The 2020 Skoda Octavia is the fourth generation of the car and it will be coming to India next year. It has grown in size and likely in price too, with the added features it now has. Expect the Skoda Octavia to be priced between Rs 20 lakh and Rs 30 lakh.
So what’s new? For one, it has an all-new design based on a modified version of the Volkswagen group’s MQB platform. While globally it comes in lift-back sedan and Kombi (station-wagon) body styles, India will only get the sedan version.
The car gets Skoda’s new family look grille and LED daytime running lamps in its quad-headlamp design. The wheelbase and length have increased and it has a more rounded profile rather than the sharp edges of the current Octavia. The rear gets wrap-around LED tail-lamps quite like the Superb. Boot space has increased to from 590 litres to 600 litres now.
The big change is on the inside. There are far more soft-touch materials. The automatic now gets a drive-by-wire shifter and the instrument panel is an all-digital affair. It has customisable screens that can shift from showing gauges to navigation.
There’s also a 10-inch touch-screen infotainment system that appears to be floating above the dashboard. It apparently has a voice-assistant now called Laura. Really? It’s loaded to the gills with features.
It has telematics with an e-SIM built in to remotely monitor vehicle functions. It gets wireless charging, heads-up display, adaptive cruise control, ambient lighting, massage seats, and three-zone automatic climate control.
Skoda isn’t likely to offer a diesel model in India this time around. It will come with two petrol-engine models - a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor that puts out 150PS of power and a 2-litre turbocharged unit putting out 190PS of power. It will get six-speed manual and 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox options.
The Skoda Octavia was first launched in India in 2002, followed by the second-generation car known as the Laura in India, and then back to the Octavia brand for the third generation in 2013.
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