Skoda created much of the sensation when it first came up with its Octavia back in 2000. At the time the only true luxury car present in the Indian market was Mercedes E-Class. The unique blend of luxury, size, build quality, fuel economy and price made it a quick hit among the customers.
Today after 12 years, Company now offers five different models on the sale but not all of them are a success, the Superb, the Rapid and to some extent Laura has also managed to grab few minds. If we look down at the previous successful models each boast of shape and size in contrast with the money. Now Skoda again wants to repeat the success with the same formula in its new Octavia.
Octavia has been designed and built around the Volkswagen’s new MQB variable platform that allows for several variations in width, length and wheelbase. The new Octavia is now 90mm longer and 45mm wider than Laura. With the 2686 mm wheelbase, Octavia stands good with the Volkswagen Passat.
As the result of all the design tweaks Octavia is likely to offer extra interior space. If you get into the car, the first thing that will hit your mind will be its spaciousness. The rear seat now is almost as spacious as that in Mercedes E-Class. The back seat is perfectly angled so as to provide good support for your lower and upper back. The legroom is also huge but the seat squab is a little short which may distract you from thigh support to some extent. The new seat cushions are softer and seats are much more comfortable.
The fit and finish of the interiors has also been improved. The quality of the plastics has been enhanced and the neat and simple design of the dashboard also feels good. The Skoda’s design language can be easily seen on the new Skoda Octavia, the sharper cleaner edges and long self-life. The fatigue free detailing with bold and confident line gives it a more muscular look. As being a Octavia it also gets a hatch at the back and a massive 590 litre of boot space. The LED tail lights in the C-shape complements the look.
The new Skoda Octavia is also filled with several safety features like, lane assistant; a system that will warn you in case you left your lane, ABS, fatigue detection system and nine air bags. The adaptive cruise control and intelligent light assist; that automatically adjusts light between low and high beams etc has been incorporated to make your journey safer.
The new Skoda Octavia is about 5 kg lighter than the previous model. The weight reduction can be attributed to the use of higher strength of steels that enhances performance and economy. The new Octavia will be hitting the Indian shores
The new Octavia will be hitting the Indian market by the middle of this year. Despite of the tough upgrades it is expected that price will be kept in the competitive limit.