Next-Gen Skoda Octavia
Skoda Auto India President Zac Hollis has announced on Twitter the launch date for the fourth-gen Skoda Octavia. The sedan was scheduled to be released around September 2020 but due to the current COVID-19 pandemic had to be delayed and will now arrive by early 2021. The next-gen Octavia gets changes in architecture and function from the previous iteration.
The fourth generation Octavia will receive a bigger signature Skoda butterfly grille from the front and will no longer have the LED split-headlamp system. Alternatively, the sedan would get headlamp systems with conventionally designed LEDs and modern fog lamps with LEDs. The updated look is full with a new tailgate, dual tail lights, restyled 17-inch alloy wheels and SKODA lettering.
Footprints of the fourth-gen Octavia should see an improvement on certain sides. It will be 19 mm longer than the current model, and 15 mm wider. Although the height of the bike would also rise with the Euro-spec edition, at 2686 mm the wheelbase would remain the same.
The updated Octavia would also offer a range of different apps and a completely overhauled cabin. A revised cockpit style is being complemented by a revamped steering wheel featuring two spokes. A larger 10-inch touchscreen infotainment interface with smart vehicle apps and a personal advisor and a somewhat smaller 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit graphical instrument cluster are other design improvements.
In India, Skoda is required to pair the Octavia with a 1.5-liter TSI 150PS turbo-petrol engine and a 2.0-liter 190PS petrol engine, which will be reserved for top-spec models. With just a 7-speed DSG gearbox on sale, the choice of a manual transmission would definitely be taken out of the equation. There is no planned to be a diesel powertrain on delivery.
Waiting for the Octavia fourth-generation may have only grown longer so it’s going to be worth it. As is the case with the outgoing edition, the beefed-up vRS variant of the current Octavia may also make it into our shores in CBU shape. The BS4 Octavia retailed from Rs 17.99 lakh to Rs 25.99 lakh but the fourth-gen would arrive at a cost and keep taking on the likes of the Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic.
