ANCAP rating for Octavia

[mrichards]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out the ANCAP star rating for Octavia's and Scouts sold in Australia.

The only results I can find thus far are Euro results where the cars scored 4 stars due to the fact that curtain airbags are not standard across the range.

Does anyone kow the score of Australian models with the extra airbags?

Thanks

[BluChris]

There is no updated ANCAP or Euro NCAP rating for the Octavia. It is officially a four star car. Would it reach 5 star? hard to say. If you add the additional points it could achieve through extra side impact testing that is only done if the car has curtains it suggests the Octavia is still a 4 star car, but at the top end. However it's more complex than this for all sorts of reasons, including that individual cars yield different results. The more examples you crash, the more realistic the rating.

In the end you have to decide whether you are happy with a 4 star car or not. I don't feel any less safe in my Octavia than I did in my previous car, which was 5 star. The Octavia is a safe car but not necessarily the safest in the price range. If safety is your absolute top priority go for the very safest car you can get for your $

[Inego]

Does anyone kow the score of Australian models with the extra airbags?

The EuroNCAP testing was on a 2004 model without curtain airbags. No tests of later models have been published. Skoda's view is that the curtain airbags and other changes since the testing would gain the Octavia 5 stars if tested.

[K1W1]

And once again we start on the "why don't Skoda get off their backside and do a retest" discussion just as we have numerous times in the past.

[gldgti]

If safety is your top priority good defensive driving will be far more effective than a 5 star ANCAP rating.

[BluChris]

I wish I could agree on the defensive driving recommendation but I can't. The evidence is that these courses make no difference to road safety, and in fact can make things worse through encouraging over confidence in one's ability to manage extreme driving conditions. Actual real world, on road driving experience makes the biggest difference to driver safety, along with the right attitudes and behaviours.

My original point about the 4 vs 5 star rating is that 4 stars is still considered safe. Check the ANCAP site - they recommend people buy at least a 4 star car. Sure, you can argue a 5 star car is better than a 4, but it is really much more complex than that and unless you plan to get an engineering degree and spend lots of time studying vehicle safety it's easy to get caught up to little effect. Bottom line? 4 stars or 5, ABS, ESC, full set of airbags including side curtains. Octavia meets these criteria so it's fine. Owners need to stop worrying about the whole 'it would get 5 stars if it was retested thing'. Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't. Repeat after me "4 stars is still safe, 4 stars is safe" until satisfied...

[brad]

My original point about the 4 vs 5 star rating is that 4 stars is still considered safe. Repeat after me "4 stars is still safe, 4 stars is safe" until satisfied...

Couldn't agree more.

I wish I could agree on the defensive driving recommendation but I can't. The evidence is that these courses make no difference to road safety, and in fact can make things worse through encouraging over confidence in one's ability to manage extreme driving conditions. Actual real world, on road driving experience makes the biggest difference to driver safety, along with the right attitudes and behaviours.

I think the biggest issue is that a lot of service providers offer an Advanced Driving course but call it Defensive Driving. I've done both & they are very different animals. i can honestly say that a Defensive Driving course made me a safer driver.

Here's my list of things that in the last 25 years (of 33 yrs driving) changed my habits & made me a safer driver:

• Random Breath Testing
• huge accident with subsequent court visit for neg driving & other charges - very much a wake-up call.
• Proper Defensive Driving course
• huge daily commute to get to work with no public transport options
• kids in car
• Better cars
• cars with more low down grunt
• cars with more power
• better handling cars

things that didn't help at all:

• huge accident at Oran Park complete with broken bones
• About a dozen minor accidents for various reasons
• draconian Speed laws & cameras, etc
• nagging women in the passenger seat
• Advanced Driving course
• joining & participating in a sports orientated car club

[Inego]

Owners need to stop worrying about the whole 'it would get 5 stars if it was retested thing'. Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't. Repeat after me "4 stars is still safe, 4 stars is safe" until satisfied...

Let's remember that the VE Commodore was an unsafe 4 star ANCAP car until the major modification of......





.......adding a seatbelt warning alarm.

But a new test to actually take the Octavia to 5 stars would be useful for some people.

[K1W1]

The Yeti got 5 stars last week.

ANCAP Octavia data

[woofy]

Makes you really wonder why they didn't get the Octavia done at launch then, now its probably not worth doing.

[brad]

Interesting ANCAP figures KIWI.
Both vehicles got 16/16 for side impact.
The Octy didn't do the optional pole test due to lack off side airbags, so it loses 2 points straight away. Lets assume side airbags will give you an immediate 2 point score
Offset crash test the Yeti scored 4 points (40%) better. I find that interesting. Certainly, I'd be concerned about the amount of brown on the Octavia diagram.

Oh well, I still think I'm safer than any other car I've ever owned or currently have to drive (work cars, etc)

[BluChris]

As I suggested before, if you add in 2 points for the pole test because the Australian version has standard curtain airbags, you notionally get a high 4 star rating. It falls just a little short of the minimum for 5 stars. It's possible another sample might make 5 stars, but it's just as possible it won't. Since Skoda hasn't submitted another car for testing we'll never know.

I knew the Octavia was 4 stars when I bought it, and I knew the main risk was driver knee injuries because I looked at the ANCAP report before buying. In other ways it performs well for occupants, including really critical areas like head injury risk. An increased risk of knee injury relative to some other cars on the market was not enough to make me run screaming into the night. If it worries others a great deal that's fair enough and maybe this isn't the car for some of you.

Otherwise, refer back to my first post. It IS a safe car and it falls into the group that ANCAP recommend - 4 stars plus with all the right equipment.

[woofy]

Put it this way, I have an rs, I'm about to pick up a brand new 5 star rated Santa fe, I know which car I feel safer in. It might be 5 stars, but avoiding an accident in the first place the Skoda would win every time just due to the cars handling.

[gldgti]

diggin up an old thread, just htought I'd mention - my original comment (as brad has illustrated well) wasnt about defensive driving courses - I laugh at the idea really. I mean actual defensive driving out on the road - something that comes with experience and personal training. Its a method of driving that requires a lot of thought, constant attention and concious refinement of skills whilst you drive every day - and if you dont, you fall into bad habits and become complacent.

Nothing at all to do with someone taking your money to teach you how to skid.

Couldn't agree more.


I think the biggest issue is that a lot of service providers offer an Advanced Driving course but call it Defensive Driving. I've done both & they are very different animals. i can honestly say that a Defensive Driving course made me a safer driver.

Here's my list of things that in the last 25 years (of 33 yrs driving) changed my habits & made me a safer driver:

• Random Breath Testing
• huge accident with subsequent court visit for neg driving & other charges - very much a wake-up call.
• Proper Defensive Driving course
• huge daily commute to get to work with no public transport options
• kids in car
• Better cars
• cars with more low down grunt
• cars with more power
• better handling cars

things that didn't help at all:

• huge accident at Oran Park complete with broken bones
• About a dozen minor accidents for various reasons
• draconian Speed laws & cameras, etc
• nagging women in the passenger seat
• Advanced Driving course
• joining & participating in a sports orientated car club