Category: Small Family 
Price Range: No data available
Practical, reasonably adept, good-looking.
Not as cheap as you'd hope; feeling rather dated now.
The Scout's not quite as good value for money as the mainstream Octavias, but it's a useful family vehicle.
For around two-thirds of the price of an Audi A6 Allroad Quattro comes a Volkswagen Group car in a similar vein: the Skoda Octavia Scout. It's an estate car with 4x4 ambitions and its raised ground clearance, four-wheel-drive, wider wheels, fatter bumpers, body mouldings and off-roading aids such as sump guards, kick plates and protective wheel-arch strips all contribute to that SUV feel.
Of course, it's not an all-out off-roader, but it can go places other estate cars can't.
The Octavia Scout's Haldex clutch (as in the non-Scout 4x4 models) reacts to changes in traction. It runs in front-wheel-drive mode in normal road conditions, but if slippage is sensed it diverts drive to the rear axle. torque (pulling power) can also be split side to side to both the left-hand or right-hand wheels by the electronic differential lock. Further electronic assistance comes from hill hold control - to stop you slipping backwards - and stability control.
Engine options comprise the 150bhp 2.0 FSI (direct-injection) petrol and 140bhp 2.0 TDI diesel.
Standard equipment includes black roof rails, 17-inch alloy wheels, double stainless-steel exhausts, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, front fog lights, headlight washers and a CD changer.
Thing is, all this tots up. Prices start from £17,925 and by the time you've added options such as sat nav, you're looking at £20,000 car - and you can get a larger, posher, plusher Volkswagen Passat 4Motion estate for not much more.
