Regulars here would remember that we have been reporting in detail about the soon-to-be-launched new Skoda Octavia. As we have been saying, the new Octavia will be launched in India in as many as three engine variants. Power options for the car include-
- The internationally acclaimed 1.4 litre TSI Petrol engine
- The 1.8 TSi Petrol engine from the Laura
- The 2.0 TDi Diesel engine, again from the Laura
While the 2.0 TDi powered diesel variant is sure to be responsible for the major chunk of sales and the 1.8 TSi would impress driving enthusiasts and car aficionados across the country, the 1.4 TSi, which will be the entry level engine option, should appeal to those who neither have high running to justify buying the diesel variant nor wish to play the boy racer with the 1.8 TSi.
We also drove the Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSi back when we tested the diesel variant (Click here to read about the new Skoda Octavia Elegance 2.0 TDi DSG). If you read our Octavia Diesel first drive impression, you would know about the great things we have to say about the upcoming oil burning Octy. Now, the question that would come to your mind is if the 1.4 TSi petrol engine equipped Octavia is as impressive as the diesel variant.
Read On to find your answers
Design
As we said earlier, we can go on talking in great length about the new car’s styling. However, here is a really brief summary of the 2013 Skoda Octavia’s styling.
Urbane, contemporary and chic are the words that best describe the car’s front end. It is worth mentioning here that while the car’s front fascia manages to look as fresh as that of any mid-size European sedan, the car retains traditional Octavia design cues such as rectangular headlamps and centrally located hump on the hood.
The headlights are angled slightly upwards at their terminal ends. It may be noted that the 1.4 TSi can’t be bought with the DRLs, which help with imparting the car’s front end a slightly aggressive look. Nonetheless, the car’s front fascia has got a sense of ‘premium-ness’ to it. Also helping with matters is a well defined crease flanking the headlights and running right into the front bumper. The design cues from VisionD Concept can be found in abundance on the bumper of the car. The slim central air-dam and the angular fog lamp housings have been directly lifted from the much publicized concept.
When viewed from side, the car manages to look pretty loo……ong, which isn’t at all a bad thing. Compared to the last gen Octavia (aka Laura), the rear windows have definitely grown in surface area. The rear window on the new car also features a quarter panel with a pronounced black cladding around the aft portion. A set of ten spoke alloy wheels make the car look all the more stylish.
Rear is where the car has got the minimal drama.
The rear of the new Octavia has striking resemblance with that of the smaller Rapid sedan. When compared to the outgoing model, the new Octavia’s bumper is more angularly cut out and the boot seems to be taller than before.
The C-Motif in the tail-lamps, which has been carried forward since the 2006 Roomster (some trivia there), shouts Skoda and further help the car with boasting of a familiar look.
Summing it up, the exterior of the new Octavia looks athletic and very classy. On the same time, it has this understated sense of purpose that the Octy has always been famous for. We love it!
There is no denying that the interiors of the new Octavia are as contemporary as the exteriors. The Octavia’s dashboard design is typical of most entry level German luxury sedans and the liberal usage of soft touch plastics further elevates the richness. The new Octavia gets a classy four spoke steering wheel which comes draped in leather and sports the new Skoda logo.
Without beating around the bush, it can be said that the interiors of the new Octavia are very pleasant on the eye and manage to impart a hint of clinical precision that some bigger and pricier German limos are known for.
The flipside? Well, you might be a tad disappointed had you been wishing Honda Civic like flamboyance. (Tell you what, we weren’t)
Motoroids Rating: 4/5
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