• Functional but not very exciting
• Easy to use controls
• Tight panel gaps and solid construction

All in all the Octavia’s cabin is a very agreeable place to be, although it could perhaps do with a bit more character. Bottom line really is the Octavia’s interior is functional but lacking flair – stylistically at least – and it looked dated by the time the last models of this generation were produced.

The dashboard’s clean and crisp design complements the exterior. Fit and finish both feel excellent, and while it’s not the most stirring of interiors to sit in it’s all very logically laid out and comfortable.

This clean and simple design approach extends to the dials, which have a very legible design. An 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, available in different sizes depending on trim, sits in the middle of the dashboard and is familiar from other VW Group products.

There’s a larger 9.2-inch unit which is an option worth looking for if you don’t plan to fit an aftermarket system. On later Octavias the dials can be swapped for a 10.25-inch digital set up.

The vRS has a few sports-car touches to lift the generally dark cabin trim. Carbon fibre style trim, and red stitching. The steering wheel is a curious mix of round and flat-bottomed, and whether it works for you may come down to personal taste.

Comfort

• Mostly very good but some caveats
• Adaptive dampers add another dimension
• vRS on big wheels rides quite firmly

Skoda Octavia Estate comfort levels are very good. The engines are quiet to the point of being outweighed by wind noise on dual carriageways and the leather and Alcantara-trimmed seats are supremely comfortable.

The ride quality really is quite impressively silky even on rough roads, although cars with larger wheels are very comfortable for the most part, but can judder slightly over rippled surfaces on dual-carriageways. These also suffer from a bit more road noise than we’d like.

The Dynamic Chassis Control option has a fairly low uptake but transforms the Octavia into a very comfortable thing at one end – the chassis is supple over undulating terrain, but with a firmer edge just a button press away. On standard suspension and 19-inch wheels the vRS is feels firmer than the standard car, but if you invest in the DCC option and smaller 18-inch wheels it can offer the same comfort as the rest of the Octavia range.

The driving position is ideal – with enough flexibility for taller drivers to set a suitably low position if desired. Supportive, yet squashy seats resist backache, and the DSG automatic gearbox is made more appealing by footwells wide enough to let you rest your left leg on longer drives.