It might be hard to believe, but the 1.5 TSI which Volkswagen launched on the Golf about two years ago took until last month to be added to the Skoda Octavia range. We know that many people were fans of its predecessor, the 1.4 TSI, and the change can only be an improvement.
The 1.5 TSI is still an inline-4 engine with a turbocharger but has been designed to emit fewer greenhouse gasses. More specifically, it now features cylinder deactivation (Cylinder On Demand) and a variable geometry turbocharger which is said to reduce consumption and improve response times.
VW Group's smaller engines don't have the best reputation when it comes to long-term reliability. But if we remember correctly, it was Skoda that fixed the 1.4 TSI twin-charger about a decade ago. Still, people who plan to keep this version of the Octavia more than 200,000km probably with it didn't have complex systems that can break down.
Performance isn't bad though. With 150 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque, this tester vehicle manages to reach 100 km/h in 8 seconds flat. That's 0.3 of a second faster than officially. The trick here is lightness because, at 1.3 tons, the ordinary Octavia is over 100 kg lighter than an RS due to its more straightforward rear suspension setup.
While we're talking numbers, the 1.5 TSI+DSG combo gives you a top speed of 22 km/h. It returns 5.0 l/100km according to the normal driving cycle or 6.0 l/100km combined on the more realistic WLTP system. Tempted? You can have one from €25,000 with a manual or €26,780 with DSG. That's €2,500 cheaper than the 150 horsepower 2.0 TDI, in case you're wondering.
Also new for 2019 is a 2.0 TSI. At 190 HP and 320 Nm of torque, it's got more performance than its predecessor, the 1.8. The 0 to 100 km/h sprint is dealt with in 7.3 seconds, making this ordinary Octavia faster than the Octavia RS TDI. Skoda has also added the "free ride" model, a 15 TGI which runs on natural gas stored in three large tanks.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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