Getting from A to B!

Car aficionados are a funny crowd. They can judge the make and year of a car by just a glance. Car enthusiasts are close... with their passion for anything on wheels.

I am neither. I drive a car simply to get from A to B, normally from home in Manama to the office in Sanad.

Courtesy of Ahmed Zayani Motors, I was given a chance to test drive the 2009 Octavia, a sedan by Czech car maker _koda Auto which was launched in 1996 as a 'small family car' by the company.

The _koda Octavia has the power under the pedal to ensure you can keep in the fast lane and whilst regularly cruising in traffic it proved to be the ultimate in smoothness.

For passengers, there is ample leg room and the car boot is impressively large, no problem with fitting in the weekend shopping from your favourite supermarket!

The instrument panel was particularly clear with the petrol, speed, mileage and other car information dials offering LED lighting which can be easily adjusted to the drivers preference.

An instrument panel contains climatic air conditioning control dials with an electronic link and integrated switches for making the seats even more comfortable.

The car's entertainment systems baosts a colour touch-screen display and there is a handy MDI interface (Media Device Interface) to allow an iPod to blast out your favourite tunes.

The designer of the new Octavia appear to have thought of everything, even providing a small slot to safely secure your phone and make it very accessible.

The car's outer presence is just as appealing. It comes with new headlights, wing mirrors with a larger area and 'fifth-generation' parking sensors.

As for the car's engine, the new version is available with five petrol and three diesel engines and a range of manual and automatic gearboxes. This includes a DSG 7¡ automatic transmission system, specially developed for the 1.8 TSI/118 kW (160 bhp) engine.

The Octavia's engine displacements and outputs cover a wide range, aiming to meet the needs of every driver. Petrol engines range from the 1.4 MPI/59 kW (80 bhp) to the top class 2.0 TSI with an output of 147 kW (200 bhp).

The Octavia's diesel offering includes the choice of two turbo engines with an output of 77 (105 bhp) or 103 kW (140 bhp), or a common rail fuel injected two-litre turbo-diesel with an output of 125 kW (170 bhp).

This bit of jargon normally confuses me, but once you get behind the wheel it is clear what a powerful machine this is. It feels safe, strong and looks attractive.