The ŠKODA Difference - Estate Cars
11/02/2021
There was a time, and it really wasn’t that long ago, that
buying an estate car was done out of necessity, and it was always the poorer
choice when compared to the saloon version – it seemed as though the
manufacturers just took a standard model, added a bit more length, and stuck a
box on the rear, without thought given to weight, ride, handling, or indeed,
style.
It was almost as though the car makers were punishing us for
not choosing their saloon model. Slowly, manufacturers like ŠKODA realised that
they were missing a trick – if someone is buying an estate now, there’s a good
chance that they’ll be driving estate cars for some time, so why not try and
win them for life?
That movement spread throughout the automotive industry,
which is why that most manufacturers try and offer something for everyone now –
tiny city car through to luxury SUV.
ŠKODA have always believed that their customers deserved
better, whether that’s through offering value for money, or a superbly
engineered estate car.
ŠKODA Estate Cars
ŠKODA offer three different estates, the Fabia, Octavia, and
Superb. They’re all award winners in their own right, and they’re all
engineered specifically as an estate – these aren’t just a standard saloon that
has had a few extras tacked on.
ŠKODA Fabia Estate
The Fabia is the smaller of the three, and it comes with a
1.0 litre petrol engine that can return up to 53.3mpg. As with all things ŠKODA,
even the entry level model is well-equipped, and has some really nice detail
touches that should be included as standard from every manufacturer – an
umbrella under the passenger seat means you’ll never be caught out in the rain,
just like the ice-scraper in the fuel filler flap – no more hunting around
trying to find something (like a rewards card!) to scrape unexpected ice. You
can even get heated washer nozzles for the windscreen!
Going beyond the smaller details, the Fabia also has Blind
Spot Detection, Rear Traffic Alert, front and rear LED lighting and Auto Light
Assist; as usual, ŠKODA offer great value for money, backed up with the
legendary Volkswagen name.
ŠKODA Octavia Estate
The Octavia estate is the mid-size in the range, and is a
multi award-winner:
What Car? 2021 Plug-In Hybrid Car of the Year 2021, Auto Express New Car Awards
2020 Car of the Year, AND Compact Family Car of the Year to name just three.
You can have a choice between petrol, diesel or PHEV
(Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle), and just like the other models, there are
plenty of really well thought out details – the roof mounted USB-C port is a
prime example of that.
As for technology and driver assistance, the Octavia isn’t
lacking there either, although some are dependent on trim level or boxes ticked
at the time of ordering: remote folding flat seats, rear view camera, park assist,
adaptive cruise control and the genius ‘Virtual Pedal’ which allows you to open
the rear tail without even touching the car.
ŠKODA Superb Estate
This is the most spacious, prestigious, and technically
advanced model in the line-up, and of course, has won numerous awards also –
2021 Estate Car of the Year, Family Car of the Year, Best Plug-In Hybrid less
than £35,000, Best Executive Car for Value … the list goes on.
It has a sporty silhouette and dynamic horizontal lines, which
gives it quite a presence on the road, but it’s not over the top, you could say
it looks ‘purposeful’.
Again, similar to the Octavia, there’s a wealth of
technology and functionality, some coming as standard, some as options. We see
those thoughtful details (umbrella in the door, Virtual Pedal etc), but then we
have tri-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, ventilated front seats
(with a massage function), wireless charging pad, Apple and Android, park
assist, lane assist … pretty much every technology and driver aid that you’ll
ever need.
Find Out More
Trying to tell you all about the estate line-up would take
more space than we have here, so we’d recommend
getting in touch with our
friendly team and make arrangements to come and see them for yourself.
