Exclusive: Skoda To Pull The Plug On Octavia By April 2020

• The upcoming BS6 emission norm is the reason for Skoda’s decision to pull the plug.
• The carmaker says it’s not a financially viable option to upgrade the existing powertrain options for a short period of time.
• Currently the Octavia comes with 1.4-litre, 1.8-litre TSI and 2.0-litre TDI engines.
• The 2020 Octavia uses a 1.0-litre,1.5-litre and 2.0-litre TSI as well as a 2.0-litre TDI EVO engine.

Skoda has been in the news of late, thanks to the scorching hot Octavia RS245 and the Rapid. Right now, Skoda has let out its future plan for India which includes the current-gen Octavia. The Octavia RS245 will most likely be the last installment of the current-gen Octavia in India. Skoda will pull the plug on the sedan come April 2020, leaving a huge void until the next-gen Octavia debuts by the end of 2020.

The reason for this decision from Skoda comes down to BS6 emission norms. The existing 1.8 TSI is being phased out globally, with Skoda only offering the 1.0-,1.5- and 2.0-litre TSI for the 2020 Octavia. The 2.0-litre TDI engine also needs to be significantly reworked to make it BS6-compliant. Taking both these factors into consideration, Skoda says that updating both these engines for a short period of time is not a financially viable option. 

Adding to that is the current sales numbers, which is not strong enough to demand an update. Instead, Skoda will be pulling the plug on the current Octavia in India and bringing in the 2020 Octavia by the end of next year. This also means that there will be a substantial void in Skoda India’s lineup for more than 6 months.

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The Octavia is currently available in four variants (Style, Onyx, Ambition, L&K) and three engine options: 1.4-litre TSI, 1.8-litre TSI and 2.0-litre TDI. The sedan is priced from Rs 17.99 lakh to Rs 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom India). 

Meanwhile, the 2020 Octavia is a huge step up from the current iteration. It is a bigger car in comparison and comes with three petrol engines: 1.0-litre TSI (110PS/200Nm), 1.5-litre TSI (150PS/250Nm) and a 2.0-litre TSI (190PS/320Nm). The diesel is the 2.0-litre TDI EVO which is available in three states of tune: 115PS, 150PS and 200PS.

We might get the 1.5-litre TSI and 2.0-litre TDI engine mated to a 6-speed manual or DSG option. Although Skoda is not showcasing the 2020 Octavia at the Auto Expo 2020, we do expect an announcement of the 2020 Octavia’s exact launch timeline soon. Main competition for the Octavia comes in the form of the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla Altis and the Hyundai Elantra.