2024 Skoda Octavia Sportline review

Passenger cars may not be as popular as they once were in Australia, but the Skoda Octavia is as important as ever for the Czech brand.

As SUVs and utes continue to strengthen their hold on the Australian new car market, it’s easy to forget sedans and wagons like the Octavia exist. Such is the decline that most other brands are withdrawing from the larger passenger segments.

But not Skoda. It has just added a new variant of the Octavia called the Sportline, previously promised years ago but only arriving as part of the MY24 range that continues to go without the price-leading base Ambition grade and instead bolsters the existing Style and RS with this new starter here.

Priced identically to the comfort-focused Style, the 2024 Skoda Octavia Sportline has some proper changes that go beyond just black packs and body kits. There’s revised suspension, new upholsteries, sportier seats, as well as selectable drive modes and paddleshifters for a more dynamic experience.

That’s all on top of the segment-busting practicality the Octavia has made a name for itself with, available in both liftback and wagon body styles – #SaveTheWagons!

We joined the Skoda Brand Day which also included drives of the Kamiq Run-Out and Karoq ‘Entry’ models, both of which have already been reviewed and are now live on CarExpert.

So did Skoda save the best for last in the Octavia Sportline? Read on to find out.

How much does the Skoda Octavia cost?

The 2024 Skoda Octavia Sportline is aligned in pricing with the Style, meaning the Liftback is $42,490 drive-away and the Wagon $43,990 drive-away.

Skoda is also plugging its Skoda Choice finance offer, which for the Octavia Sportline is $114 per week (Liftback) at a 6.99 per cent p.a. standard rate over a 60-month term with 20 per cent deposit. It also includes a Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) of $13,086 at the end of the finance period.

2024 Skoda Octavia pricing:

Liftback

• 2024 Skoda Octavia Style: $42,490
• 2024 Skoda Octavia Sportline: $42,490
• 2024 Skoda Octavia RS: $56,990

Wagon

• 2024 Skoda Octavia Style: $43,990
• 2024 Skoda Octavia Sportline: $43,990
• 2024 Skoda Octavia RS: $58,490

Prices are drive-away

To see how the Octavia lines up with the competition, check out our comparisons tool.

What is the Skoda Octavia like on the inside?

Much like VW’s R-Line products, the Skoda Sportline formula rings true here with different trimmings and textures to really drive home that more sporting feel.

Where the Style has a lighter grey colourway and the option of leather if you wish, the Sportline goes for a very dark theme with suede accents and sports cloth trim.

The front seats are sports comfort units with integrated headrests, while the dashboard picks up a matching sports cloth insert with contrast stitching. A gloss black trim insert also adorns the dashboard.

It’s otherwise fairly familiar if you’ve ever sat in the new Octavia. The Sportline picks up a three-spoke sports steering wheel with perforated leather trim and paddle shifters over the Style, but otherwise the overall ergonomics and switchgear are the same, as are the digital displays for the instrument cluster and central infotainment system.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit display that offers various layouts and widgets to keep the information you want and need ahead of you, while the central 10-inch touchscreen is kitted out with satellite navigation as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

As we’ve found in reviews past, the latest iteration of the VW Group’s infotainment software – particularly for the MQB evo and MEB products – has slowly gotten better with time.

Yes, the non-backlit temperature sliders and the touch-heavy controls in general take some getting used to, and there aren’t as many permanent shortcuts in Skoda’s version of the interface as say, Cupra’s. But, after connecting my phone wirelessly and setting the preferred temperature, it was pretty easy to set and forget.

There were no glitches or dropouts during my time with the Octavia, and I appreciated the adjustability of the Virtual Cockpit given not all brands get it right – though VW Group have been a benchmark for some time.

Unfortunately you don’t get connected services still in Australia, and to get DAB+ radio you need to add the $3200 Premium Pack which also brings the full driver assist suite (Emergency Assist, Adaptive Lane Guidance) as well as convenience features like power adjustable, heated front seats and heated outboard rear seats.

Storage is also a strong point in Skodas, with the Octavia supplying a litany of solutions to store things; right down to the little bin in the door pocket as well as a pull-out umbrella in the driver’s door. Simply, clever – teehee.

The second row is also standout, given the Octavia somewhat straddles the medium and large passenger classes despite being based on what is a compact vehicle platform.

Even for those over six-feet tall you’ll find knee and leg room excellent in the rear, and for two adults in the rear accommodation is nigh on palatial. It’s easily more spacious outright than a Mazda 6 or Toyota Camry, and if you opt for the Octavia Wagon, the higher roofline gives SUV-like headspace too – though the Liftback is still generous.

There’s a prominent driveline hump in the middle but the wide footwells mean carrying three abreast in the rear won’t necessarily be equated to drawing the short straw, and like the front seat there’s plenty of clever practicality touches.

There are big door bins, directional air vents, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, ISOFIX points and top tethers. Want more? Opt for the Premium Pack ($3200) and you get heated outboard seats, and a third zone of climate control.

You also get a nifty iPad holder that clips into the rear cupholders – if your kids need a stable spot to rest their device, or you’re perhaps working in the back seat, this is genius.

The positive sentiment carries through to the cargo area, where the Octavia remains a benchmark. Skoda quotes 600 litres of space for the Liftback and 640 litres for the Wagon with all five seats in use, expanding to a colossal 1555 litres and 1700 litres, respectively, with them folded.

For reference, a Camry quotes 524L while the Mazda 6 quotes 474L and 506L for the Sedan and Wagon, respectively.

Under the boot floor is a space saver spare wheel.

What’s under the bonnet?

While it plugs the gap somewhat between the Style and RS, the Sportline retains the standard engine in the Octavia lineup in Australia.

Our indicated fuel economy return was based on an extended drive from the NSW South Coast back to Sydney, which included plenty of highway and freeway driving through hilly terrain, as well as some more urban sections as we approached our destination.

To see how the Octavia lines up with the competition, check out our comparisons tool.

How does the Skoda Octavia drive?

Despite the Sportline badging and 15mm lower sports suspension, the Octavia retains a level of comfort and compliance that makes this new trim level a great all-rounder.

Having hopped out of the base Karoq before this, which uses the same engine, it’s surprising how much of a different character the Octavia Sportline possesses compared to its SUV-bodied stablemate.

We only drove the Liftback on launch, but can vouch for the Octavia Sportline’s improved sharpness without really sacrificing comfort. If anything, this has the favourable chassis setup compared to the Style.

The reduced ride height and firmer damping makes the Octavia feel slightly more dialled in than I remember of the standard car, and has a nice balanced feel that makes it responsive without it being too darty or firm.

You can also play around with the drive modes – i.e. Eco, Comfort and Sport – to tailor powertrain and steering response to suit the driving conditions.

Even with fairly modest outputs of 110kW and 250Nm, the base 1.4 TSI petrol engine offers punchy response thanks to its low-down torque, and the Aisin-sourced eight-speed automatic does a good job at keeping the motor on the boil.

Skoda claims a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds, but I reckon once you’re rolling and plant your right foot up an incline or winding pass it feels stronger than the numbers suggest.

While not as snappy or Euro-feeling as the seven-speed DSG offered in other markets with a newer 1.5 TSI, the Aus-spec Octavia drivetrain does the job well and puts naturally aspirated and hybrid-powered rivals in the shade for overall performance and dynamism.

Even the paddleshifters work well, with snappy response to both upshifts and downshifts.

Don’t get lulled into thinking this is some RS-lite, however. If this had the 140kW 2.0 TSI originally earmarked for this variant a few years back, it could have been quite a sweet mid point, but the 110kW is still best driven more gently.

Out on the highway the Octavia impresses with its settled ride, confident road-holding, and decent insulation from road and wind noise.

We spent nearly two hours driving to Sydney from Shoalhaven Heads on the south coast via the Princes Hwy (A1), and the Skoda just ate up the miles as good as most vehicles in the class.

The steering feel is light but accurate and responsive both on the straight ahead as well as the twisties. It’s still geared more to comfort and manoeuvrability than outright sportiness and engagement, but that’s just fine here.

On the assistance front, the Octavia isn’t quite decked out at this end of the range compared to a similarly priced Volkswagen Golf, let alone some key segment rivals.

You do get standard adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and Side Assist – VW-speak for blind-spot and rear cross-traffic monitors – but to get semi-autonomous highway cruising and Traffic Jam Assist you need to spend extra on optional packs.

That said, the Octavia still covers the basics and the systems themselves are some of the more intuitive in real-world scenarios.

Props to Skoda for including swish Matrix LED headlights as standard, which in past experience with the Octavia have been excellent in poorly-lit nighttime conditions.

What do you get?

Despite being identically priced to the more comfort-leaning Octavia Style, the Sportline’s spec sheet either builds on the Style with more athletic appointments, or substitutes existing trimmings for sportier ones.

Octavia Style highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Space-saver spare wheel
• Matrix LED headlights
• LED fog lights with cornering function
• LED tail lights
• LED puddle lights
• Rain-sensing window wipers
• Privacy glass
• Chrome window frame surrounds
• Silver roof rails (wagon only)
• Power tailgate with hands-free opening
• Electric, heated and power-folding side mirrors
• 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster
• 10.0-inch ‘Columbus’ infotainment system
• Satellite navigation
• Two USB-C ports
• Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• 8-speaker sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• Keyless entry and push-button start
• Dual-zone climate control
• LED ambient interior lighting
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Paddle shifters
• Rear door window sunshades
• Shift-by-wire gear selector
• Electric park brake
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Fabric upholstery
• Power child locks
• Auto-dimming mirrors

Octavia Sportline adds:

• Sports suspension (-15mm)
• Gloss black exterior accents
  • Front grille
  • Side mirrors
  • Badging
  • Rear spoiler (Liftback)
  • Roof rails (Wagon)
• Rear diffuser
• Dual exhaust trims
• Front spoiler
• Matte black window trim
• Sportline front guard badging
• Three-spoke flat-bottom perforated leather steering wheel
• Paddleshifters
• Sports comfort front seats incl. integrated headrests
• Aluminium pedals
• Black headliner, pillar trim
• Drive Mode Select (Eco, Normal, Sport)

Options

Two main options are available depending on body style.

Premium Pack: $3200

• Emergency Assist
• Adaptive Lane Guidance
• DAB+ radio
• Power front seats
• Heated front, rear seats
• 3-zone climate control
• Additional USB-C ports

Panoramic sunroof: $1900 (Wagon)

Is the Skoda Octavia safe?

The Skoda Octavia has a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on tests conducted by Euro NCAP in 2019.

It scored 92 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 73 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 79 per cent for safety assist.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 8 airbags incl. front-centre
• Adaptive cruise control
  • incl. Follow to Stop
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
  • Forward, Reverse
• Driver fatigue monitoring
• Lane Assist
  • Lane departure warning
  • Lane keep assist
• Parking sensors front, rear
• Reversing camera
• Side Assist
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Exit warning
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Luxury Pack (Style), Premium Pack (Sportline) adds:

• Emergency Assist
• Lane Assist incl. Adaptive Lane Guidance

Octavia RS adds:

• 10 airbags
  • adds rear-side thorax airbags
• Adaptive cruise control
  • Stop & Go
  • Traffic Jam Assist
• Crew Protect Assist
• Lane Assist incl. Adaptive Lane Guidance

How much does the Skoda Octavia cost to run?

The Octavia, like the wider Skoda range, is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first. Skoda Australia currently offers five- and seven-year service packages. They cost $2450 and $2750, respectively, for the Octavia 1.4 TSI.

That’s less than $500 a year on average, which is pretty competitive with most Asian competitors, with the exception of Honda and Toyota.

CarExpert’s Take on the Skoda Octavia

The Octavia ended up being my favourite drive of the Skoda Brand Day.

Starting with an already solid base with the standard car, the Sportline dials in a little extra spice in the chassis and handling to make this mid-tier offering an enticing choice for those wanting heaps of space without an SUV body.

It’s now one of the only remaining wagon options in the mid-size segment, beating out physically larger vehicles in terms of second-row and boot space. Plus, Skoda’s practical touches are thoughtful additions that some brands simply overlook.

Despite being a turbocharged petrol engine, the Octavia Sportline is surprisingly thrifty too. On the freeway this should come close to a Camry Hybrid in terms of fuel economy, and it goes with a bit of zest to boot.

For $42,490 drive-away (or $43,990 as a Wagon), the Octavia makes a lot of mid-size SUVs seem like poor value, even Skoda’s own Karoq to an extent. If family-friendly practicality is a key priority, you’d be silly to look past the Skoda.

Even with the Premium Pack for an additional $3200, you’re spending less than RAV4 GXL Hybrid money for a practical Liftback or Wagon with kit levels closer to a Cruiser, for example. Even a Mazda CX-5 or Kia Sportage seems expensive by comparison.

But alas, my pragmatic brain – and the sentiment of most other journalists – isn’t enough to sway Australian buyers from SUV and crossovers in significant numbers. No matter how hard the Octavia tries, it’ll never have the raised ride height or chunky proportions of the in-vogue body type.

If you’re one to go against the grain, however, there’s little else for this kind of money that will do as good a job.

I’ll take an Octavia Sportline Wagon in Race Blue, pretty please…

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