• Nicely trimmed, excellent fit and finish
• Class-leading tech and displays
• Infotainment not perfect in use

How is the quality and layout?

The cabin of the Skoda Octavia Estate feels comfortably familiar, much of its tech being shared with the latest VW Golf and other Volkswagen Group cars. The dashboard is, of course, dominated by the infotainment system display which has been enlarged to 13 inches in the facelift.

Pretty much all the cars features and functions are controlled via the screen; a row of buttons below it includes a helpful shortcut to the climate control menu. The unusual two-spoke steering wheel also houses controls for various features. All in all, it’s a much more user-friendly layout than a lot of rivals, such as the aforementioned Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus Estate.

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Most of the surfaces you touch regularly are made from reasonable high quality materials. There are some cheaper plastics in places, but everything is fitted together very well. The facelift brought in more sustainable materials and a new dark chrome finish instead of shiny chrome, and a broader choice of other trim details.

Infotainment and tech

Every Octavia Estate has a touchscreen infotainment system that occupies a lot of dashboard real estate. It’s now 13 inches across, up from 10 inches in pre-facelift models. The new screen has faster software for snappier responses and the interface is easier to use. You can still get a bit lost in the menus but it’s easy to hook up your phone via Bluebooth, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the connection establishes within seconds of turning the car on. It’s a big improvement on the old system.

Every model also has a 10-inch digital instrument display. It can be customised with a choice of screen styles that show varying amounts of information, which can be tailored to personal preference. It’s all controlled via the steering wheel and reasonably straightforward once you’ve got your head around it, but probably best to set things up before you start driving. Though we actually found ourselves largely leaving it in the default mode.

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Facelift Octavia Estates also have a 15W wireless phone charger – three times more powerful than before. The box is also cooled to reduce the chances of your phone over-heating. It seems to be a bit fussy about phone cases, but was happy enough to charge a phone with one fitted eventually.

Comfort

• Ergonomically comfortable front seats
• Three-zone climate control available
• Still a bit of road noise

Comfort has always been a high priority for the Octavia, and the latest Estate continues the tradition. The standard seats are supportive and attractively designed, but further up the range you’ll find electric adjustment (including lumbar support) and the option of heating, cooling and massaging functions. There are some intricate finishes, too, particularly the diamond stitched upholstery in the Sportline.

Three-zone climate control is available as an option, so all passengers can set a temperature they want without affecting others. The Octavia’s interior is reasonably quiet, the latest versions suffering more from slightly raucous engines than road or wind noise. You can mitigate that issue by driving gently, or opting for the DSG automatic transmission, which favours the most efficient – and quietest – gear.

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