New OCTAVIA: I’ve Been Driving It for a Year and a Half

MODELS OCTAVIA

Luboš Školník belongs to the group of test technicians at ŠKODA who are tasked with extensive testing of every new model before its market launch. He told ŠKODA Storyboard what his job actually entails and how he feels about the new OCTAVIA.

11. 11. 2019

“I’ve already had the opportunity to try out everything on the new car, from changing the glovebox light bulb to the most sophisticated driving assists”, smiles Luboš Školník, who already has plenty of experience with the new car. As a member of the department tasked with testing the complete car, he’s responsible for testing all the electric and electronic systems of the car – from the aforementioned lightbulbs to the interior controls, to driving assists and of course the whole infotainment setup.

“Of course, the design has also moved in a more modern direction,” he adds. Unlike most people, he’s already well acquainted with the new car’s looks. Immediately, he adds some driving impressions to his opinion of the car’s looks. “Compared to its predecessor, the car feels more sporty, yet safer as a whole.”

It turns out in the end that as a driver, the thing he enjoys the most is the modern driving assists offered by the fourth generation OCTAVIA. “For example, these include the Travel Assist system.”

These tests have to be done on a closed track, as all the driving assists must be reliable before the cars are driven on public roads. “We have to be focused and alert all the time,” Luboš says. While testing on public roads, he has to obey the traffic rules, watch out for other cars and still be able to monitor how the car and its systems behave in various situations.

Test technicians also have to make sure that the still-top-secret car is not revealed by mistake. “ŠKODA’s security department approves the test routes,” Luboš explains, and goes on to say that the main security tactic is to keep the car moving at all times. This makes it hard for any spy photographers to take pictures of details hidden under the camouflage.