The Skoda Octavia Scout is your ticket to driving a normal estate car, but one that still hold its own with crossovers over rougher terrain. It’s also comparable to them in terms of pricing, because in the UK, you can now get a Scout from £25,315.

You’ll obviously have to pay more for the 184 PS 2.0-liter diesel, an automatic gearbox or leather, but it does come with standard all-wheel drive, raised ground clearance, unique styling details and plastic cladding.

For the entry level price you will get a car with the lower powered 2.0-liter TDI, with 150 PS, and it promises to return 55.4 mpg UK combined; the more powerful variant sports and identical figure, though, we imagine it can’t be as efficient when you’re really on it – it does emit more CO2, pumping out 134 g/km, whereas the 150 PS achieves a slightly better figure of 129 g/km.

Being a Scout, this particular variant of Octavia estate already comes well equipped, though there are higher level options on offer, like Intelligent Light Assistant and Park Assist, or a rear-view parking camera. Another option is the six-speed DSG gearbox, which can be had over the standard six-speed manual.

More engines and options will be added, since it’s currently limiting its attractiveness by not having a modern turbocharged petrol engine on offer along with the oil burners.

By Andrei Nedelea

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