New Skoda Octavia Revealed A Day Before India Launch

Just a day before its launch in India, Skoda has revealed the 2021 Octavia, including details on its variants, features, and specifications. 

For starters, the new Octy will be available in two variants (Style, Laurin and Klement) and five body shades (Brilliant Silver, Maple Brown, Candy White, Lava Blue, and Magic Black). However, the base-spec Style will only come with the last three (according to the order) paint options. 

Based on the VW Group’s MQB platform, the fourth-gen Octavia is 4,689mm in length, 19mm longer than its predecessor. It also looks sharper and sleeker, standouts include a lower and wider butterfly grille (flanked by new single-piece adaptive LED headlamps and LED DRLs) and 17-inch turbine-like alloy wheels (limited to Laurin and Klement). The rear, with new split-LED tail lamps, is similar to that of the Skoda Superb. 

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The cabin has been overhauled, now neater and more minimalistic than before. It gets a dual-tone theme of beige Suedia leather upholstery and glossy black around the door handles and upper-half of the dashboard. There’s a new two-spoke steering wheel, a Virtual Cockpit digital driver’s display, and a larger 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

The 2021 sedan packs a raft of features. These include Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity,  connected car tech, a 12-speaker Canton audio system, multi-colour ambient lighting, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats, dual-zone climate control with air purifier, an electric tailgate, up to five Type-C USB charging ports, and wireless charging. It's also big on practicality, thanks to the 600-litre boot (with all the seats up). Lower the seats, and it becomes a 1,555-litre boot.

Passenger safety is taken care of by up to eight airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, an electronic parking brake with auto-hold, and front and rear parking sensors with a rear view camera. The sedan also gets an electronic locking differential and the iBuzz Fatigue Alert. The latter will remind one to take some time off the wheel after driving for a long time.

 

Powering the new Octavia is only a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine sending 190PS and 320Nm to the front wheels, paired with a 7-speed DSG with a new shift-by-wire system that makes shifting into the correct gear that little bit simpler. Skoda could provide a smaller 1.5-litre engine and a spicier RS variant in the future.

Expect prices to range from Rs 25.99 lakh to Rs 28.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Right now, only the Hyundai Elantra is its true rival, but it can be considered as an alternative against the Jeep Compass.