The Octavia, which has always shown itself with a low-key image, has undergone a “genetic mutation” on the fourth-generation model, not only changing the name to Octavia PRO, but also the exterior styling has become younger and sportier due to the introduction of the RS kit, and it has also been extended and upgraded for the domestic market, and the comprehensive product strength has been significantly improved. Compared with the surprise brought by the design level, can the new Octavia PRO continue the good tradition of the old model in terms of practicality? This issue of the “Daily Practical Test Report” will give you a detailed explanation.
Test vehicle: 2021 ŠKODA OCTAVIA PRO TSI280 DSG ULTI
Official guidance price: 157,900 yuan
1. Functional configuration test
All Octavia PRO models are equipped with a one-button start button as standard, except for the entry model, the front doors of other models are equipped with a keyless entry function, which supports inductive opening, and can be unlocked by carrying a smart key by reaching into the inside of the door handle, and touching the square recess on the outside of the door handle when locking the car. The actual unlocking and unlocking process is relatively smooth, and there is no failure or stuttering.
The exterior mirror adjustment is located on the driver’s side door, using the integrated knob + lever design, when using, first turn the knob to the side of the exterior mirror that needs to be adjusted, and then adjust it through the lever. The measured knob has a moderate damping feeling, clear gears, and a wide range of exterior mirror adjustments, which can fully meet the needs of drivers of different heights. In terms of functions, in addition to electric adjustment, the test model also provides electric folding, automatic folding of the lock and heating functions.
The switch on the engine compartment cover is located at the bottom left of the front of the driver’s seat, and when opening, you need to first flip the switch and then unlock the latch pin on the front end of the engine compartment cover from the outside of the car and lift it. The engine compartment cover of the Octavia PRO is supported by dual hydraulic rods, which makes the opening process easier, and the configuration performance has reached the mainstream level in its class.
Second, comfort configuration test link
The Octavia PRO is equipped with front power seats, lumbar support adjustment, and three-speed heating/ventilation function, which is better than similar models. The seat heating and ventilation functions need to be turned on through the air conditioning system in the center control screen, and the measured seat heating and cooling speed is fast and the comfort is satisfactory.
In the main driver’s seat test, the distance between the front and end of the Octavia PRO’s driver’s seat was 24.5cm, and the seat adjustment travel was moderate, which can meet the habits of the vast majority of drivers.
The multi-function steering wheel supports manual up and down + front and rear adjustment, the front and rear adjustment range is 6cm, the up and down adjustable angle is 10.3°, and the adjustable range is large.
The rear middle seat of the Octavia PRO is equipped with independent headrests, the overall size is not much different from the headrests on both sides, and it supports up and down adjustment, which can support and protect the heads of occupants of different heights, and the comfort performance is good.
The overall size of the central armrest box is moderate, while the flexibility is excellent, supporting up and down, as well as forward and backward adjustments, providing sufficient support for the elbows of drivers of different heights. The surface of the armrest box is wrapped in leather fabric, and the pillow comfort is good.
3. Multimedia testing
In addition to the entry-level model, the rest of the Octavia PRO models are equipped with a 12.1-inch central display, support touch operation, the multimedia system adopts the latest generation of Skoda’s intelligent car connection system, the UI design style is relatively simple, the functions are very rich, and the icon size of each functional module is large, and the daily operation is very convenient. The screen is divided into three areas from left to right, the left side displays the main information such as time and current running function, and integrates the “HOME” touch button; In the middle is the navigation menu bar, which can switch different functions; On the right side are the information display and main control interface. In terms of interaction, the sensing function can be triggered when the finger is close to the screen, and the Chinese logo will automatically appear under the icon of each function module, which has a strong sense of technology. However, during the actual measurement, the touch screen did not vibrate feedback, and the smoothness of the system also needed to be improved.
The radio is accessed by clicking on the “Multimedia” module in the application list, and then selecting the “Radio” icon in the middle navigation menu bar. The main interface of the radio defaults to the channel list page, which contains the station logo and Chinese name, which is convenient for users to find. The upper left corner provides an FM switching drop-down menu, which supports three types: FM, AM and online radio. The frequency band page supports cursor sliding, fast forward/rewind, and fine-tuning and other channel switching methods, and the favorite station needs to click the heart icon at the bottom right in the channel home page, but the channel home page opening method is more cumbersome, and it can be turned on by sliding on the right side under the band page, which is more troublesome for daily use.
The Octavia PRO has a total of 4 USB ports, of which the front USB interface is located in the storage compartment under the center console, and the rear USB interface is located under the rear air conditioning vent. It is worth mentioning that the front and rear USB interfaces are designed with a TYPE-C interface and USB interface, and we tested the voltage and current of the USB interface, of which the front USB interface voltage and current are 5.1V and 1.46A, and the rear USB interface voltage and current are 5.1V and 1.8A, in comparison, the charging efficiency of the rear USB interface is higher.
The Octavia PRO is equipped with AutoNavi and can be accessed by clicking on the “Navigation” module in the application list. After entering the navigation interface, the middle navigation menu bar provides a wealth of functions, including map display, find destination, route details, traffic information, etc., click the “magnifying glass” icon to start destination retrieval, the navigation system provides handwriting and pinyin two input methods, handwriting input font recognition rate is high, response speed is fast, and provides a number of similar words to choose from. When using the keyboard input, the virtual keys are displayed clearly in the form of a full keyboard part. However, during the test, we found that the destination association function is lacking, and sometimes it is necessary to enter more than two keywords to accurately associate the destination name, and there is some room for optimization.
After selecting a destination, detailed address information and map location information will be displayed, and you can click the heart icon below to save the address. After clicking the calculation icon to start navigation, the system will provide a variety of route options, and drivers can choose the most suitable plan according to their needs, and can also quickly select “Avoid highways and city speeds” and “Avoid toll roads” by clicking the menu icon below to further filter the schemes. The full LCD instrument cluster supports full-screen mapping navigation map and route guidance information, and the HUD head-up display function can also display vehicle speed, navigation route and other information, which is convenient for the driver to view.
Fourth, space configuration test link
As a space test that is closely related to consumers, in the previous test drive article “Reborn “Orange” Full of Satisfaction Test Drive Skoda Octavia PRO”, we have already experienced its seating space, and this time we will evaluate the same storage space and convenience in daily life.
The Octavia PRO provides 12 storage spaces (except for the cup holder), the front storage space layout is reasonable, the front door panel storage compartment is divided into spaces, and the independent water cup tank is designed; The main driver’s side provides a small storage compartment that can be opened to store small items such as cards and change; Under the center console, there is a special space for storing mobile phones, and it is equipped with wireless charging; The front cup holder adopts a large and a small design, but it is not equipped with a limit device inside, which cannot effectively fix the water cup or water bottle; There is also an open storage compartment designed behind the electronic handbrake in the central channel to place smart keys; The interior space of the central armrest box is decent; The glove compartment has a clever interior layout, with a small storage compartment and a separate pen holder.
Although the rear door panel storage compartment is slightly smaller, it can still easily accommodate a regular volume of water bottles; Storage pockets are provided behind the main and passenger seats; The cup holder is located on the rear center armrest, and there is also no limit device inside; There is also a small storage compartment under the rear air conditioning outlet to store personal items such as mobile phones.
The test model was equipped with an electric trunk and position memory, making it easy to open and close. The interior of the trunk is well organized, with a liftback opening tailgate and 4/6 ratio reclining rear seats, which provide excellent space practicality. According to the official data, the volume of the Octavia PRO trunk under normal conditions can reach 528L, and the volume can be expanded to 1482L after all the rear seats are folded down, which is eye-catching in the same class of models. For the daily requirements of the trunk, we also measured the width of the trunk opening of 106cm, the length of the opening is 108cm, the vertical height of the trunk floor and the interior roof is 80cm, and the depth of the trunk is 107cm.
5. Security configuration test
In the front and rear visibility test of the vehicle, all seats in the car have been adjusted to the lowest state, and the measured data has some deviations from the normal use of the driver, for reference only.
During the test front field of view, we used a 70 cm high pile barrel as a reference object, and then adjusted the distance until the upper edge of the pile barrel was visible in the main driver’s seat. After testing, the final measured data of the pile barrel and the front of the car was 260cm, ranking relatively low in the same class of models tested in the past, and there was a large blind spot in front.
In the rear vision test, the pile barrel is still fixed and then moved until the upper edge of the pile barrel can be observed, and the measured distance is 1550cm, which is the average of the same class.
When testing the field of view of the exterior mirror, first let the tester stand 10m vertically on the left and right mirrors, and then start to move to the left and right sides until the outermost edge of the rearview mirrors on both sides appears, and measure the lateral distance. The formula then calculates the angle of angle of view of the field of view of the rearview mirror. The larger the angle, the smaller the blind zone of the rearview mirror, and vice versa, the larger the blind zone of the rearview mirror.
The Octavia PRO’s exterior mirrors are both side mirrors with normal lenses, but due to the large exterior mirror area, the field of view is ideal. After adjusting the driving position, the viewing angle of the measured exterior mirrors was 32.6° on the left and 23.1° on the right, ranking among the best models in its class.
Octavia PRO is equipped with front and rear radars, in the radar induction test link, the reversing radar has a total of four segments, each distance interval is more uniform, easy for the driver to judge, the longest detection distance is 155cm, the detection distance is far, and the continuous beep prompt distance is 25cm. Referring to the experience of previous tests, the closer the continuous beeping stage is to 25cm, the closer it is to daily use habits. From the measured data, the Octavia PRO’s reversing radar continuously beeps at a distance of 25cm, which is fully in line with daily use habits.
The front radar is also divided into four segments, the farthest can sense the object in front at 120cm, the radar power performance is good, the continuous beep prompt distance is 32cm, and the experience value gap is large.
The Octavia PRO is equipped with a 360-degree panoramic image function, the image system display is clear, and 7 viewing angles are available for viewing. The imaging system is equipped with auxiliary lines for follow-up steering, which can provide the driver with a reference when reversing. In addition, when the steering wheel is turned in the rear view display mode, the rear camera automatically swings slightly to the sides to display a wider viewing angle image, improving parking safety.
In daily use, vehicles often encounter turns or turn around, and the minimum turning radius of the vehicle is very important. The minimum turning radius refers to the radius of the trajectory circle that the center of the outer steering wheel rolls over the support plane when the steering wheel turns to the limit position and the car turns at the lowest stable speed. The smaller the turning radius, the better the maneuverability of the car. Know the size of the minimum turning radius of your car, and be able to have a clear idea when the vehicle turns or turns around, so as to avoid scratching and other situations. The Octavia PRO’s turning radius is 5.05m, which is at the lower middle level of the same class models tested, and sufficient margin is required to complete the U-turn on conventional roads.
The Octavia PRO is equipped with interior handles above all four doors. The in-car handle is necessary for people with reduced mobility, and it also has a certain auxiliary effect on the safety of passengers on bumpy roads.
Sixth, the practical highlight configuration
1. Navigation classification for quick retrieval
The Octavia PRO’s navigation system provides a quick search function for categories, which can quickly find nearby parking lots, gas stations, banks, restaurants, hotels, and dealers, providing convenience for daily use of the car. The measured search accuracy is good, and the detailed screening function is also provided in each category, and the practicality performance is very satisfactory.
2. Liftgate tailgate
The Octavia PRO adopts the classic liftgate design of the Skoda family, which has a larger trunk opening area than the traditional sedan, which is convenient for handling some large luggage items. In combination with the electric trunk, it is very convenient for daily use and practical in space.
Summary:
The new Octavia PRO not only continues the excellent performance of the old Octavia in space design, but also further strengthens its position in practicality through configuration upgrades. The power trunk completes the functionality of the liftgate and makes everyday use more convenient. The latest version of the multimedia system interface style is fresh, the internal functions are very complete, in addition to the mainstream Internet and navigation, but also added classification and fast retrieval function, the use experience is better. In addition, the Octavia PRO also performs well in terms of exterior mirror visibility on both sides and reversing images. Overall, the performance of the Octavia PRO in this practicality test has reached the mainstream level of models in its class, and consumers who pay attention to storage space and the convenience of using the trunk can focus on it.
