The Fourth-Gen Skoda Octavia boasts of stupendous styling and a host of impressive in-cabin tech. But, when will India get this? Read on to find out…
The Octavia has long been the global bestseller for Škoda. The car, that had been first introduced in 1959, has had quite a number of generations over time and had been selling good numbers all the while. Skoda’s net global sales could be said DEPENDENT on the Octavia! Over 6 million Octavias have been sold globally since 1996. The first generation car is still sought after by many in India as a classic piece to own. The Octavia has just hit the news again with its fourth generation being unveiled globally. The mk4 further takes the saga ahead by building a longer and wider car than the outgoing model, that is indeed stuffed with features, safety tech and equipment.
What Is New?
The 2020 Skoda Octavia is much larger in dimensions and undoubtedly more spacious than ever. The rear knee room has had a decent boost, now tipping to the 78mm mark. The boot capacity of the car has also seen a 10L hike, to finally touch the 600L graduation.
The exterior has been drawn and designed with absolute elegance and precision. The car has become sharper and more striking to the eye in terms of exterior design than its predecessor. It now looks more inspired by other Škoda cars like the Skoda Superb and the Skoda Scala (global model).
The vehicle would be available in the international markets, both as the popular Skoda Octavia sedan and the globally acclaimed Skoda Octavia estate (which by the way, has a MASSIVE 640L boot now!). Needless to say in particular, India is expected to get just the sedan guise. But when? Well, we will talk about that towards the end of this piece.
The design is strictly ŠKODA. While remaining all the more emotive and dynamic, it pays decent homage to the previous generations of the Octavia. The new front apron, narrower headlamps with integrated DRLs, shallow roof rails etc make for probably the best-looking estate among the ŠKODA Octavia Combi generations yet. The sedan speaks of suave body lines and enchanting exteriors too.
According to Oliver Stefani, Head of ŠKODA AUTO Design “With the new OCTAVIA, in addition to the emotive and sculptural elements of the current ŠKODA design language, we paid particular attention to elegant and dynamic proportions whilst further improving the amount of interior space. The elongated silhouette and the large wheels measuring up to 19 inches lend the OCTAVIA a powerful appearance.”
The eminent design of the car has had its charms on the aerodynamics as well. The drag coefficient (cd) has come down to 0.24 for the sedan and 0.26 for COMBI. This essentially means that the new Octavia outshines its rivals on fronts of aerodynamics. This has been a boon on the emission and efficiency fronts as well.
ALSO READ: Our Skoda Octavia 2018 Review !
The interior of the 2020 Skoda Octavia has been completely redesigned. Reflections of what Volkswagen group had recently done to the Volkswagen Golf can be traced here as well. The new Octavia gets an absolutely new dashboard and a new tablet-like standalone infotainment screen. The 2 spoke steering wheel looks as fancy as it actually is.
The shifter for the automatic transmission is no longer that chunky lever that the previous generation Skoda Octavia used, but instead a sleek selector beautifully integrated into the central arena. There is also a new ambient lighting system with 10 selectable colours and an optional Canton Sound system on offer. Thus it is a very innovative, practical and aesthetically appealing cabin that the new Skoda Octavia has.
Powerhouse Stories?
The 2020 Octavia comes with a plethora of engines, both conventional and alternative fuel-based ones. There are three patrols on offer viz- 1.0 TSI EVO, 1.5 TSI EVO, and 2.0TSI (with the former two mated to 6 speed manuals and the last coupled to a 7 speed DSG) There is also a 2.0L TDI that comes in three different states of tune- letting out 116 PS/300 Nm, 116 PS/250 Nm, 150 PS/ 340 Nm, 150 PS/360 Nm and 200 PS/400 Nm.
The higher diesels get the option of all-wheel drive systems as well. Besides these, there are also CNG based 1.5 TSI G-TEC powertrains and mild hybrid powerhouses as well. The new Octavia even gets a Plug-in Hybrid guise with a 1.4 TSI iV mill and a 6 speed DSG, good enough to let out as many as 204 horses and 350 Nm!
The long roof guise of the 2020 Octavia will be the first to go on sale. Plans for the Octavia RS? Well, it is heard that Skoda has them intact as well! Thus expect the RS and the Scout variants to hit the markets soon in 2020.
India Launch?
Yes, we know you have been waiting for this. The 2020 Skoda Octavia India debut will reportedly be happening in 2020. The new Octavia is among the few exciting launches Skoda has in plans for India, the coming year. The next-generation Octavia RS 245, facelifted Skoda Superb, updated Skoda Rapid are all awaiting India. They are also reportedly readying a mid-size SUV, under the India 2.0 initiative by Volkswagen Group. Expect these to be showcased at the upcoming Auto Expo.
In India, Skoda Octavia will go against the likes of Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Toyota Corolla Altis. Trust me, the Skoda Octavia vs Honda Civic question would give you a tough time answering!
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