Hyundai i40 VS Skoda Octavia
Hyundai i40
Likes
- Impressive ride and handling
- Diesel engine provides plenty of oomph
- Roomy
Dislikes
- Tiny display screen
- No AEB
- Tyre noise
Skoda Octavia
Likes
- Neatly packaged with good features
- Attractive kerb-side presence
- Clever storage spaces
Dislikes
- On the smaller side for a 'mid-size' wagon
- No option packs
- Rear row tight for three adults
Summary
Hyundai i40
A wagon and not an SUV, eh? Respect. You see, when most people now think of a new car they think of an SUV, especially when they want something with a bit of cargo space. But not you.Â
And for thinking outside the box you’ll be rewarded with something that’s better to drive than most SUVs – like the Hyundai i40 Tourer in the Active grade and a diesel engine we’ve road tested here.
So, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this Korean wagon, and should you wait or buy it now? Read on to find out.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.7L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.1L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Skoda Octavia
The Skoda Octavia Wagon has had a minor facelift in terms of its design and technology. We're family-testing the 110TSI Select, which is the base model and replaces the previous Style variant.
But in a world dominated by SUVs, is there room for the humble station wagon anymore? Let's find out.
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| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.4L |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.2L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Hyundai i407.1/10
The i40 Tourer in the Active grade is great to drive, it’s practical, and should be low-cost to run. But you can bet the new version, due to arrive soon, will be, too. If you can wait, it's a safe bet the new i40 Tourer will have an updated look, improved safety equipment and retain all the good points of the previous model.Â
Would you buy the current i40, or would you be mad not to wait for the new one, coming soon? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
Skoda Octavia8.3/10
Wagons are my favourite style of family car and the Skoda Octavia Select offers great value-for-money. It’s on the smaller side for passenger hauling but is still a comfortable ride and has great ongoing costs. This is one to consider if you don’t want a massive SUV but still need some space.
Design
Hyundai i407/10
The i40 wagon looks good, I even caught myself doing that admiring 'look back' thing you do when you walk away from your car. Thing is, the current i40 has the ‘old’ Hyundai styling that dates it compared to the new i30, Sonata and Kona, which reflect the brand’s latest look.
This brings me to something you should really know – the newer, updated i40 will arrive in Australia soon, and it will be more in line with Hyundai’s current design approach.
The i40 is also up against some hot-looking rivals. The Mondeo is gorgeous, the Passat is stately, and the Commodore also looks stunning. To be honest the i40 is the least attractive of that lot form where I’m looking. It’s also about the same size as that trio at 4775mm long, 1815mm wide and 1470mm in height.
My mum would call the interior of the i40 Active smart looking, but she doesn’t mean tech-smart, more school dance smart, and if she ever said that before you went to a school dance you’d get changed immediately.
Yes, it looks smart in a tidy, stylish way, but that tiny screen, cloth seats and ordinary plastics lower the tone compared to the Premium's more 'premium' interior.Â
Skoda Octavia
The Octavia wagon is sporty-looking with its compact dimensions and sharp pleating, particularly across the rear. The tail-lights have been restyled, as have the 18-inch alloy wheels.
The facelift also sees new dusk-sensing LED headlights replace the previous matrix LEDs, which admittedly is a bit of a downgrade as you miss out on the anti-dazzling feature matrix LEDs have but the dusk-sensing function is handy if you're a 'set and forget' type of headlight user.
The interior is downright nice and not even for a 'base model'. The dashboard gains some fabric and soft-touch grey accent panelling which creates interesting focal points and feel nice underhand.
The mix of black synthetic leather and mottled grey fabric upholstery creates a warm and friendly cabin space, however, fabric always makes my eye tick with my eight-year old around!
Practicality
Hyundai i408/10
The i40 wagon nails the practicality category. Storage space is excellent with a deep, wide console bin under the centre armrest, and there’s another big well in front of the gear shifter.Â
There are large pockets in all the doors with bottle holders, two cupholders up front and another two in the fold-down rear armrest, plus another storage area in there, too.
The i40 Tourer’s 506 litre cargo capacity is good, but can’t beat the Passat’s 650 litres, while it matches the Mazda6 wagon’s boot space.
Rear legroom borders on limo territory and even at 191cm I can sit behind my driving position with about 50mm of space between my knees and the seat back. Headroom back there is also extremely generous.
The rear doors open wide, making for an easy exit or entry, too.
Skoda Octavia
The Octavia wagon utilises the space available in its mid-sized body well but there's no hiding that it's on the smaller side for a family hauler.
Front passengers enjoy the most head- and legroom, and even with a co-pilot, you're not fighting for elbow room, either. The rear seat offers plenty of space behind my driving position but I'm 168cm tall and it might not be as comfortable if you're hitting 180cm or more.
The width of the rear seat makes it feel snug when the armrest is down and the door closed. However, it's the fixed storage cubby that sits on top of the transmission tunnel which spells trouble for any adult middle-seater.
The cubby houses two USB-C ports and collapsible drink bottle holders, making it a firm utility and storage space. So, it's best to think of the rear row as a two-seater.
All seats (except the middle) offer decent comfort with thick spongy padding, wide seat backs and long under-thigh support. The front seats have manual lumbar support adjustment which alleviates fatigue on longer journeys.
Storage is great throughout the car and both rows get two cup holders and two drink bottle holders, as well as storage bins in each door.
The glove box is large enough to hold a manual and some other bits and pieces but the middle console is on the small side. The large phone cubby that houses the wireless charging pad and two USB-C ports draws your attention away from this, though.
There is a drawer on the drivers side, as well as an umbrella holder in the driver's door and a brush (not sure what for) in the passenger door. A sunglasses holder rounds out the storage in the front.
The boot offers great capacity with its 640L (up from 600L for the sedan version) and the multiple luggage tie-down points and nets, as well as the ski-thru port open up your storage choices.
You miss out on a powered tailgate in the base model but the lid isn't hard to operate and you get a handy toggle to pull it down.
The upgraded tech is easy to use and looks great - always a good combo. There's not much in the way of customisation for the new multimedia touchscreen but the screen is responsive and the menus are easy to access.
There are also physical buttons which act as menu shortcuts and they're very helpful while on the go.
The satellite navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are simple to connect and the CarPlay maintained a steady connection for me.
Price and features
Hyundai i407/10
There are only two grades in the i40 range - 'Active' and 'Premium'. And when it comes to engines you again have two choices - petrol or diesel. The latter adding $2600 to the price.
If you’re looking for the most affordable way into an i40 wagon go for the Active. Listing at a base price of $35,690, 'our' i40 Active Tourer diesel had one option – 'Ocean View' metallic paint, adding an extra $595.
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The Active grade costs $9160 less than Premium, and as much as I’d like to say that top-spec car is pretty much the same, with some shiny bits of door trim added, I’d be lying.Â
The Active really does miss out on some decent stuff – the screen is the smallest I’ve seen since I wore a digital watch, at 4.3-inch (the Premium has a 7.0-inch), there’s air-con but not climate control, there’s keyless entry but not a proximity key or push button start.
The Active doesn’t get a power tailgate with a handsfree function like the Premium, or tinted rear glass, or a digital speedo, or a panoramic sunroof, or a power adjustable driver’s seat, or heated seats, all of which are standard on the Premium grade.
Yup, the Active may be as base grade as you can get but it still comes with paddles shifters, LED daytime running lights, an electric handbrake with auto hold function, front and rear parking sensors, cloth seats and 16-inch alloy wheels.
A list price nudging $36K may seem high, but don’t’ forget you’re paying more for the diesel engine. There’s good reason to spend the extra on the diesel, too – which I’ll explain below.
The i40 Active Tourer diesel undercuts the $39,040 Ford Mondeo Ambiente diesel wagon, while the Volkswagen Passat 140TDI wagon only comes in the mid-spec Highline grade for $49,990 (and is a bit ‘next level’ by comparison), while the Mazda6 wagon in Touring spec with diesel engine is $41,440.Â
Other rivals? Yes, the new Holden Commodore Sportwagon diesel is $38,890. So, compared to its rivals the i40 Active Tourer is a bit of a bargain.
Skoda Octavia
There are three variants for the new Octavia wagon and the line-up begins with our test model, the Select grade, which is priced from $41,090 plus on-road costs. That said, Skoda is offering a national drive-away price of $43,990 at the time of writing. The Select is the first facelifted model to hit our market, with the rest following early next year.Â
Sadly, there aren’t all that many wagons left to compare the Octavia to and the nearest rival is the Mazda6 Sport wagon which is a smidge more affordable at $37,590 MSRP.
After that you have to jump up a few price brackets for a similarly sized wagon, like the Volvo V60 Ultra which sits at $74,990 MSRP.
The Skoda's facelift brings with it a host of new features that either used to be a part of an option pack or was only available on the top model.
The cabin now gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger with ventilation function and design tweaks to the dashboard, including an upgraded 13-inch multimedia screen (up from the previous 10-inch screen).
The safety sheet gets a look in, too, with the addition of rear collision warning, lane centering aid, emergency assist and adaptive cruise control with a stop and go function.Â
Otherwise the standard kit includes keyless start but annoyingly, not keyless entry (via a proximity key), satellite navigation, a 10-inch digital instrument cluster with upgraded software and dual-zone climate control. There are a total of five USB-C ports, including one mounted near the rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing LED headlights.
For a base model, the Select offers great value for money.
Under the bonnet
Hyundai i407/10
This is another area in which our test car impressed with its 1.7-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and seven-speed dual clutch auto transmission.
At 104kW, it may be less powerful than the petrol (121kW) but its 340Nm of torque gave it the shove to accelerate impressively from 1750rpm (idle is 800rpm).
The engine and dual-clutch combination performs beautifully; smooth even at low speed in traffic, and shifting down intuitively to make best use of engine braking.
Skoda Octavia
Nothing has changed for the new Select base variant's engine and it's still a front-wheel drive with a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission.
The 1.4L four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine produces up to 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque, which easily moves the mid-sized wagon around and the Select can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 8.6-seconds.
It's not crazy powerful but it has it where it counts.
Efficiency
Hyundai i407/10
Hyundai will tell you the i40 Tourer diesel will get 5.1L/100km over a combination of open and urban roads. The trip computer in our test car said it was averaging 7.4L/100km. Still, that’s not bad mileage.
Skoda Octavia
The beauty of a mid-sized wagon with the Select's engine is that you get a low official combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle fuel figure of 5.8L/100km! And after mostly urban driving my real-world average came in at 6.5L/100km, which is a great result.
Based on the combined fuel consumption cycle and the 45L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 775km and just under 700km based on our test result. Which isn't too shabby for those families who want to do the annual road trip.
The Octavia only likes to drink the good stuff though and will accept a min 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.
Driving
Hyundai i407/10
A comfortable ride, impressive handling for the class, and a great engine and transmission mean the i40 Active Tourer diesel is engaging and enjoyable to drive.Â
The driving position is excellent, the seats are large but supportive, and the pedal feel is spot on. The i40 Tourer is way better to drive than it needs to be and would embarrass some cars from more prestigious brands.
It’s not all perfect: the cabin could be better insulated with wind noise obvious at 90km/h and tyre rumble intruding on course chip roads; visibility is hampered by those slanted A-pillars and the reversing camera image is next to useless thanks to the business card-sized screen in the Active.
Skoda Octavia
The Select wagon is responsive enough with its power delivery but you get the occasional lag when accelerating from rest.
Other than that, it’s very easy to keep your speed consistent on hills and you still feel like you have some power in reserve when you have to put your foot down.
The steering is soft but accurate and feels more relaxed at lower speeds because of it. So not what you'd call sports-nimble but it has friendly handling for newbies and seasoned drivers.
Suspension is on the firmer side and you notice the worst of the bumps in the road but it’s a pretty comfortable ride overall. The road noise creeps in, even at lower speeds, and that may annoy some but it wasn’t a bother for us.
The visibility is excellent because of the wide windows and narrow pillars. Despite sitting low, you don’t feel like you’re a bug when you’re next to a big SUV at the lights.
The Octavia is an easy wagon to park with front and rear parking sensors, and a clear reversing camera that features dynamic guidelines.
Safety
Hyundai i406/10
Hyundai’s website says the i40 Tourer scores the maximum five-star ANCAP rating. That’s true, but a bit sneaky because that ranking was given to the car back in 2013, and a lot has changed in terms of safety equipment in five years.Â
AEB, for example, is becoming common. So is rear cross traffic alert and blind spot warning, along with adaptive cruise control. You can’t get any of this advanced safety equipment on the current i40, not even the top-spec Premium.
Don’t get me wrong, the i40 is extremely safe with its suite of airbags, plus traction and stability controls - it’s just that the bar for safety has been raised higher.
The new i40 is expected to come armed with more up-to-date safety equipment.
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If you’re fitting child seats you’ll find two ISOFIX mounts and three top tether anchor points across the rear row. It’s great to see a full-sized spare wheel under the boot floor, too.
Skoda Octavia
The Octavia has an maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2019 and features eight airbags which is great for a family wagon and includes the newer front centre airbag.
The facelift sees some new safety features including rear collision warning, lane centering aid, emergency assist and adaptive cruise control with stop and go function.Â
Other standard safety items include blind-spot monitoring, driver monitoring and alert, safe exit warning, LED DRLs, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure/keeping aids, seatbelt warning and a reversing camera.
None of the safety features are intrusive for daily driving, which I always like and you can easily fit a couple of big child seats in the rear with the two ISOFIX child seat points and three top tether anchor points.
The Octavia has AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and car detection and is operational from 5.0 to 80km/h (up to 250km/h for car).
Ownership
Hyundai i408/10
The i40 Tourer is covered by Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 15,000km/12months at a capped price of $339. A servicing plan is also available for three years ($777), four years ($1136), and five years ($1395).Â
Skoda Octavia
The Skoda Octavia is now offered with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty which is competitive for the class and you can pre-purchase a seven-year servicing pack for a flat $3650.
Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first and you get roadside assistance renewed if you service on schedule at an authorised dealer.