Large and silent, the electrified vice flagship of the Skoda, the Octavia Wagon plug-in, she is extremely polite. Not only is the passenger compartment almost “muffled”, but even those outside do not notice her presence. Tires have some merit, but hybrid power amplifies this feature. There declination iV of the family Octavia is credited with an electric mileage of up to 60 kilometers.
When the car is switched on, from the Volkswagen group car park in Verona, the on-board computer indicates 50. After 146 kilometers, between Lake Garda and Valpolicella, with some uphill stretches, several kilometers on fast roads and a few stops and restarts (those that favor battery recharging), the declared combined consumption is 3.3 liters per 100 kilometers (those declared in the Wltp mixed cycle are just over a liter, but the data, as for the homologation of each car, is valid for the first hundred). Of course, there is no longer a range with zero emissions and therefore the higher the distance, the higher the consumption.
Drivers can also decide to recharge the accumulator while traveling, in case they need to enter some center that requires zero-emission travel. This is an eventuality to be carefully evaluated because it inevitably pushes up consumption and operating costs. The supply via cable takes place at 80% in three hours and three quarters if the connection is to a 230 Volt scale (5 hours for 100%), while from a 3.6 kW wallbox it drops to 2 hours and 33 minutes (3 hours and 33).
The hybrid system is the same as the other hybrid models on tap of the group: it is based on the updated millequattro petrol turbo, the 150 Hp TSI, combined with the 85 kW (115 Hp) electric unit for a total of 205 Hp and 350 Nm of torque. The most powerful declination, offered on the RS variant, it reaches 245 Hp and 400 Nm of torque and basically depends only on the different software setting.
Even behind the wheel it is clear that in its “standard” version, the system can offer more, naturally at the expense of range (fuel consumption reaches 1.3 l / 100 km), but to the advantage of starting and top speed. The model tested reaches 100 per hour in 7.8 seconds against the 7.3 of the RS version, while the top speed oscillates between 220 and 225 per hour.
The rechargeable family car comes standard with the 6-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and it weighs more than the thermal declination, but being developed on the new platform it is lighter than a couple of quintals compared to the almost twin Passat. There nominal 13 kWh battery it is mounted under the luggage compartment and reduces its capacity by approximately 150 liters, starting from 490 and up to 1,555.
The important standard equipment, which includes both progressive steering and, for example, the 10 ” screen with 3D maps for the infotainment as well as various driver assistance systems, increases on-board comfort. Which is already very high. Virtually everything contributes to a feeling of extreme safety.
The car responds well, as does the engine, brilliant in every situation: the battery intervenes to support acceleration even when the on-board computer indicates that the electric range is exhausted. The changes are quick, if not lightning fast, but they are efficient. Precise cornering and, thanks to the progressive steering, also easy to maneuver in the most “demanding” conditions (parking and hairpin bends, for example), the Octavia Wagon iV has a comforting cue: it is dynamic and brilliant and offers elements to “have fun” at the steering wheel.
To enhance its dual soul, however, it should be guided taking into account its zero-emission potential and therefore take advantage of the battery, charged at the socket (and not running). The price list becomes affordable considering the national incentives, which in case of scrapping reach 6,500 euros.
SKODA OCTAVIA WAGON iV– the card
What is that: the Octavia Wagon iV is the plug-in version of the fourth generation of Skoda’s popular family car. With the letters “iV” the Bohemian manufacturer indicates the cars that have an electric mileage. The green offensive also includes the 48 Volt mild hybrid proposal and the methane (G-Tec) one. The latter has an overall range of almost 700 kilometers: provisional data speak of 690.
Dimensions: length 4,689 meters, width 1,829, height 1,477, wheelbase (2,680).
Rivals: Peugeot 508 SW Hybrid, Renault Mégane Sporter Plug-in Hybrid, Volkswagen Passat GTE, Seat Leon Sportstourer e-Hybrid
Engines: the Skoda Octavia Wagon iV is equipped with the tried and tested system of the group: 1.4-liter TSI engine coupled to an electric unit and a 13 kWh battery. On the iV it reaches an output of 205 hp and a torque of 350 Nm, while on the iV RS it reaches 245 and 500. The e-Tec variants, ie mild hybrid, are combined with the three-cylinder Evo 1.0-liter and four-cylinder TSI engines from 1.5. Both have the 48 Volt system and the 7-speed DSG transmission that allow the so-called “soaring” with a reduction in consumption up to 0.4 l / 100 km. The natural gas variant mounts the 1.5-liter 130 HP TSI: with 17.33 kg of methane it travels approximately 500 kilometers and the other 190 with 9 liters of petrol.
Advantages: driving dynamics, standard equipment, comfort
Defects: luggage compartment capacity (it loses about 150 liters compared to the version with heat engines), reflections of the windshield on the dashboard
Production: Mlada Moleslav (Czech Republic)
Prices: excluding incentives, the Skoda Octavia Wagon iV price list starts from 38,050 in the Executive trim level (42,800 for the top of the RS range in Style declination). The entry level e-Tec starts at 26,300 euros (Ambition sedan), while for the least expensive of the G-Tecs you need 29,350. For the entire range, the price range between sedan and estate is 1,050 euros.
