In response to the question "why not buy in France"  the price of used cars here is quite high in relation to the UK, an average of 5000 euros more for the same spec. car, there is no problem driving a right hand drive here and if we drive to Calais ,8hours from here, it is motorway/dual carriageway all the way with the exception of the first few miles.Have just sold our old car, 2005 Berlingo for what we paid for it 4 years ago.

Looking forward to collecting the new car

Not Skoda-related but my Focus ST (with xenons) has a setting in the vehicle setup / lighting section where you tell the car whether oncoming traffic is on your left or your right.  If you have the satnav enabled it does it automatically.

 

I'm sure Skoda must have something similar?

Edited 6 September, 20169 yr by SkodaVRS1963

Yes.. xenon equipped cars use the sat-nav to determine where you are and switch the lights as appropriate.

 

The xenons on my Saab still require me to open covers and flick a lever but it's very quick to do at least.

Must have been dreaming every time I changed it at the ferry port on the way back to uk.

 

 

UK headlights are http://www.theskodashop.co.uk/pub/files/.thumbnails/1240587667_ZGB1Z0072100_w450_h400.jpg while European headlights are http://cms2.netnews.cz/files/shop-images/6495308/9178-xenon-O2-predface.jpg

 

I've checked an 07 Mk2 and an 04 Mk2 and neither of them had the adjustment lever. Maybe the facelift had it?

 

This is because the vast majority of mainland Europe non-xenon MkII Octavia's had the non-projector type headlight - no lever.

 

All UK MkII Octavia's (xenon and non-xenon) had the projector type headlights and therefore had the lever.

 

No lever (non-projector)...

 

 

Lever present (projector)...

 

I suspect the reason Skoda have removed the lever from halogen headlights on the MkIII is due to the access limitations.

 

The MkII had a neat feature where the headlight slid out on runners, there was also ample space in the engine bay directly behind the lights for a hand.

 

In the MkIII it is nigh on impossible to get to the back of the lights, little point in a lever in this case.

 

If you drive overseas on a regular basis then the factory fitted bi-xenon headlights could be a worthwhile investment.