Skoda Octavia is saying goodbye in style

Declan Colley says the Skoda Octavia Soleil will be seen as a bargain for many, priced from €24,200 to €28,700 as tested.

This column is a farewell to an old friend, as it heads towards that great car lot in the sky. It has ably served millions of owners with no end of hard work and oodles of charm. And not just blue-collar charm.

The car of which I speak is the Skoda Octavia and three generations of it transformed the fortunes of the Czech manufacturer and made this model a legend among drivers from every walk of life. Since we first saw the Octavia, back in 1996 — shortly after Volkswagen took over Skoda — it has become that most unusual of things: an everyman’s car.