Skoda Octavia Scout – prices announced

The Skoda Octavia Scout has gone on sale with prices starting from £25,315. Available in estate form only, the Scout comes equipped with raised suspension, plastic mouldings to protect its bodywork from scrapes, and grippy four-wheel drive for light off-roading.

Skoda claims a 20 per cent improvement on fuel consumption compared to the outgoing model. The car is available with two 2.0-litre diesel engines to choose from, with 148bhp or 182bhp.

Both versions return 55.4mpg, but the less powerful version emits 126g/km of CO2 costing £110 a year, while the 182bhp version emits 134g/km meaning road tax will cost £130 a year.

Rather than being a full-blown SUV, the Scout is aimed at people who might occasionally venture down muddy farms tracks or across fields. The extra grip of the four-wheel drive, and the model’s powerful diesel engines, make it ideal for towing.

Safety features are carried over from the rest of the range. That means the Scout is fitted with nine airbags, Crew Protection Assistant that primes the car’s seatbelts and closes the windows in the event of an accident, plus a driver fatigue sensor.

Options include park assist, which parks the car autonomously with the driver controlling the accelerator and brake, automatically dipping headlights, and a rear-view parking camera.

Skoda sold 56,300 Scouts worldwide between 2007 and 2013, which accounts for eight per cent of all Octavia Estates ever sold. Read our review of the Skoda Octavia estate – and all other models in the Skoda range – by visiting the Carbuyer Skoda reviews page.