Skoda Octavia Scout Review

The Skoda Octavia Scout has carved out a very nice niche for itself. Based on the Skoda Octavia Estate, it gets four-wheel drive, chunky bumpers and a raised ride height, so it's no surprise it has proved popular, particularly among the towing fraternity. And the latest Octavia Scout looks to build on the strength of its predecessor with more space, better fuel economy and an improved towing capacity.

Some things remain the same though and that includes a competitive price tag. The Octavia Scout started at around £25,000 when it was new and had few direct competitors - in fact most came from within the Volkswagen Group collective. There's the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, which cost more than £29,000, or the Audi A4 Allroad which started at more than £32k.

While the Skoda badge may not yet have the prestige of its counterparts, it certainly has all the qualities. Like the Octavia Estate, a car we've been mightily impressed by, the Scout is solidly built and has a high quality feel to it. Admittedly, it's not the most dynamic of designs, but the Scout extras such as the underbody guards, roof rails, wheel arch claddings and chunky bumpers certainly add to the outdoorsy and rugged appearance.

Of course you can get an Octavia Estate 4x4 and the Scout was considerably more expensive when new - around £2500 compared to an SE trim. But the changes are more than just cosmetic. Along with a raised ride height that's 33mm higher, the Scout gets a rough-road package that includes extra shielding for the brake lines and fuel pipes to protect them over rough ground. There are also unique 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels with 225/50 R17 tyres.

Of course being an Octavia there is plenty of storage with large door pockets that can accommodate drinks bottles and a large centre cubby under the armrest.

Like the Octavia Estate there's plenty of room too, with impressive space for rear passengers, particularly in terms of leg room while the 610-litre boot has a wide opening and a low load lip, plus you can flip the rear seats down in one go by pulling on a lever in the cargo area.

It's no vRS, but fitted with the more powerful 2.0 TDI 184PS engine the Scout gives strong performance, helped in no small part by the 380Nm of torque. It comes exclusively with the a six-speed DSG gearbox which provides smooth and rapid changes, although it can be a little slow to respond when gently pulling away from a standstill. 

There have been numerous problems with twin clutch DSG gearboxes in the past so we have reservations about recommending this, particularly if you plan on keeping the car for several years.

If you want a standard manual there's the same 2.0 TDI but with 150PS. It has marginally less torque at 340Nm but in everyday driving there is very little to choose between the two. On the move the 150PS TDI is still as strong and equally as refined, even when revved hard, which there's no real need to do, as all the torque peaks from 1750rpm. It's also more than £2500 cheaper than the 184PS yet still has the same 2000kg braked towing capacity - up from 1600kg in the previous Scout.

Officially, it'll return up to 55.4mpg.

Scout models also come equipped with a rough road package that delivers increased protection for the underside of the vehicle along with lane assist, heated front seats and heated multifunction steering wheel.