The day is here. Skoda Auto has finally taken the wraps off of the current-gen Octavia for the Indian market. The sedan can be had in only two trim levels – Style which sells for INR 25.99L, and L&K which sells for INR 28.99L. All prices are ex-showroom, India. One might think, that since there is no sunroof up for grabs, the fourth-gen Octavia is more expensive than originally hoped.
The design hasn’t undergone any changes when compared with the model sold worldwide, meaning the quad-headlight layout is gone and in place of it is a more mainstream unit. The design as a whole is now much sleeker and modern when you look at it. Simple yet, effective. Kudos, Skoda!
The company offers three standard color options with the new Octavia – Lava Blue, Magic Black, and Candy White, with two additional color options – Brilliant Silver and Maple Brown – reserved for the Laurin and Klement (L&K) trim.
Inside, you get all the latest bells and whistles from Skoda, ranging from a free-standing 10-inch touchscreen infotainment screen, and a 10.25-inch all-digital instrument cluster (Virtual Cockpit). Similarly, Skoda has given the all-new Octavia its two-spoke steering wheel with knurled scroll wheels. For the Indian market, the Octavia has a beige-on-black color scheme instead of an all-black scheme.
Other features include a well-finished and compact shift-by-wire selector. On the top-spec L&K variant, you have two-zone climate control, connected car tech, a digital assistant (named ‘Laura’), wireless smartphone charging, a 12-speaker Canton sound system, an ambient lighting system, electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats with memory settings, keyless entry on all doors and front and rear parking sensors, among others. Safety-wise, the fourth-gen Octavia has 8 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, adaptive headlights, and a driver fatigue alert system.
Powering the new Octavia is a 2.0L, 4-cyl, TSI turbo-petrol unit producing 190hp and 320Nm of torque. The sole engine option comes mated to a tried-and-tested 7-speed DSG via a shift-by-wire selector. As for its competition, with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic both axed, the Hyundai Elantra is the only one on sale. And given that it is the older Elantra and not the new gen, the Octavia effectively has no competition! Moreover, ze Germans are behind this car so rest assured, this one is built like a tank. Fit, finish and quality of interiors will be akin to the 3-series and C-Class of the world along with similar maintenance costs. Overall this is an automatic choice to look for if your budget is up to INR 30 lakh.
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