Skoda Octavia VS Subaru levorg
Skoda Octavia
Likes
- Value (including ownership)
- Safety
- Dynamics
Dislikes
- No rear seat power options
- Non-linear power delivery
- Requires premium unleaded
Subaru levorg
Likes
- Roomy five-seat wagon
- AWD + EyeSight = safety plus
- Great entry level engine
Dislikes
- Poor ride
- Now an old platform
- 2.0-litre can be thirsty
Summary
Skoda Octavia
Skoda’s a bit like that brooding, low-key actor you know but sometimes struggle to recall. Like Jacqueline McKenzie or Ben Mendelsohn. Considered and respected but far from a preening red carpet showboat.
And the mid-size Octavia is the quintessential Skoda… for people seeking quality engineering and tech without feeling the need to make a boastful badge statement.
The fourth-gen Octavia has been in market here for three years and on the back of a recent safety upgrade this new SportLine model, offered in five-door Liftback and traditional Wagon form, adds extra design and specification spice for the same money as the existing entry-level Style.
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It lines up against traditional sedans and wagons like Toyota’s all-conquering Camry, established players like the Mazda6 and in-demand newcomers like the BYD Seal EV, not to mention the usual medium SUV suspects.
Stay with us on this first drive to see if this SportLine has what it takes to steer you towards the Skoda Octavia.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.4L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.8L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Subaru levorg
Subaru took its slow-selling Levorg five-door, five-seat wagon back to the drawing board in 2017, refreshing the line-up to include two models that offer a new-to-the-brand 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and lowering the car's entry price point as a result.
Will it give the Levorg a new lease on life?
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.6L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.4L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Skoda Octavia8.1/10
Is the Octavia SportLine your kind of automotive quiet achiever? It’s well-equipped and keenly priced with sleek yet understated looks, top-notch safety and a compelling ownership package.
It’s also fuel-efficient for its size and a refined, enjoyable drive. Before you go down that well-trodden mid-size SUV path I’d suggest adding this Skoda - Liftback or Wagon - to your new car short-list.Â
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.
Subaru levorg7.8/10
It's easy to suggest that the Levorg is simply an Impreza wagon (and the 2.0 is a WRX wagon to boot) – but it's not quite the case. The Impreza has now moved onto a new, improved platform, which has left the older generation Levorg in its wake.
With its line-up saturated by wagons, Subaru is finding the Levorg a tough sell, though the new entry level model is a step in the right direction.
Ultimately, though, the relatively inferior ride comfort of the Levorg may well be the element that plays against it the most.
The sweet spot in the range in this case is the entry level 1.6 GT. With better ride and handling than even the range-topping 2.0 STI Sport, a punchy yet economical engine and attractive pricing, it's definitely worth a look.
If you're looking at Subaru wagons, is the Levorg on your list?
Design
Skoda Octavia
The Skoda Octavia is a crisp, contemporary design combining firm character lines and carefully sculpted larger surfaces with a hint of the brand’s VW Group ownership peeking through here and there.Â
And it’s efficient aerodynamically with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.259 for the Liftback and 0.287 for the Wagon.
The broad black grille is uniquely Skoda although the rear treatment is closer to generic premium Euro. Swap out the Skoda badging for four rings or a blue, black and white roundel and no one would bat an eyelid.
But the SportLine stands apart thanks to a gloss-black finish on the grille, mirror covers, rear spoiler on the Liftback and roof rails on the Wagon.
On top of that a rear diffuser and front spoiler have been added, the window surrounds are matt black and dual exhaust tips finish off the rear end.
The interior is dominated by a handsome multi-layer dash design with a 10-inch multimedia touchscreen in the centre and a 10.25-inch ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument display facing the driver.
The grippy ‘leather-appointed’, flat-bottom steering wheel has shift paddles lurking behind the rim, there are sporty alloy covers on the pedals and the roof lining is black.
The cloth ‘Sports Comfort’ seats look and feel great, the materials used are high quality and the Octavia shares its umbrella-in-the-door trick with Rolls-Royce, although it must be said, the latter provides two.
Subaru levorg7/10
From the front, the Levorg is almost a direct mimic of the brand's Impreza and WRX, especially with the bird-swallowing bonnet scoop that's used on all four cars. The front end has been lightly tweaked for the 2017 upgrade, but it's still obvious which car the Levorg has morphed from.
The rear end is different, of course, and it's something that needs to appeal to the eye of the beholder. It's strong, prominent and almost bulbous from some angles, yet very resolved and flowing when looked at from other directions. There's no body kit, as such, as it's all integrated into the car.
The large overhangs – the distance between the wheels and the outer edges of the bumpers – aren't especially handsome, though, while its high-waisted sides can make the alloys disappear into the fenders. The low ride height helps here, but also means the Levorg is an on-road proposition only.
On the interior side, if you've seen the last model Impreza, then you'll know what the Levorg looks like; a clean, almost underwhelming layout with clear, well laid-out controls, while the extra dimensions of the wagon style gives the cabin a lighter, airier feel.
Practicality
Skoda Octavia
At a fraction under 4.7m long, just over 1.8m wide and close to 1.5m tall, with a close to 2.7m wheelbase the Octavia SportLine Liftback and Wagon are at the upper end of the mid-size category.
At 183cm I’ve got plenty of breathing room in the front, the low-level dash helping to deliver a spacious feel.
For storage, there’s a generous area under an extendable, height-adjustable armrest between the seats, twin cupholders in the centre console, bins in the doors with enough room for large bottles and a decent cooled glove box. There’s also Skoda’s signature lined rubbish bin in the driver’s door.
In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set to my position, I’ve got plenty of room for my feet, legs and head as well as enough shoulder room for three full-size adults on cozy, medium length journeys.
Adjustable ventilation is welcome and storage options include map pockets on the front seat backs, big door bins, oddments storage under the air outlets and a pair of cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.
Connectivity and power runs to two USB-C outlets, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad up front with a second 12V in the boot. No USBs or 12-volt for back-seaters, which is a miss.
Speaking of the boot, with all seats up the Liftback offers a competitive 600 litres of storage space, expanding to 1555L with the 40/20/40 split rear seat folded. Those numbers grow to 640 and 1700L in the wagon. Plus, there’s a rear seat ‘ski-port’ style door in both.
A space-saver spare sits under the floor, the tailgate is power-operated and for those keen on towing the Octavia is rated up to a 1.5-tonne braked trailer with trailer stability control standard.
Subaru levorg7/10
The Levorg really hasn't changed much from the Impreza-derived wagon that debuted in 2016, aside from styling tweaks, new adaptive headlights, a triple-fold rear seat and revised multimedia systems across the range.
The boot space holds 486 litres with the seats up, which one-ups its Forester sibling by 64 litres (maybe it 64-ups it, then?).
The size increases to 1446 litres when the 60/40 split-fold seats are dropped down. Tie-down points and a 12-volt (12V) socket are present in the rear, along with flip-down switches for the rear seat backs.
There's plenty of room in the rear seats for head room and leg room, though three-across is a tight squeeze for adults.
There are a few not-so clever touches, though, including a myriad of controls on the steering wheel that could easily be reduced. The multimedia system, too, is starting to show its age, even though it offers access to apps like Pandora (which has now been killed off).
Another irritation is the roof-mounted sash belt for the rear centre seat.
There are ISOFIX child seat mounts for the outside rear seats, and a cargo blind for the rear area is included. A run-flat spare lives under the boot floor, too.
It's nice to see a pair of USB ports for rear seat passengers. There's also a USB port in the centre console bin as well as in the storage area under the centre of the dash. Bottle holders live in all four doors, while cup holders are present front and rear.
Price and features
Skoda Octavia
With the aim of giving the Octavia a value-focused mid-life boost, the SportLine adds some racy extras outside, inside and underneath and we’ll cover them in detail in the Design and Driving sections.
For now, it’s important to note it all comes at the same price as the already well-equipped, entry-level Style. That is, $40,590, before on-road costs, for the Liftback and close to $41,890 for the Wagon.
And to support this new variant’s arrival, national drive-away pricing has been set for both at an extra $1900 and $2100, respectively ($42,490 and $43,990).
Aside from that, the Sportline boasts a handy standard features list, the highlights being dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, 18-inch alloy rims, auto LED matrix headlights, a power tailgate, a 10-inch media touchscreen (with voice recognition) and 10.25-inch digital instrument display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keyless entry and start, auto rain-sensing wipers, a reversing camera, built-in nav and eight-speaker audio.
An optional ‘Premium Pack’ ($3200) adds power adjustable front seats (with lumbar and memory function), heated front and rear (outboard) seats, ‘Adaptive Lane Guidance’, ‘Emergency Assist’, digital radio, tri-zone climate control and additional USB-C outlets. A panoramic sunroof is available on the Wagon for $1900.Â
‘Candy White’ is the single no-cost paint colour, with ‘Black Magic Pearlescent’, ‘Graphite Grey Metallic’, ‘Moon White Metallic’ or ‘Race Blue Metallic’ adding $770 to the price-tag while ‘Velvet Red Metallic’ steps up to $1100.
Overall, pretty good value for the category, even before you start factoring in the SportLine extras.
Subaru levorg8/10
The Levorg range now stands at four models, with the new 1.6 GT having the added benefit of kicking the range off at a lower price point of $35,990 before on-roads.
Standard kit includes all-wheel-drive, 17-inch alloys, dual zone air conditioning, automatic LED headlights, automatic wipers and a multi-stage throttle map button known as Intelligent Drive, which gives you two different throttle maps via switches on the steering wheel.
There's also a colour multimedia screen that's complemented by a small TFT screen above it that displays vehicle info like boost level and fuel economy.
It also has automatic wipers, a leather-clad steering wheel, alloy pedals, a dual-tone cloth interior and LED daytime running lamps.
Subaru's comprehensive EyeSight safety system includes auto emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive cruise control, and we're happy to see the system included in the base model.
The $42,890 1.6 GT Premium, by comparison, adds 18-inch wheels instead of 17s, leather upholstery with heated front seats and electrically-operated driver's seat, more safety with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane change assist, and a larger 7.0-inch multimedia system with sat nav.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine is retained for the 2.0 GT-S, which now starts at $49,190. It's effectively an almost-$5000 cost increase from 2016, thanks to the new, cheaper 1.6-litre powered cars. It shares the same specifications as the GT Premium, aside from the addition of black rims and a sharper 'Sport#' mode for the drive mode system.
Burgundy coloured leather seats form part of the 2.0 STI Sport package, which also includes a unique front bumper and grille, different 18-inch rims and Bilstein shocks. It's available in Subaru's famed World Rally Blue, as well as other colours like white, grey and black.
The Levorg plays in the same load-lugging space as cars like the Skoda Octavia, Mazda6, Volkswagen Passat and Hyundai i40 Tourer, as well as the Ford Mondeo.
Under the bonnet
Skoda Octavia
A 1.4-litre all-alloy, direct-injected, turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine sits under the Skoda Octavia’s bonnet, sending 110kW/250Nm to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission with ‘Tiptronic’ sequential manual shifting accessible via wheel-mounted paddles.
Subaru levorg8/10
The newest motor in the family is a 1.6-litre single-turbo four-cylinder boxer unit, and it's the first of this size to be turbocharged for the brand. It's backed by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) auto.
It makes 125kW and 250Nm of torque, though it honestly feels like it makes more horsepower than the engine specs suggest. The key element is how that torque is delivered low down in the rev range.
The STI Sport uses Subaru's well-known 2.0-litre boxer turbocharged engine in the same spec as fitted to the WRX, and it's unchanged from 2016.
This means 197kW of power and 350Nm of torque, complemented by a multi-mode throttle control known as Si Drive.
The CVT gearbox sports an eight-step 'manual' mode that can be activated with paddles behind the wheel. CVTs have a bad reputation for dulling the driving experience, but drive this one before you dismiss it out of hand; it's well behaved, reasonably quiet and it complements the car's intended purpose well.
No manual transmission is available for the Levorg, even in the STI Sport model. The AWD system behaves more like a front-wheel-drive in most situations – no get-out-of-jail 4x4 mode here.
Of the four models, the 2.0 GT-S offers the best towing capacity of 1500kg of braked trailer, with a towball weight max of 150kg. The Bilstein damper-equipped SGTI Sport can only cope with 1200kg and 120kg on the ball.
The 1.6-litre cars, meanwhile, are essentially unsuitable for towing anything larger than a box trailer, offering just 800kg of braked trailer ability and just 80kg on the towball. The max towing capacity for all Levorgs for trailers without brakes is 750kg.
No diesel or LPG options exist for the Levorg, while off road performance is very limited due to its low ground clearance.
Efficiency
Skoda Octavia
Skoda’s official combined cycle fuel economy number for the Octavia SportLine is 5.7L/100km for the Liftback and 5.9L per hundred for the Wagon, the 1.4-litre turbo four emitting 180g/km of CO2 in the process.
On the launch drive program covering urban, B-road and freeway running along the coast south of Sydney, NSW we recorded an average of 6.4L/100km in the Liftback. Not too shabby for a non-hybrid in this class.
Worth noting the minimum fuel requirement is the pricier 95 RON premium unleaded, though. Â
You’ll need 45 litres of it to fill the tank which translates to a theoretical range of around 790km… roughly 700km using our real-world number.
Subaru levorg7/10
The Levorg 2.0-litre is capable of a fuel consumption figure of 8.7 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, according to Subaru, while the 1.6-litre is more economical at 7.4L/100km.
We recorded a dash-indicated 11.2L/100km over 300km in the STI Sport, and 8.0L/100km over 320km in the 1.6 GT.
All four cars have a 60-litre fuel tank, and all four require 95 RON fuel as a minimum. Weight varies between 1539kg for the 1.6 GT to 1591kg for the STI Sport.
Driving
Skoda Octavia
Skoda says the Octavia SportLine will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds, which isn’t ferociously fast but far from sluggish at the same time, especially for a roughly 1.3-tonne vehicle. And the fact peak torque (250Nm) is available from 1500-4000rpm makes it easy to drive with plenty of oomph through the mid-range.
Worth noting, while the urge is there, the turbo four’s power delivery isn’t always linear, more often from step off, with the engine at times taking half a beat to respond to a squeeze of the accelerator pedal before the power arrives.
Nothing dramatic, however, and the ‘Shift-by-Wire’ eight-speed auto transmission is smooth, with ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes available, the latter holding onto ratios longer on the way up the gears and shifting down more readily when an extra burst of acceleration is required. And if you want to take full control, ‘manual’ shifts via wheel-mounted paddles are satisfyingly quick.Â
Suspension is strut front with a ‘compound link crank-axle’ at the rear, the latter being Skoda-speak for a torsion beam.Â
The SportLine’s suspension is 15mm lower than the Style’s with springs and shock absorbers re-tuned for sharper dynamic response. Yet, despite that and the standard 18-inch rims shod with low-profile tyres there’s no penalty in terms of ride compliance.
Even over coarse B-road surfaces the Octavia remains comfortable and composed. The steering is nicely weighted and road feel is good, with a nice connection between the front tyres and hands on the wheel.
Pressing on through the curves the car is stable and balanced with the (225/45) Bridgestone Turanza rubber gripping hard. And if you really have the bit between your teeth an electronically-controlled diff lock helps put the power down effectively.
Braking by ventilated discs at the front with solid rotors at the rear and under the pressure of some steep, twisting and fairly rapid descents stopping power is solid. The pedal is progressive on application and when easing off.
Under the heading of miscellaneous observations, engine noise is agreeably low, especially for a small capacity turbo-petrol engine, the sports front seats are supportive and comfortable over lengthy stints behind the wheel and a lateral slider located below the central multimedia screen to control audio volume is a neat ergonomic solution.
In the midst of the current arm wrestle between the design cleanliness of an on-screen volume control and the simple effectiveness of a physical dial the Octavia’s slider, while still a haptic-style operation, represents a safe and practical middle ground between the two.
Subaru levorg8/10
The Levorg was a late starter on the last Impreza platform, and it's suffered as a result, particularly in the area of its suspension tune. In short, its ride quality is below average for a car in this price bracket, though the entry-level GT fares better thanks to its smaller rims and taller profile tyres.
The main issue is the Levorg's rear suspension architecture. While the front end uses Impreza-spec MacPherson struts, the rear layout has been compromised to accommodate a large cargo area.
This means the rear springs and shocks aren't physically long enough to give the Levorg enough wheel travel to effectively absorb bumps and lumps and also maintain a decent level of ride quality.
There's lots of physical grip available, though, from the all-wheel drive system which Subaru has backed for a long time. It does add weight and complexity, but it does also give a sure-footed level of behaviour in all weathers.
The smaller 1.6-litre engine isn't exactly a powerhouse, and it's 2.3sec slower between 0- 100km/h than the 6.6sec 2.0-litre car. It does, however, make the most of what it has by serving up the majority of its torque in a very useable range.
The Levorg accelerates away from rest more than adequately, and can maintain its pace at national limit speeds without qualm. It needs a bit of coaxing in steep terrain with four people aboard, but all told the 1.6 is a smooth, strong little unit.
The 2.0-litre WRX-spec engine, meanwhile, really hustles the Levorg along, especially when provoked, with torquey performance across the rev range.
Safety
Skoda Octavia
Safety is one of Skoda’s strongest suits so no surprise the Octavia scored a maximum five ANCAP stars from assessment in 2019.Â
It includes active crash-avoidance tech highlights like AEB (with pedestrian and cyclist detection), a surround-view and reversing camera, ‘Park Assist’, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and fatigue detection.Â
If an impact is unavoidable, there are eight airbags on-board, including a front centre and driver’s knee bag which holds up well in 2024 and shows how far ahead of the passive safety game the Octavia was when it launched here in 2021.
There are three top tethers for child seats across the second row, with ISOFIX anchors on the outer positions.
Subaru levorg9/10
The EyeSight camera system is the Levorg's big ticket safety item, and it includes automatic emergency braking, brake light recognition, pre-collision steering assist, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.
Lane sway warning, lead vehicle start alert, pre-collision braking system, pre-collision brake assist and even pre-collision throttle management are also built into the system that operates via a pair of cameras at the top of the windscreen.
The entry level 1.6 GT misses out on a secondary level of EyeSight functionality - known as Vision Assist - but still gets AEB, lane sway warning a pre-collision steering assist. All other cars get the full gamut of functions, including rear cross traffic alert, rear AEB and blind spot monitor.
It can be more finicky than other systems, and can be fooled by a dirty windscreen in direct sun. This third generation version is much more robust and sophisticated than the earlier versions, though.
Six airbags, including full-length curtain airbags, are standard fare, helping the Levorg score a maximum ANCAP mark of five from five (tested 2016).
Ownership
Skoda Octavia
The Octavia is covered by Skoda’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is two years up on the majority of the mainstream market.
Roadside Assist is complimentary for the first year, renewed annually if you have your Octavia serviced at an authorised Skoda dealer.
The main service interval is 12 months/15,000km, which is in line with most of the competition and Skoda offers five- and seven-year service packs, the latter equating to $393 per workshop visit, which isn’t out of line for the segment.
And through Skoda Choice you can opt for a Guaranteed Future Value offer ranging up to five years and currently at a 6.99 per cent rate.
Subaru levorg8/10
Subaru has a three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty on the Levorg, and occasionally adds another two years as a dealer offer; it's definitely worth asking about it.
The service interval on a Subaru is shorter than most other cars at six months or 12,500km, thanks to the boxer engine needing more frequent oil changes – and it's false economy to miss a service, too. Trying to sell your Levorg without a fully stamped owner's manual will be hard.
A six-visit capped price servicing regime for the Levorg averages out at around $375 per service, which includes labour, parts and fluids, and even fees like oil disposal levies.
Reliability is generally good with Subarus if you keep them serviced, with few problems or issues reported.