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THE NEW BIRMINGHAM SUPER PRIX

Would you like to see THE BIGGEST MOTORSPORT / MOTOR SPECTACULAR THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER SEEN on  the streets of Birmingham? We have had to have a major rethink of our plans to bring back motor racing, but have come up with something potentially even more spectacular. We are trying to bring together as many individuals, businesses and organisations as we can to try to make this happen again. It could bring huge benefits to the region, but it needs as much support as possible to make it happen. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE, VIEW VIDEO & PHOTOS FROM THE OLD SUPER PRIX, AND TO SEE HOW YOU CAN HELP BRING ABOUT THIS SENSATIONAL AND UNIQUE EVENT.
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Skoda Octavia -ROAD TEST

On sale 19th July 2004

There are not many basic engines of any brand that I would actually buy myself, mainly because I prefer an engine that has got that extra bit of rapid acceleration that would get me out of a dangerous situation or quickly away from a potential crash. However, the new Skoda Octavia with its basic 1.4 litre petrol engine has to be one of the best engines I have driven and whether you tend to carry out mainly urban driving or long distance motorway driving, the 1.4 litre would be adequate.

I found it very responsive and the car an absolute joy to drive. The new Skoda Octavia, on sale on 19th July is the start of the next phase of Skoda’s brand development programme, to influence people’s perception of the brand in the future, from being risky to being sensible good value, a statement which I heartily agree with.

Well, there must be something in the fact that the Skoda Octavia has come second to Lexus in the JD Power Survey and the fact that 95% of Skoda owners would buy another Skoda.

The Czech Republic company has put a lot of thought into the design of its new Octavia. Built on the VW Golf platform, but heavily re-engineered, it is longer, taller and wider than its predecessor. Although it is priced to sell alongside lower medium sector cars, such as the Vauxhall Astra or Renault Megane, in size and specification, it is an upper C/lower D segment car competing against the Ford Mondeo or Peugeot 407.

One of the useful factors in its exterior design is the V shaped front, which I found effective for gauging the exact middle of the car and therefore ensuring that I parked right against the kerb.

Skoda has obviously thought about how people use their cars and the interior has a host of useful equipment, even on the basic model. The three trim levels are Classic, Ambiente and Elegance. The Classic specification includes tilt and reach four spoke adjustable steering wheel, electrically operated front windows, side indicators integrated in the door mirrors, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, aero wipers with timing interval control, stereo radio with four speakers and single CD player, rear centre seat folding armrest, and coat hooks on the B pillar.

There are so many storage compartments for just about everything you would ever need to carry and the boot is larger than its predecessor and will hold from 560 litres to 1,350 litres when rear seat backrests are folded. It also has lots of useful features, like netting to hold awkward bottles in place.

Safety specification is also high and includes four front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, MBA, MSR, ASR,(all practical braking systems) central locking, three point seat belts in the rear with pre-tensioners, front passenger’s airbag deactivation and two isofix fixtures for a child seat on the rear seats.

At launch the Octavia will be available with 1.4 and 1.6MPI petrol and 1.9 TDI Pumpe Duse diesel engines. A 2 litre TDI PD engine will follow in August, a 1.6FSI direct injection petrol engine in September, followed by a 150bhp 2 litre FSI unit in February 2005. The 1.4 litre will accelerate from 0-62mph in 15.5seconds and goes on to a top speed of 106mph. CO2 emissions are 166g/km and combined fuel consumption is 40.4mpg.

As standard, all power units come with five or six gear manual transmission. A six gear automatic transmission on engines producing 75kw is an option. There is a newly developed Direct Shift Gearbox transmission for diesel engines as well.

Skoda is promising a four wheel drive estate version will follow next year and a sporty vRS model early the year after. It says the new Octavia will start to make an impact in the small fleet, business and user chooser segment where it expects to take 50% of the total 15,000 annual Octavia sales. Diesel models will account for 70% of all sales in the UK.

From 1st July the current Octavia range of hatchbacks and estates will be reduced in price by an average nine percent. The range will now start at £10,700 for the Classic 1.9 TDI 90hp model, a drop of £1,170.

So if you are looking for a new car that is reliable, solid and excellent value for money I would heartily recommend the new Skoda Octavia, particularly the basic 1.4 litre engine.

Sue Cooke