[ACM]

Would this not also cannibalize on the Superb sales as well? With dimension mentioned to be wider longer than the Laura and close to the current Passat it surely is in Superb territory. With power and features ahead of the current superb, they will urgently need to replace that as well to keep the flagship going else like when the Laura came out the Superb sales will drop to negligible units.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by ACM

Would this not also cannibalize on the Superb sales as well?

I doubt that as the space quotient of the Superb is a notch ahead than the Passat and the Laura. Its rear seat space, overall roominess, twin boots and feature list is still unrivalled by the new Octavia. Besides the new Superb with some upgrades is also on the anvil and will be launching shortly after the Octavia so I don't foresee any drop in Superb sales.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by dkaile

I doubt that as the space quotient of the Superb is a notch ahead than the Passat and the Laura. Its rear seat space, overall roominess, twin boots and feature list is still unrivalled by the new Octavia. Besides the new Superb with some upgrades is also on the anvil and will be launching shortly after the Octavia so I don't foresee any drop in Superb sales.

The new Octavia (Laura replacement) will be about 9cm longer than the current Laura and about 4.5 cms wider taking it very close to current Passat and Superb dimension. The previous superb was a pure sedan while the current one is a hatchback with a sedan split personality. The Octavia / Laura is already a hatchback and the split boot is purely a gimmick - though a unique one at that. The new Octavia will exceed the Superb on features and engine power as well.

When the Laura came out the previous gen superb did loose out for a while till the current gen version came out.

Also the new Octavia will sport the new design language of Skoda which will be fresher than that of the Superb. The Superb sales in my view will definitely be affected in the short term till they being in the new superb as well. But of course time will tell.

[vap2151]

I just hope and wish they launch vrs models alongside the normal models!!!

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by ACM

the split boot is purely a gimmick.

But of course time will tell.

You are entitled to your views but as a current owner of one I can tell you that it is more than a gimmick and a handy one at that. And most Superb 'owners' will agree with me.

The current Superb is 5mm longer than the upcoming facelift and 179 mm longer than the new Octavia. The wheelbase is also 81mm longer than the new Octavia. The inside cabin space is also in a different league all together and more than a E Class. Space will always be a crunching feature of the Superb.

And yes, time will tell...

[narsi_6989]

All pointers hint its coming out soon. August 9th is correct I guess. Here is an official update from Skoda India FB page

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph...type=1&theater

[JayPrashanth]

Link to News Section

Czech car maker Skoda has teased the 2013 Octavia on its Indian Facebook page and the social media build up to the car's launch has begun. Skoda India has begun building buzz around the 2013 Octavia with the #TheLegendisComingBack hash tag. This announcement indicates that Skoda would bring the Octavia brand back to India, through the car's third generation model. While Skoda's first car for India was the 1st generation Octavia, the brand launched the 2nd generation model under the Laura moniker. Both the generations of the Octavia were sold alongside each other for quite some time in India.



Skoda is likely to unveil the 2013 Octavia in India on the 9th of August, and the car is already on sale in Europe. In the Indian car market, the Volkswagen group owned Czech car maker is expected to position the 2013 Octavia above the current Laura in terms of price and positioning. Eventually, the Laura brand name will make way for an all-Octavia line up when Skoda brings in the entry level variants of the 2013 Octavia.

The new car is much larger than the version it replaces, with both the length and wheelbase going up by quite a significant margin. The Octavia is a much more spacious car, edging into D-segment territory in terms of the space it offers its passengers. Also, Skoda has added more features and creature comforts to the 2013 Octavia. Initially, the top end versions of the car will be launched in India. Both turbo petrol and turbo diesel variants of the car will be launched.



The 1.8 liter TSI motor (180 Bhp-250 Nm) and the 2 liter TDI engine (150 Bhp-320 Nm) doing duty on the first few variants of the 2013 Octavia for the Indian car market. 6 and 7 speed DSG dual clutch automatic gearboxes are expected to be standard across the diesel and petrol engines respectively, with the torque being transmitted to the front wheels of the car. While the 1.8 liter TSI turbo petrol engined version of the 2013 Octavia gets multi-link rear suspension, all other engine variants of the car make do with a torsion beam set-up.

Sometime next year, entry level variants of the 2013 Octavia, with engines such as the 1.4 liter TSI petrol motor and the 1.6 TDI diesel engine, found on the Volkswagen Jetta and Vento respectively, are expected to be launched in India. These variants will replace the Laura. The 2013 Octavia will be the first car based on the Volkswagen group's MQB platform, to be launched in India. The car will be assembled at Skoda's Aurangabad factory, through completely knocked down (CKD) kits. The 2013 Skoda Octavia has been spotted testing in India, and a festive season official launch is in the works.

[2cents]

The Facebook page says "Calling all car experts!...Journey begins tomorrow"!! Can we expect the official review soon!! Mods may kindly confirm.

[Santoshbhat]

Looks like the car will be launched by Diwali only as per Skoda's post on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater

[amansanc]

Originally Posted by 2cents

The Facebook page says "Calling all car experts!...Journey begins tomorrow"!! Can we expect the official review soon!! Mods may kindly confirm.

This was said because they have started a campaign called UNOFFICIAL EXPERT 2 on facebook in which the winners will get to drive the all new Skoda Octavia before anyone else!

[Parm]

Octavia 3 being launched on August 9th 2013 is a confirmed date.

I hope it comes with a very aggressive price.

[Bomi]

Anyone contemplating buying this car, my advise is - listen to your head; not your heart.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...st3193063.html

[yogibear007]

Originally Posted by Bomi

Anyone contemplating buying this car, my advise is - listen to your head; not your heart.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...st3193063.html

I second that. The cars are very good but unless Skoda comes out with specific commitments regarding improvement in the ASS aspects, there is absolutely no point in going ahead with a decision costing around 20L which will make you regret it within a short time span of two years.
I think it is quite audacious of Skoda not to give any attention or mention to the all pervading problems of it's ASS which is omnipresent in almost all the related forums. They had a big lull in the last couple of years on the models front. A big chance for improving the ASS network. But seems the original Skoda attitude of 'Sold and be gone' is planned to be continued.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Bomi

Anyone contemplating buying this car, my advise is - listen to your head; not your heart.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...st3193063.html

What will be more effective @Bomi is that you take the dealer and the particular SA to task and "vasool" the damage directly. I have to do that on every service, I just replied to your thread. Negative publicity has never bothered Skoda, I think they have made this "calculated" decision to do unethical business - the money they collect by unethical means seems way more than they would collect by the sales they miss due to negative reviews. I think they KNOW what they are doing and they still DO that. Only when customers start "settling the accounts" on the spot, the dealers will learn the lesson.

[sameer sultan]

Yesterday there was an article in the Hindu Metro Plus Chennai edition that Skoda will reveal the New Octavia on August 9 2013. It went on to mention that this car will be bigger than Laura and will sport the 1.8TSI Petrol with Manual/DSG and the 2.0TDI with Manual/DSG.

The article also speculated on the pricing that it will be better priced than the Laura! This sounds too good to be true.

I called up Gurudev Motors, they were not aware about the August 9 2013 reveal. They said the New Octavia will be a bigger car than the Laura and will get back to me once they get any details.

I am really looking forward to this New Octavia, if priced under 20L Top End I would definitely buy it. Especially the 1.8TSI Automatic version seems very exciting with the powerful 175BHP engine. I had owned the first generation Octavia for 7 years clocking 138000KMS and was happy with the drive. Of course I had faced issues with the A.S.S. during the later part of the ownership with the heavy pricing of the spare parts. But I would still go to buy this Car for the sheer pleasure of driving it. I had bought the Cruze as a replacement for the Octavia 3.5 years back, though its a very nice car and low on maintenance I miss the sturdy and confident highway drive which the Octavia offers.