My OCTAVIA SCOUT Is as Adventurous as I Am

My OCTAVIA SCOUT Is as Adventurous as I Am

His blue OCTAVIA SCOUT literally criss-crosses the whole Europe, often towing a small caravan. Adventurer Ivoš Mrázek heaps praise on his car, but even so, he’s looking forward to the new generation of OCTAVIA, with which he intends to replace his current car at some point in the future.

11. 11. 2019 Models Octavia

Traveller Ivoš is really excited about the new generation, mostly because he’s so satisfied with his current car. However, as he’s already clocked more than 120,000 kilometres on paved and unpaved roads – and away from roads altogether, it’s obvious that the time will come to replace this extremely well-tested car.

ŠKODA cars, especially the OCTAVIA, are his obvious favourites, although he has tried other brands several times. He owned the first generation OCTAVIA, then the second generation in the SCOUT version and now the third generation OCTAVIA SCOUT. “I tried similar cars from other brands, but none of them lasted very long. For me, the OCTAVIA SCOUT represents the ideal combination of utility, running costs and off-road abilities,” says Ivoš, explaining his reasons for preferring prefer this model.

ivos-circleIvoš Mrázek
adventurer

On the road, off the road

In the hands of Ivoš Mrázek, the OCTAVIA SCOUT experiences some real adventures. “We take trips all around Europe, often towing a caravan. I’m a very active person: we go rafting, to the mountains and take various other trips. My OCTAVIA SCOUT is a similar kind of adventurer to me.”

skoda-scout-old-trip.JPGŠKODA OCTAVIA – the second generation in the SCOUT version

The car not only does long trips fully loaded and with that small caravan, but it also ventures off the road. “I don’t like sleeping somewhere in a hotel or on a camping ground, then having to pack in the morning before I can go where I want. The OCTAVIA SCOUT, combined with our small caravan, gives me absolute freedom”, remarks Ivoš, explaining how comfortable and important it is for him to wake up near the ski slope or the river he’s about to raft. This was one of the reasons why he replaced his first generation OCTAVIA with the second one in the SCOUT guise – the standard car didn’t allow him to go everywhere that he wanted to.

skoda-octavia-kayak-river.JPGŠKODA OCTAVIA – the second generation in the SCOUT version

Of course, his approach often leads him over quite rough terrain. The OCTAVIA SCOUT is often able to traverse it even with that caravan. “A light caravan - under 750 kilograms - is the key, as the OCTAVIA is able to tow it even in rough conditions and the caravan is able to travel over the same terrain as the car,” says Ivoš, describing his experiences.

skoda-octavia-scout-caravanŠKODA OCTAVIA – the third generation in the SCOUT version

Which is the most extreme place that he’s managed to reach with his car? “Once, in Corsica, we decided to go all the way to a lovely beach which was, in fact, just a smattering of half-metre ruts and jumps. We didn’t make it all the way to the waterline, but my colleagues with real off-roaders only made it as far as I did with my OCTAVIA SCOUT,” laughs Ivoš, adding that no one was brave enough to go any further.

skoda-scout-octavia-old-scenery.JPGŠKODA OCTAVIA – the second generation in the SCOUT version

Ivoš has many more stories about his OCTAVIA holding its own. “Once we were in the Austrian Alps and one and a half metres of snow fell overnight. Still, we needed to get through a pass and we decided to just try. Although there were cars scattered in the ditches all around the road, we managed to claw our way up the hill - even with our caravan,” he recalls. He admits, however, that one colleague with a 4x4 car helped him that day. “The connected cars with their 8x8 power made it,” he laughs.

skoda-octavia-scout-winter-tripŠKODA OCTAVIA – the third generation in the SCOUT version

Space and technology

In his hands, the OCTAVIA SCOUT is able to cope with really extreme conditions. Something like the ten-day adventure in Norway, during which Ivoš covered almost six thousand kilometres, starts to look like an ordinary trip. “Even this is really rough on the car”, explains Ivoš. He praises its comfort. “I noticed vastly improved sound insulation in the third generation OCTAVIA, which is pleasant on longer trips. From long-term experience, I can say that the build quality is a bit better here as well,” he adds. He’s also noticed a significant improvement in fuel economy between the generations. “Now, I save about a litre per 100 km compared to the previous model,” he boasts.

skoda-octavia-scout-transport-kayakŠKODA OCTAVIA – the third generation in the SCOUT version

“I certainly want the fourth generation,” says Ivoš Mrázek, returning to his desire from the beginning of this article. By his own account, he’s looking forward most of all to another increase in the interior space, which will once again improve the occupants’ comfort on long trips. “Alongside the increase in width and other dimensions that have already been announced, I also expect the next generation to be even better at towing my caravan. And with better overall aerodynamics, I hope that the combination could be even more fuel efficient than the current car.”

He’s also excited for the technological features of the new generations. “I work in IT and I love technology, but they are not the crucial part of the car for me. Still, if there’s a wireless charging, so I don’t need to have cables everywhere, it will be that much more pleasant.”

skoda-octavia-scout-steering-wheelŠKODA OCTAVIA – the third generation in the SCOUT version, interior