[nipcarlover]

Just saw this on Autocar India's website:

Link: New Skoda Octavia variants in detail

Skoda will launch the new Octavia with a choice of three variants and, in ascending order, they are: Active, Ambition and Elegance.

The 1.8 TSI is only available in the top Elegance spec, and you can get the 2.0 TDI automatic in this spec too. One step lower, the Ambition spec can be had on the 1.4 TSI, as well as the 2.0 TDI (in either manual or automatic guise). And finally, the base Active trim can only be had on the 1.4 TSI and the 2.0 TDI manual.

All Octavias, including the Active, get 16-inch alloy wheels, powered mirror adjustment, power windows, ABS, dual front airbags, traction control, driver’s seat height adjustment, steering adjustment, remote locking, an audio system with an SD card reader, air-conditioning, rear air-con vents, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, gearlever and handbrake.

Move up to the Ambition, and you get an electronic differential lock for the front axle (which is why it the cars we drove gripped so well), stability control, multi-collision braking (which automatically brings the car to a standstill if it senses the driver’s foot is off the brake pedal after a crash), rear parking sensors, a touchscreen audio system, steering-mounted audio controls, a media input port for USB, aux-in and iPod connectivity, automatic headlamps and wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather seats, electric folding mirrors, and Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming. Phew!

Opt for the Elegance spec, and you get all that’s on the Ambition plus adaptive Bi-Xenon headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, a tyre pressure monitoring system, front parking sensors, four more airbags, a panoramic sunroof, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat with seat memory and cruise control.

[Hayek]

The Ambition seems phenomenally well equipped, except that they have skimped on air bags. It is unfortunate that only those who opt for the 1.8TSi or 2 TDi automatics have the option of getting 6 air bags. But this really throws the gauntlet down to other cars in the segment. I wonder if this will induce people to switch back to sedans or they will continue their UV obsession (even if the UVs are mediocre to drive and grossly unsafe).

[Akshay1234]

Wow the variants seem pretty well specced, none of them are really missing out on any features. Seems like Skoda is going to have a winner.

I think the Elegance TDI will be around 18 ex showroom, while the TSI would be around 17 ex showroom. Still leaving a bit of place for an L&K a few years down.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Hayek

The Ambition seems phenomenally well equipped, except that they have skimped on air bags. It is unfortunate that only those who opt for the 1.8TSi or 2 TDi automatics have the option of getting 6 air bags.

True, its a bit strange that they decided against those side and curtain airbags. Otherwise the variant is quite well loaded with ESP, ACC, leather seats, touch screen+bluetooth etc. On Safety, they should have followed what VW has done with the Jetta (which I believe has ESP and airbags all-around for all the 3 variants).

Originally Posted by akshay1234

I think the Elegance TDI will be around 18 ex showroom, while the TSI would be around 17 ex showroom. Still leaving a bit of place for an L&K a few years down.

Actually the Elegance TDI looks more feature-rich than the current L&K variant of the Laura.

[miharbe]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

I think the Elegance TDI will be around 18 ex showroom, while the TSI would be around 17 ex showroom. Still leaving a bit of place for an L&K a few years down.

This pricing would then take the vRS (whenever that launches) above 20 lacs ex showroom and somewhere in the lower end of the superb range. I also feel the range topper at launch would be the automatic 1.8tsi and not the diesel (though i would be very excited if it were not the case)

[Mohan Mathew A]

If the elegance (either the petrol or the diesel) is going to be 18 lakh ex-showroom then autocar got it dead wrong. Since our moderators seems to have already done the review any idea when we can expect it to be made available.

mods, pls let us know by when we can expect the review to be available. also any confirmation on the pricing will be much appreciated

[Hayek]

Mod Note : Team-BHP's Official Skoda Octavia Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread.

Thanks!

This is speculation, of course, but the pricing of the Superb should give us a clue to this. The Superb Elegance 2.0 TDi AT sells for Rs. 3 lakhs more than the Elegance 1.8 TSi AT. I would expect a similar price difference to be there for the Octavia as well - though perhaps the use of the simpler suspension in the diesel Octavia could bring the difference down by Rs. 1 lakh or so.