Review: Skoda Octavia 2013

Skoda have launched the all-new Octavia with a price tag of Rs 13.95 - 19.45 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). Skoda started their journey in India with the launch of the Octavia in 2001. With German build quality, a turbocharged diesel engine, good looks and a lot of segment first features the Octavia was a huge success. Few years down the line Skoda even launched a performance version of the petrol motor called the Octavia vRS which continues to be one of the most fun-to-drive cars ever launched in India. But unfortunately it did not stay the same for Skoda as competition evolved, Skoda’s after-sales service gained quite a bad reputation and finally to top it all the hasty decision of launching the newer generation Octavia as the Laura and continuing the old-generation Octavia which created a negative impact on the brand. The Laura was successful but not as much as the Octavia had ever been. In these difficult times Skoda really needed a product which would get them some volumes and improve their brand image and as a result the Octavia has been launched.

The Octavia is based on Volkswagens all-new MQB chassis. The construction is more rigid and slightly lighter than the older chassis. Skoda has equipped the Octavia with two different rear suspension setups. The 1.4L TSi and 2.0L TDi engines get a torsion beam rear suspension while the 1.8L TSi gets a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension. It comes with 3 engine options:

• 1.4L TSi petrol(manual)
• 1.8LTSi petrol(only automatic)
• 2.0LTDi diesel(manual or automatic)

The 1.4L petrol engine produces a respectable 140bhp and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It is the same one seen on the Jetta. But if you are an enthusiast then Skoda has another petrol engine to offer, the 1.8L TSi petrol engine. It produces 177bhp and is available only with the famous 7-speed DSG gearbox. The 2.0L diesel engine produces 141bhp and comes with two transmission options, a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed DSG gearbox.

The Octavia has been designed by Jozef Kaban, the designer of the well-known hypercar the Buggati Veyron. As a result the Octavia looks quite elegant and stunning. The design is clean and simple yet it has some sporty touches like the sharp headlamps and a sporty set of alloy wheels. The interior feels spacious and roomy, partly because of the lighter coloured materials used. It is available in 3 variants:

• Active
• Ambition
• Elegance

The Octavia is loaded with exciting new features like dual-zone climate control, cruise control, panoramic sunroof, leather seats, automatic wipers and headlamps, ABS, ESP, 6 airbags, alloy wheels, Bi-xenon lights with DRL’s, Parktronic system, Electrically powered driver seat and a touchscreen bolero music system with a 6 CD changer, USB, Aux ,Bluetooth support and steering mounted controls.

The Octavia is huge improvement over the previous generation. This car is bigger, faster and better in every way and kudos to Skoda for developing such a good product. With a good choice of engines and transmissions, plush interiors, reasonable price, a lot of features, sophisticated construction the Octavia is sure to be the segment leader. 
Link to Octavia site: http://www.skoda-auto.co.in/models/octavia/Overview
Link to Skoda Online booking site: http://www.bookyourskodaonline.com/

Hope you liked the review and look forward to your comments.

Keep revving!
Speed pujari