Skoda had planned to launch the 4th-gen Octavia in India by the end of 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic blew things out of place. A few days ago, the Director of Sales, Service and Marketing at Skoda Auto India, Zac Hollis, had tweeted that the 4th-gen Skoda Octavia was all set to be launched in India in the next two months and now, the company has made it official that it has started production of the new Octavia at its production facility in Shendra, Aurangabad.
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The celebratory Lava Blue vehicle dons the Lauren & Klement badge that pays homage to the founders of the longstanding Czech auto manufacturer as well as its 125 years of rich history and heritage.
Design
In terms of design, the all-new 4th gen Octavia now draws inspiration from Skoda’s latest design language. This means the car gets a more emotive look and slightly larger dimensions when compared to its predecessor.
The new design of the Octavia plays a vital role in improving the car’s aerodynamics and increase the overall fuel efficiency of the car.
Features
Apart from the design, the new Octavia will also be getting a bunch of hi-tech features like a set of new LED Matrix headlamps, a bigger interior, a new HUD (Heads-Up Display), two 10-inch touchscreens, a new shift-by-wire DSG gearbox and a bunch of innovative assistance systems such as Collision-Avoidance Assist and Exit Warning and not to forget, a lovely 2-spoke steering wheel.
Powertrain options
Globally, the 4th-gen Octavia is available with 3-mild hybrid petrol engine variants: a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder TSI mild-hybrid engine, a 1.0-litre 4-cylinder TSI mild-hybrid engine and a 2.0-litre TSI mild-hybrid engine producing 190 PS. The plug-in hybrid variant gets a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine. However, in India, it is going to be a petrol-only affair.
Skoda might bring in the 1.5L TSI petrol engine or a 2.0L TSI petrol engine to India. The former produces 150 PS of peak power and 250Nm of peak torque. The latter meanwhile, also does duties on the Skoda Superb and produces 190PS of peak power and 320Nm of peak torque. Both of these engines will be mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox. It will take on the Hyundai Elantra in the INR 20 lakh segment and hence, should be priced in the same bracket.
Official statement
Mr. Zac Hollis, Brand Director – ŠKODA AUTO India, said “The ŠKODA OCTAVIA has always offered a compelling combination of the brand’s emotive design, exquisite interiors, class leading safety, and intelligent connectivity features, and the all new iteration pushes the yardstick further. A twenty year run, and about a hundred thousand satisfied customers, is a testament to its strong equity among discerning car buyers in a dynamically evolving automotive market like India. With the commencement of production, we also commit to a stronger product portfolio as we look to grow our presence in India. In line with our laser sharp focus on customer centricity, we are also rapidly growing our network presence and have introduced several initiatives to ensure an unmatched ownership experience.”