing for that figure. That’s only a smidgen slower than its 1.4-litre TSI petrol-engined sibling, at 8.5 seconds, yet the gap in sprightliness seems huge.

There’s a heaviness and, indeed, loudness to the engine which means this iteration of the generally brilliant Octavia Estate feels weighty and sluggish to drive around. The engine is particularly noisy in low gears, but becomes less apparent once at out-of-town speeds.

Many other petrol and diesel engines are available, with sizes ranging from 1.2- 2.2-litres and some versions offering four-wheel drive. Engines are mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six- or seven-speed DSG transmission.

Ride and Handling

Steering is well-weighted and there’s not much body roll, but it still feels far happier on a straightforward route than twisty out-of-the-way roads.

The Octavia Estate is geared towards comfort, which means it’s perfectly suited for rowdy families racking up the motorway miles on long road trips. Steering is well-weighted and there’s not much body roll, but it still feels far happier on a straightforward route than twisty out-of-the-way roads. That’s partly due to artificial steering - ensuring there’s little sense of what the front wheels are doing, which doesn’t inspire confidence when tackling those windy lanes.

Interior and Equipment

The premium flagship version of the Octavia Estate is named after Laurin & Klement, an old automotive manufacturer that was acquired by Skoda in 1925.

Most notably, the interior is cavernous for driver, passengers and a truck-load (almost) of luggage. The boot is 610 litres, extending to 1,740 litres with the rear seats down, which means it easily beats the space on offer in a Ford Mondeo Estate, which is a much bigger car overall. There’s also some handy features in the boot, such as retractable hooks to put shopping bags on, to stop things rolling around, and more space under the floor – and, wait - more space under that floor too. The cabin is also incredibly comfortable for its occupants and has well-designed controls, including a large and sharp touchscreen.  Standard kit is plentiful, with all models receiving Bluetooth, DAB digital radio, air-con, a leather-steering wheel, and a load of safety systems.

Cost

Skoda is no longer the cheap-as-chips proposition it once was, but, typically, you get a lot more for your pennies than on rival cars at similar prices.

The model we test drove, with the 2.0-litre 148bhp unit, offers official combined fuel economy of 67.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 110g/km. That isn’t bad when you consider its size. But then you discover that the 1.6-litre 104bhp diesel offers 74.3mpg and 99g/km, so leans towards making more sense. In the tested top-trim Elegance, this model costs £23,115 – Skoda is no longer the cheap-as-chips proposition it once was, but, typically, you get a lot more for your pennies than on rival cars at similar prices. The equivalent VW Golf Estate, the GT 2.0 TDI 150 5dr, costs £24,700, has emissions of 108g/km and identical fuel economy of 67.3mpg. Entry-point to the range is £17,115 (£18,525 for the base Golf), while leasing costs are less expensive than the Golf Estate. Residual values for the Skoda Octavia Estate are strong, while insurance should be competitive.

Our Verdict

The Skoda Octavia Estate is a very viable contender these days, combining impressive comfort, ample space and decent driving dynamics. Unless towing power is a priority, we’d opt for the lower-powered 1.6-litre diesel, while urban dwellers should seriously consider the petrol iterations. Businesses should opt for the 1.6 TDI 110 SE Business GreenLine III version, which emits just 85g/km of CO2 and its equipment is tailored to businesses and fleet drivers. The Octavia Estate certainly makes a strong case for itself against the likes of the Golf Estate. Customers looking for more space, for example, should go for the Skoda over the VW.