Skoda Octavia Scout 2009 - International

Not so much
>> Petrol engine won't be coming to Australia!
>> No DSG or auto, still!
>> Tyre noise

About our ratings

OVERVIEW

When the Skoda was introduced here last year, we said that it was likely to be the last model from the Czech company to run a 'pumpe duse' diesel engine, rather than the increasingly popular common-rail type that is beginning to filter through the model range sold by Volkswagen and its subsidiaries -- Skoda included.

For the facelift, however, Skoda has stuck with that same engine. But Aussie journalists attending the international launch in Hungary were also privy to a turbocharged petrol version not sold here. This variant consolidates the Scout's already well established credentials for NVH and refinement but without a self-shifting transmission, it just isn't on the cards for the local market (more here) -- and that's a pity.

MECHANICAL

The Scout, with its Haldex-developed all-wheel drive system could easily handle more torque, if the option were there.

Combined-cycle fuel consumption for the Scout is 6.4L/100km and CO2 emissions are rated at 173g/km. Both these figures are based on cars in European specification and represent a slight improvement on the respective figures for the pre-facelift Scout -- 6.6L/100km of fuel use and 178g/km for CO2 emissions. We presume these new figures will apply also to Australia-delivered Scouts.

The engine is transversely mounted, with drive taken from the front transaxle (a six-speed manual transmission) to the rear by a bevelled gear coupled to the front driveshaft. An electronically-controlled Haldex multi-plate clutch system ahead of the rear differential engages and disengages drive as and when required. According to Skoda, the Haldex unit can transfer as much as 85 per cent of available torque to the rear wheels.

The Scout runs on MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link IRS system behind, with the rack-and-pinion steering system electro-mechanically-assisted.

ON THE ROAD
-- Scout earns proficiency badges
Skoda's itinerary for the launch of the facelifted Scout and the Octavia RS (more here) led us through the north of Hungary and into Slovakia. The roads were of a generally high standard and much of the travel was via freeway. On the return trip, we took in the Euro Ring racetrack near Budapest, where the event organisers had set up a short offroad course to demonstrate the Scout's all-terrain ability.

Based on the way it handled this course, the Scout boasted fairly impressive traction, but ran out of wheel articulation quickly. The car will push itself forward on just three wheels, but that was in the dry and on a relatively shallow grade. We're not confident the Scout would handle the same task quite as well in the wet.

The diesel engine was a boon for this sort of work and also remained quiet and unfussed on the road. There was no trip computer in the cars tested, so we had no clue as to how economical the diesel variant is in the real world.

We also drove the Scout with the direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine (1.8-litre TFSI). As for the turbodiesel Scout, the TFSI variant has decent levels of torque and the appropriate spread of ratios from the six-speed manual box to make the best use of that torque. Plainly, the diesel variant develops more torque, but the petrol engine is capable of higher performance if allowed to rev.

The TFSI-engined Scout, as already mentioned, is unlikely to reach us here. While it's plenty refined -- we couldn't even hear it idling -- and develops good power and reasonable torque (118kW/250Nm), most people would opt for the diesel, which is a more promising powerplant for SUV buyers in Australia.

Although they didn't present much of a problem on Hungary's well maintained black-top, the Scout's tyres may be a bit noisier on Australian country roads, perhaps comprising the Skoda's otherwise outstanding touring ability. They could be heard over rough, patchy bitumen, as indeed was the case with the suspension at times.

The tyres were effective on the offroad course, likely helped by the Scout's relatively low weight. On the open road, the Scout's ride bordered on firm, but was well controlled and appropriately tuned for offroad work. The suspension also provided very good dynamics on the road, although we didn't really have the opportunity to push it hard to assess its cornering.

Inside the Scout (for more information on packaging, see our original launch review for the pre-facelift car here), the interior design doesn't seem far removed from the old model's. The centre fascia is different now, with revised HVAC controls and a light satin decorative trim that is new. Otherwise, packaging is unchanged, which means that there's good headroom in the front, even for taller drivers, and there's masses of legroom too.

Even with the front seat set as far back as possible (Skoda claims it runs back far enough to accommodate people over seven feet tall in comfort) there remains enough knee and legroom for kids in the rear, although they'll find it a tight fit.

Ease of use and legibility for the instruments and controls in the Scout remains one of the better examples of ergonomic efficiency. The instruments provided easily-read calibration (white on black) in a large format, the one exception being the temperature settings calibrated around the rotary dials for the dual-zone climate control. They're hard to read, although the settings are reproduced on screen as soon as you change them.

The Scout's build quality is good and while the fabric, as befits a car of this kind, is more durable than plush, it doesn't look cheap. Skoda has specified a softer plastic for the dash, which is to its credit. Furthermore, the seats were well shaped for comfort and support.

However, there were a couple of minor squeaks from the fittings rubbing against each other.

For a multitude of reasons Skoda's Octavia remains one of our favourite packages. In the particular case of the Scout, the local market just doesn't register its existence on the radar. Sure, there's some old technology against it, some old styling (not much alleviated by the facelift, we might add) -- and it's probably a little more expensive than ideal -- but it's small on the outside, big on the inside, easy to drive, comfortable, economical and practical.

It's a real Jack-of-all-trades, but not compromised by that. If only it had the DSG -- or at the very least, an auto transmission...

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