Skoda's executive class sedan, the new Octavia has recently been spotted testing in India without any camouflage.
2021 Skoda Octavia: What do spy shots suggest?
Octavia that is seen in the spy shots sports LED Headlights with Daytime Running LEDs, the LED treatment also extends all the way back to the tailgate and even the fog lamps. The car sits on 17-inch “Rotare Aero” Alloys.
The fact that the next-gen Octavia is being tested without any camouflage cover signifies that it will be almost similar to the Octavia fully revealed in global market, except for some changes in the specifications. Also is expected to sit higher, in order to provide a better ground clearance, as compared to the globally offered Octavia.
The new Octavia will be 19mm longer and 15mm wider than the outgoing Octavia. Coming to the face of the updated Octavia, it gets a conventional headlight setup replacing the split headlight setup being offered with the outgoing Octavia.
Interiors & Features
Though the spy snaps have not given a clear shot at what’s inside, a dual-tone treatment (beige-black) is expected to be offered with the Indian-spec Octavia. The company claims that it has now packed the executive sporty sedan with all new interiors and will be more spacious than ever.
As far as the features are concerned, it is expected to get a 10.25 inches Virtual-Cockpit digital instrumentation cluster, 10-inch free-standing infotainment system with connected car technology, three-zone climate control, heads-up display, wireless smartphone charger and also a digital assistant named ‘Laura’.
Expected Engine options
Skoda has already confirmed that the Octavia will get the 2.0L TSI Petrol Engine that produces a power output of 190PS. When the car will be launched, initially this will be the only engine option on offer. However, moving forward, the chances of the addition of a smaller 1.5L TSI petrol engine that produces 150 PS of power is pretty much on the cards. This engine can be offered with the entry-level trims, like the outgoing Octavia (it got a 1.4L TSI Petrol engine).
While the smaller 1.5L TSI Petrol engine might be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox, the more powerful 2.0L TSI Petrol engine is expected to come paired up with a 7-speed DSG Automatic.
When it will come to India?
The Czech automaker originally had scheduled a late-2020 launch for the Octavia but it has eventually been pushed to early next year due to disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be expected to be launched between January and March 2021 at an ex-showroom price range of Rs 20-25 Lakhs.
On arrival to Indian shores, Octavia will battle it out with Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic.
Author’s Take
Skoda Octavia was due for a major update since 2013, the dominance and the strong image of the Octavia can be estimated by the fact that even though it received its last update 7 years back, It still was selling well and could have continued doing well even without this update.
Nonetheless, it is all set to hit the Indian dealerships and with a powerful engine, even more space on the inside, and a longer feature list, the next-gen Octavia is ready to come across as even more exciting product.
