2018 Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI Petrol – Review | Still Stormin’ Away
We drove the 1.8-litre TSI Petrol which is mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox, yes, the much-debated DSG gearbox. In the past, customers have complained about the DSG failing on them. However, there has been a substantial decline in the complaints lately. Seems like Skoda has solved the DSG issue. Apart from that, the DSG gearbox is extremely quick to respond on upshifts and downshifts. You feel connected with the car as you are shifting gears with the paddle shifters. The 1.8-litre TSI has a good mid-range and accelerates to triple-digit speeds in no time. Also, while cruising on triple-digit speeds the steering wheel will not let you down on those bends, but if you want more power at your fingertips then you can manually shift gears using the paddle shifters. However, while pushing it hard across a bend you would experience some amount of body roll. Also, there are some downsides if you drive it enthusiastically, the average will go down considerably. Drive it sanely and you would get 9 km/l in the city and close to 11 km/l on the highway. Talking about city driving, you get front and rear parking sensors along with the hands-free parking feature which is literally quite handy for parallel parking in the crowded city spots.
Inside the cabin, it is very well insulated and you do not hear any road noise. The Octavia absorbs most of the bumps and undulations very well, likewise, passengers at the rear have no complaints on long journeys. Tall people will enjoy a good amount of headroom and legroom at the back. Well, sitting at the back and enjoying the drive is your thing while listening to some music on these Canton speakers. The ambient lightings can be changed to your mood, but I wish they would have provided more options to choose on the footwell lightings instead of the dull warm coloured light. Apart from that, you can customise a lot of things on the instrument cluster as per your liking. For which you can even change the views from the steering wheel buttons. On the L&K trim, you get the L&K insignia on the door sills, gear knob, and front fender.
An amazing car to be driven around and to drive as well. If you are an enthusiast who missed out on buying the vRS, you could either wait for the new generation or drive home this adequately powered luxury sedan.
Octavia L&K
Engine: 1.8-litre TSI Petrol
Power: 178 bhp
Torque: 250 Nm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG