The Skoda Octavia has never looked slicker than in its latest guise. Look at the styling blandness that has characterised previous iterations and such a statement might not impress but the Octavia retains its core strengths of polished road manners, great build quality, generous equipment and attractive pricing. That, along with the slicker looks, makes it a formidable package.

The Skoda Octavia isn't usually a car that people lust after. Even the plushest or sportiest models keep things very low key in the context of the numerous alternatives in the wider market. What the Octavia does do is breed satisfied customers like wildfire. It's an unassuming car that doesn't promise too much initially and then has the happy habit of exceeding expectations. The most recent facelift has jazzed-up the look and feel of the package but in typical Octavia style, not too much.

Global corporations don't pump billions into advertising and marketing on the off chance. They know that building a brand works. Done correctly, it creates recognition, adds value to products and ultimately increases sales. The major car manufacturers are no exception to this. Motorists are bombarded with their glossy imagery, exuberant claims and promises of a better life on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. It's not surprising that some people come away slightly alienated by it all. For them, the softly, softly approach taken by Skoda could be a refreshing antidote. The Czech manufacturer's discreet, straightforward image is a branding exercise in itself of course but the way a Skoda infers very little about its driver is a desirable trait for many buyers - especially when that Skoda is as good as the latest Octavia.

"There's a definite satisfaction to be gleaned from choosing such a resolutely capable family car and paying such a sensible price for it.."

Petrol is mounting something of a fightback after a good few years of diesel dominance and engines like the Volkswagen Group TSI units are in the vanguard. Two of these units are available with the latest Octavia. First comes a 1.4-litre TSI unit with 122bhp. Big deal, we hear you cry, but the engine's advanced turbocharged configuration allows it to produce its 200Nm maximum torque at just 1,500rpm for diesel-style low end grunt. It's a similar story with the 1.8-litre TSI but with 160bhp, this unit will feel more muscular all round. Pride of place in the petrol range continues to be occupied by the 2.0-litre TFSI engine with 197bhp. It powers the vRS models. Diesel should not be discounted as its light thirst and surging torque will still be just what the doctor ordered for many and the latest 2.0-litre TDI common-rail injection engine is right on the cutting edge of oil-burning technology.

The latest Octavia may have been revised in a number of key areas but these don't extend to the driving manners. The Octavia drives pretty much as you'd expect - assured, comfortable but nothing too sporting. The vRS models are something of an anomaly in many regards but they do sharpen-up the driving experience considerably and are well worth a look. These days, even the more comfort biased chassis are so competent that it takes a genuinely ham-fisted development to result in a car that's no fun to drive. This Octavia benefits from Volkswagen's quest to endow the Golf chassis with Ford Focus-style driving manners. Even with the wick turned down a good few notches, it can't help but feel extremely capable when stitching a series of bends together. The steering feels like a good hydraulically assisted set-up but is in fact electro-mechanically assisted. Many of the early versions of this steering set-up felt unacceptably artificial but the Octavia's helm comes across as meaty and rewarding at speed, reverting to fingertip light at parking speeds. Impressive stuff.

It's no secret that the Octavia rides on Golf MkV mechanicals but there was always the suspicion that Skoda's Volkswagen Group paymasters obliged it to tone down the 'surprise and delight' features on the Octavia so as to avoid impinging on the Golf. In its original form, this Octavia was on the unexciting side but the facelift, which introduced styling elements of the Superb executive saloon, has improved matters. There's a more imposing grille, topped with a thick band of chrome and the substantial headlamps flank it to form a band across the Octavia's nose. The bumpers and side mouldings have also been tweaked and C-shaped light clusters adorn the rear. The Octavia is still no extrovert but it's a much more eye-catching prospect. The interior revisions have, if anything, an even greater impact. Enhancements to the switchgear, entertainment systems and trim send the cabin up in class a good few notches. The gap between this and the acclaimed interiors of Volkswagen and Audi products is not a big one.

The Octavia was always renowned for possessing one of the biggest payloads in class and the current model does no harm to that reputation. There's an available capacity of 560 litres with the rear seats in place. Fold the rear seats flat and you'll then get a yawning 1,350 litres of room. Not a car for the agoraphobic in other words and if you opt for the estate, that seats-folded capacity increases to 1,620 litres. Passenger room is similarly generous - and that's important since the prodigious luggage space of the first generation Octavia required rear seat passengers to pay in kind. The long wheelbase of the latest model endows it with admirable rear legroom, even when the front seats are occupied by long limbed adults. Rear headroom is better than the swooping roofline would suggest, helped in no small part by a slightly more generous seat back recline than in many such cars.

Taking their lead from the car's styling, the Octavia's trim levels have also aligned themselves with the Superb. The latest models are available in S, SE and Elegance trim but beyond these, there are some other intriguing options. There are the five-door hatch and Estate bodystyles to consider and buyers in search of extra traction can choose the all-wheel-drive transmission of the 4x4 and Scout models. The standard front-wheel-drive Octavia is also available with the advanced seven-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox that has received critical acclaim on models from across the Volkswagen Group empire.

Skoda can offer the usual raft of high tech gadgetry to enhance the Octavia ownership experience. The plusher models come with touch screen stereo and navigation systems with the option of a 30Gb hard disc for storing music. Owners can also connect their music players through iPod, AUX or USB connectors which allow the track listings to be displayed on screen in the car. There are high-tech parking sensors too with a visual guide on the central display screen as well as an audible warning signal.

The upfront costs of the Octavia are certainly attractive when you weigh up what you're getting in the package but what about running the car? For a petrol engine, the 1.4-litre TSI unit makes a very strong showing at the pumps. It can manage 42.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km which will go down well with cost-conscious buyers. Those buyers can also expect reasonable residual values, although they still sit between 7 and 9 per cent down on those of the Volkswagen Golf. Insurance is going to be somewhere between group 4 and group 15 depending on your choice of engine and trim.

It might be based on the Volkswagen Golf but in many respects, the Skoda Octavia betters its more illustrious sibling and makes many of its rivals simultaneously appear shoddy and old. If you don't believe in sacrificing value for money at the altar of brand equity, the Octavia could very well represent the perfect set of wheels.

The Skoda Octavia will appear a dull choice to many family hatch buyers but there's a definite satisfaction to be gleaned from choosing such a resolutely capable family car and paying such a sensible price for it. If you prioritise style and design innovation, the Skoda Octavia probably isn't the car for you, even in its latest guise, but on more practical criteria like build quality, equipment, space and price, there isn't a lot that beats it.

TOP 5 OCTAVIA DEALS

The results below show the top OCTAVIA deals on buyacar

	Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI PD Scout 4x4 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,658	Price £18,662
	Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI PD SE 5dr DSG Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,250	Price £15,645
	Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI PD SE 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,117	Price £14,643
	Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI PD S 5dr DSG Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,134	Price £14,791
	Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI PD S 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £1,000	Price £13,790