Feb 20, 2007 06:18 PM
39413 Views
Have recently bought a rider 1.9 tdi. was awed with tis features )which ahve ben known for a long time).was planning to buy a verna diesel.. though after the test drive of both cars decided on the octavia.SPACE.cramped rear seats.. can typically seat only 2 passengers in teh rear and maybe a little child in teh center seat.ENGINEWonderful power responsive engine. can hear the whistle of the turbocharger while accelrating.. tis a great feeling accelerating.. high torque at low engine speeds..
DRIVING AIDSThe most wonderful aspect I felt (as an engineer too) is the real time fuel consumption figure. by toggling a switc, one can know the distance covered, average speed, average fuel consumption, actal fuel consumption, time since starting a journey, outside temp. (though not very correct.. as the sensor seems to be in the engine compartment showing higher temp), the fuel consumption meter is very very sensitive and shows a change at even the slghtest gradient, slope, turns.. increase in speed. has helped me a lot to learn driving with the least fuel consumption.
Distance to empty fuel tank is another feature.GEAR SHIFT.2nd gear appears to have a tall ratio.. leading to stalling of engine at low speeds. skoda seesm to have remedied this by increasing the idle speed. this means the car literally accelerates without any input from driver.. car cannto be driven in low speeds in teh 2nd gear. otherwise good feel of the gear stick.SUSPENSIONslightly hard suspension. however the suspension easily takes care of takig high speed turns.. excellent road grip, cornering ability.
GROUND CLEARANCE.unfortunately the ground clearance is very low (with substantial overhands) leading to uncomfortable bumps and scratches. Though the vital components of the car all seemed to be tucked up well within the body cavity. (so fear of damage to vital components.. like silencer, engine sump is lesser). have to be realc areful driving on rough patches..HANDLING large tyres, suspension all make up for terrific road holding capacity. it grips the road well and doesnt fishtail...nor leave the intended track.. radius of turn. VIBRATIONS.. very low nvh.. heavily built like a tank.. weighs @ 1300 kgs and dampens noise, vibrations etc.ERGONOMICSConvenienetly located arm rest. left arm rest is a tad bit higher position to grab the gear stick. The right arm can rest on the door arm rest and conveniently hold the steering. The steering can be tilter..
And also BE MOVED CO AXIALLY for taller drivers.Adjustable LUMBAR SUPPORT. This is a great help for long journeys. the lower back support can be adjusted to any position (normally to accomodate this, most drivers use a small pillow to support the lower back).Handy beverage can.. lighted glove compartment.a Small sun visor in addition to the 2 main sun visors (this is used to prevent sunlight from passing over the rear view mirror).. so attention to detail by Skoda is fantastic.Tilting head rests... again unique to skoda..handle for DRIVER SIDE AS WELL. unique to skoda.. was always wondering why a handle (on inside roof) of car is not provided to the drivers side in other cars. Will greatly help a driver in alighting (especially if old).covered VANITY mirror for the drivers side too..
Why do we assume that a driver is not a woman.. so these little aspects have been studied in great detail by skoda and implemented.VERTICAL seat adjustment. SAFETY- Air bags standard for front passenger and driver. even in the low end rider. height adjustable seat belts for front pasengers.FUEL CONSUMPTION.have so far driven only 1500 kms in last 20 days. have been driving at low speeds for wear in.. not more than 90 kph.. (been to pune once)..
And rest to thane (semi highway conditions). have got an average fuel consumption of 20 kmpl. with a diesel engine this is a real treat.. online fuel management system has trained me a lot to drive with best efficiency.OVERALL A WONDERFUL CAR.. CA RA OF THE FUTURE.. ITS MANUAL ALSO EMPHASISES A LOT ON FUEL ECONOMY.. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ETC...
