Test drive: Skoda’s new Octavia is in a class of its own

From its high-quality interiors to the long-distance driving potential, the Skoda RS TDI feels like a car from a superior market sector

The new Škoda Octavia starts at €42,425

Skoda launched the new Octavia in Ireland last year, the fourth generation of the nameplate. It’s ostensibly in the same class as its cousins, the Volkswagen Golf and Seat Leon, but the Octavia is much longer, which Skoda uses to give its hatchback a considerably bigger boot.

That, and the generous rear legroom, make it feel like a car from the market sector above. Indeed, the new Octavia emphasises that with a classy cabin made ...