Skoda Octavia iV 2020 UK first drive

This is the Skoda Octavia company car drivers have been waiting for: the Skoda Octavia iV plug-in hybrid, the first time such a drivetrain has been offered in the popular Czech family car that’s made an impressive start to life in its fourth generation. 

And we’ll get straight to the killer number: the 43-mile electric-only range, which due to the way the tax bands are structured reduces benefit-in-kind down to just 6%. Thus the annual tax bill for this SE L hatchback model tested will be less than half that of the cheapest diesel (£649 versus £1336 for a 20% tax payer at the current year rates).

Given the government’s recent ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2030, it’s likely more private buyers will now flock into plug-in hybrids too as a gateway to an electric car. With fair winds like these, it’s no surprise to hear that Skoda expects the new Octavia iV to do very well indeed.

Plenty of the new Octavia iV is familiar from other recent plug-in hybrids we’ve tested from the Volkswagen Group, including the Seat Leon eHybrid. Like that Seat, the Octavia mixes a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine with an electric motor and 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack, driving the front wheels through a six-speed DSG gearbox. 

You can have it in hatchback or estate bodystyles, and in SE L or SE Technology trims at launch, while a more powerful version of the drivetrain is offered in a Skoda Octavia vRS iV model we’ve also tested.

Unlike the days of the low-CO2 diesel tax specials that were designed to slip under the then magic 100g/km threshold, the Octavia iV is not wanting for performance in its pursuit of ultimate tax-friendliness.

It gets peak outputs of 201bhp and 258lb ft, and defaults to electric-only mode at start-up should there be sufficient charge. Select the hybrid mode and power will be best deployed as the car sees fit. On top of that are three driving modes to select through: Eco, Normal and Sport, the former of which saps a lot of power and the latter of which gives you all of it - so much in fact you’ll find yourself spinning the wheels with even moderate throttle inputs and not just off the line, so quickly is the chassis overwhelmed.

Best leave it in the Normal mode, where you can make smooth but brisk progress and transitions between electric and hybrid power is almost undetectable. That transition can be a bit more jerky when slowing down however, and also in more stop-start traffic when the battery is depleted.