Gerrycan

Neither the 1.0tsi or 1.6d Octavia have ever been sold in Australia where I live but looking at the respective figures and extrapolating from similar engines in other models that I have driven then I'd be surprised if there much difference in hill climbing ability between the two engines. Someone please correct me if I am wrong but I believe the 1.0tsi in the Octavia produces 200Nm from something like 2000-3500 rpm (I don't have a brochure) and I am guessing the 1.6d is 250Nm over something like 1700-2700rpm. Bearing the in mind the petrol engine model is likely lower geared and noticeably lighter with a wider rev range (low rev max torque to high rev max power) and much happier to rev out where required then I don't see that the small turbo petrol would be severely disadvantaged. It is probably faster in the 0-60 dash, the difference being the effective torque at the wheels Where I think you will see a major difference is during descents. My larger 1.4tsi engine Octavia offers stuff-all engine braking on a long 12.5% (1in 8) gradient, even in low gears, so I imagine the 1.0tsi offers still less especially when compared to the 1.6d. It just means that you will probably be using the brakes a lot more than you currently do which is not really a problem but something to be aware of. That is the theory, now it just needs you to arrange a test drive when you can to confirm or disprove it. I think you would prefer the 1.5tsi though. I'm considering the locally available manual 1.0tsi Karoq and the newly released (here) manual 1.5tsi Scala which are similarly priced as possible replacements for my existing Octavia. Hopefully find some time for test drives over the next couple of weeks but I bet they don't have manuals available.

If the dealer is a VW/Skoda specialist then could a standard tune have been reinstated? I guess a one off timed 0-60 would pretty quickly confirm the ECU status....you know just out of curiosity

Doh!

I forgot the UK lockdown. That makes your reported consumption is really quite impressive as a lot of really short runs really cruels the economy figures for any wholly ICE powered vehicle (I know that from the number of trips I make supporting aged relatives at their local retirement village). I've seen our long term average speed as low as 18kph :( . Thinking about it a bike loaded with shopping through Cumbrian hills, in winter would struggle to match that speed as well Be interesting to hear how you go with the new car through a 'vaccinated' summer though.

My tuppence worth, and this is only my opinion: The vRS is a good, versatile car and probably matches, or even slightly betters, the consumption of any of its rivals of similar weight/power/performance/price in like conditions but if fuel consumption is an important consideration for you then the vRS may be the wrong choice. You have already (and sensibly imo) ruled out the potentially much more economical diesel and I assume because of relatively low annual mileage and consequent possible dpf issues which compromise its potential, so have you considered the 1.5tsi petrol option? I'd expect the new 1.5tsi to match or better my 2014 1.4tsi manual estate with an overall average of 45mpg with variations of 40 to 60 mpg per fill depending on driving environment and it really has not done many longer journeys over the last 3 years. It is not that much 'slower' than a diesel vRS. The advantages of a 1.5tsi, other than consumption, is if you are buying new then lower initial purchase/lease costs (lower depreciation?), lower road tax and insurance while retaining the inherent versatility of the Octavia. The disadvantages are that you would not get the irs of the vRS, or the performance and handling package, and if you are looking at an automatic then you get the potentially less durable 'dry' DSG as opposed to the more durable 'wet' DSG on the more powerful engines. Pragmatically, the extra performance of the standard vRS is unlikely to reduce your regular commute by even a minute, I mean look at the average speeds quoted previously from existing vRS owners, in one case I would say they could better it on a bicycle and that is not a reflection on the car or driver but congested public roads. I personally would not even consider a performance re-flash on a new car because apart from the probable warranty invalidation, greater wear and tear on tyres and traction issues, even greater risk of speeding fines and possible risk to my family if I'm tempted to drive like an abbreviated richard (apologies to all Richards) I don't think I would get my money back on improved consumption. Having said all that; current low petrol prices and low annual mileage mean that the current cost saving of better consumption is relatively small (under a thousand pounds?) so it is only important as insurance against future fuel price increases or the satisfaction of being more socially responsible and trying to reduce your carbon footprint. I'm just saying you should at least test drive a 1.5tsi, which can be surprisingly spritely and pulls well from low revs, if only to discount it as an option, and then there is the 1.0tsi....

@Robank you might like to read the following Briskoda mk3 thread from a contributor in Finland who has now had two mk3 1.0tsi Octavia. Replacing a 1.0 TSI with ... a 1.0 TSI :) - Skoda Octavia Mk III (2013 onward) - BRISKODA I've only driven a 1.0tsi in a loan manual Fabia and was pretty impressed by what it offered in terms of the economy/performance/refinement balance. Definitely not a sports car but more than enough for daily driving and occasional overtaking. Seeing as how you are in Scotland with many hills there is one aspect of the small VW turbo engines that you should at least be aware of and that is with regard the lack of engine braking available. When I drove our fully loaded Octavia with the larger 1.4tsi in the hills of Tasmania I was shocked at how much braking I had to do on comparatively shallow descents while the engine was in 2nd gear revving its nuts off contributing virtually nothing. Ascents of the same hills were a breeze. Generally it's not a problem, even an advantage, as most of our local driving is on really flat land but I know it would get to me if I lived in hills. I'd probably look at getting a hybrid to store that braking energy if I did.

No you are not compelled to use a Skoda dealer, but in my experience there is not that much difference between independent servicing prices and Skoda fixed contract pricing, plus you get even better servicing pricing if you buy a 3 or 5 year Skoda servicing contract (the latter not available when I bought mine). I was not aware but fully believe what you and @whitevx say about other VAG group dealerships offering servicing in dealership holes, logical since so many components are shared across the group. Originally there was only one Skoda dealership in Adelaide when the brand was reintroduced here about 11 years ago and naturally that was with main dealer for whole VAG group, so my mk2 was serviced in the same facilities used for VW/Audi/Bentley and it was conveniently placed. Somewhat ironic when as a couple of times they tried to charge me at VW Golf rates instead of the Octavia $30 cheaper rate (same engine/transmission, just different badge). My problem was that the local Skoda dealership and servicing went to another agent and their facilities were further away and much more inconvenient (and nowhere near as pristine as the former location) so I did start looking at alternatives but figured servicing travel was just a once a year issue I could cope with. I think the importing company structure is differs in NZ and Aus as well as the fact that you don't have our crap high sulphur fuel, our ADR (Australian Design Rules) complications so NZ gets to see new issue of cars far earlier than we do.

Looking through this forum on the Kodiak, there ae no real issues being reported on the UK market However you should consider what you intend to do in the car. First off it is not a real off-road vehicle in the Australian sense, but perfectly adequate for our reasonably well maintained dirt roads, AWD is useful for when it gets wet or getting on/off a firm beach. The lack of ground clearance is the main issue. If you are looking at doing any towing then be aware then you need to check the price of getting one fitted (relatively expensive) and its capabilities in terms of ball weight (relatively low). Tiguan options are better for towing as they can take a 200 kg ball-weight which is better suited to Aus caravans. Diesel comes with DPF (as every diesel does now in Aus) but be aware they are not good news if your vehicle is only used for school drop/pickup and the local shops. It really needs a decent run at least every couple of weeks to successfully complete a particulate burnoff. The 2.0tsi petrol engine is good, relatively economical and the DSG gearbox is the heavy duty 'wet' kind which I like and more reliable than some other options. However if you are used to a torque converter box you should get a decent test drive to make sure you like its characteristics, great on the go but some are not happy with it in stop/go conditions or reversing up a slope. The problem with the Aus Skoda dealers is that they are relatively rare, so if you have a good one reasonably close to you then there should be no issue. Legally you can use a registered independent without affecting your 5 year warranty but I am not sure if they have access to updating your automated Skoda service record. So you would have to keep the receipts and reports as proof that servicing has been maintained if you choose that path. The pre-purchase servicing packages are better value but they do tie you to Skoda dealerships, although my experience with Adelaide dealers over 11 years of Skoda ownership is that they are pretty good.

I thought you'd also comment on his conversion rate to shillings.....unless it means they are still accepted in Scotland and his rates are close?

Yeah they are pretty odd but I am not sure the far too many head-on collisions that occur on that route were actually on those segments.

Google says it's 666 km between Canberra and Melbourne so your 7.2L/100 for the 6.5hr hour journey in a heavy awd vehicle lacking good aero is a good return. If I did your journey at your speeds in my 1.4tsi Octavia I'd expect consumption similar your 103tdi Superb. I usually get better returns on longer runs though due to the slower single lane interstate carriageways out of Adelaide where I am happier cruising at a genuine 100kph among the trucks rather than constantly risking life and speeding fines overtaking them.

My 2014 Octavia also does the occasional rear wiper thing too and it is a good feature for me. Not that it has rained here in Adelaide much in December despite being unseasonally cool. A forecast 24 C for my 'traditional' Aussie Christmas day swim. I will wait for the first clear shark spotter plane flypast before I go in though I believe The auto rear wipe can be turned off in the settings. Your excellent consumption returns continue.

Fog lights do not project much light ahead so I don't think think they would add the sort of road illumination the OP is looking for. I've only got halogens I find them adequate on our Australian non illuminated country roads but only in the dry, which is most of the time The other problem we have is that we have long straight stretches of road so even though the oncoming traffic may be kilometres away it is really anti-social to run the high beams, which does not stop some people.

Might have been a chubby driver?

Look in the Superb mk3 section for the thread 'Improving Battery Mileage'. The hybrid owner is not happy with his winter battery performance deterioration.

The Superb and Kodiaq have never been released with 1.4 or 1.5tsi engines in Australia so they only got the heavier duty 'wet' DSG with 2.0L diesel or petrol engines. A recent trend for Skoda Australia is for the 'dry' DSG to be replaced with a torque converter automatic and replace the 1.5tsi used in Europe with the old 1.4tsi. Understandable as the majority of Aussies have never driven a manual and were used to the torque converters fitted when we had a car manufacturing industry mating them to big V6 and V8 engines. Dry DSGs treated like a torque converter in traffic will wear out the clutch units, treat them as you would a manual box and it makes sense they will last. Our emission standards are still Euro 5 level and our fuel has a high sulphur content which not good for PPFs

The only pairing I can remember with the 1.4tsi (150bhp) and DQ250 6 speed gearbox was in an AWD Yeti.

@ERIK99, you have not given us any details of your actual journey and speeds. The WLTP cycle is mostly slow and stationary traffic which is quite punitive for ICE but EVs fair comparatively well it is also conducted at a nominal 20 deg C so they don't heat or cool the cabin. If you have a motorway journey at speed and heating the cabin, seats and steering wheel then consumption would inevitably be high

A few years back we had a Kia 1.6d hire car for a UK holiday and did a lot of miles there on the crowded motorways. The last thing we wanted was a speed ticket while abroad and since we were in no hurry just went with the traffic flow. We usually got 70+mpgs from a tank but while we were doing the tourist thing down in Devon and Cornwall it was notable that our average dropped to around 50mpg despite clear off-peak-season roads., I presumed it was the effect of steep hills and cautious driving on one car-wide only country lanes. I was aware of regens when they happened but they were pretty rare. Definitely not spirited driving but it did dawn on me after a while that I got better consumption and driving experience by ignoring the displays recommended gear, which always had me trying to slog the engine in low revs. and choosing at least one gear higher for more comfortable revs. I first joined Briskoda about 6 years back when we got our current 14tsi mk3 Octavia and I remember a regular contributor of the time recounting a situation where he swapped vehicles with his wife for a month or so. He usually got 50's in a 2.0tdi Octavia on his regular longer commute but was horrified to subsequently find out that his wife's consumption had dropped down to the teens with her usual short local journeys. When they swapped back again the Octavia consumption returned back to normal on his commute. I think she may have got on the wrong side of continually interrupted DPF regens?

I'm going to guess that a lot of short journeys in cool, and probably wet, weather is going to compound the problem and make it harder to get the exhaust to a soot-burning operating temperature and maintain it. Small direct injection/turbo motors are relatively efficient so there is not a great deal of superheated exhaust. Even revs on engine overrun is likely to extend the process by allowing cooling air through the exhaust. You might find that allowing the engine to continue to tickover at a high rate until complete is the most efficient way? During our cooler months in Adelaide a series of short runs in our non-PPF 2014 1.4tsi will result in an exhaust so full of water it gurgles like an old man with pneumonia.

Hi @scubasad, What sort of annual mileage do you anticipate in your possible post covid, post brexit, retirement world? Are looking at buying new or second-hand? I'm assuming second hand since you posted in the mk3 section and a new model Mk4 is out Have you driven a VRS to know whether you like it or not? Same for DSG transmission? There are other possible factors that you don't need to share here but will influence your decision like personal health, grandkids, dogs, elderly dependants, partner's preferences etc. Not to mention possible UK diesel exclusion zones?? The DSG box in the VRS is very efficient, when compared to traditional torque converter automatics, comparable economy to a manual but the manual will usually have the slight edge in the right hands. DSG boxes are brilliant 'on-the-go' swapping pre-selected gears almost seamlessly and instantly. Some people have some issues in stop/start traffic and pulling away quickly at roundabouts. I think this latter may be an issue with stop/start features, a bit of turbo lag and driving mode selected. If the preselected gear is different to what is suddenly needed then there may be a hesitation. Some also report 'delays' engaging reverse gear and reversing up slopes. Can't say I have witnessed issues with any DSG I have driven although I don't own one. Something for you to investigate on any test drive though. The clutch packs in the more robust 'wet' DSG (above 250Nm) sit in an oil bath, are very robust and suffer little wear even when stressed by towing or fanging, but that oil must be changed at recommended times and is not cheap. I believe CVT's have similar maintenance requirements though. The water pumps on VAG group diesels are a known weakness and may need replacement at anything from 20k to 60k+ miles. It is not a catastrophic failure there usually being plenty of warning as the temp gauge starts to fluctuate, plenty of threads on it. Personally if I were only going to do low annual mileage and lots of short trips then I'd strongly consider petrol.

I think I have only experienced what you described once in six years of ownership of my 1.4tsi on dry smooth tarmac. More right foot than usual in first gear to avoid faster than anticipated oncoming traffic. The turbo kicking in so vigorously surprised me and I experienced the wheel spin/hop, some torque steer as well but all manageable. There is not much weight over the front wheels with the 1.4tsi compared to diesels and that would probably account for a bit of the difference you experienced between the two. Although the mk3 1.4tsi is not that bad, my previous mk2 1.9pd was exceptionally stable in severe crosswind conditions and I always put that down to the extra weight under the bonnet.

An indicated consumption figure of 2.3L/hour at idle with no ancilliaries running is very high. I have not owned a diesel with a dpf filter but my old 1.9pd diesel in the mk2 used to show 0.5L/hour at its natural 900rpm idle when warm. Even my current 1.4tsi display shows 0.5L/hr at idle in similar circumstances. Sounds like the car is locked into a permanent and continuous regeneration? Only with the aircon on at full blast during a 47 degree day have I seen idle consumption near 2L/hour.

Thanks for your comments, I am considering one when they release here in Australia in 2021. To edit a comment you click on the three dots in the top right corner of the comment box and Edit is one of the options (if using a PC).

Last time I read an owners manual it recommended to not add aftermarket additives to any lubricants or fuel. But it is your car and you can put what you want in it.