[parrys]

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.

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Today, Skoda has unveiled the 2013 Octavia in India.

(Please note this was just an unveiling event; pricing & specifications haven't been shared yet)

High points:

• The new Octavia will be available with 3 engine options; two petrol and one 2.0L diesel. The most powerful petrol engine will have a power output of 177 BHP (132 kW).
• Based on the MQB platform, the new Octavia's wheelbase is 108 mm longer, with a total car length of 4659 mm.
• Skoda's latest design theme and new logo make their way in the Indian market with this Octavia.
• This will be the 6th car in Skoda's portfolio for India.
• Till date, a total of over 4 million Octavias have been sold worldwide.
• Skoda has been steadily losing market share in India. The Octavia is a key product for the company. Expect aggressive price & positioning.

All dressed before the unveil.


The Octavia posing with Mr. Sudhir Rao (MD, Skoda Auto India), Dr.-Ing. Frank Welsch (L) & Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland (R).


The front end bringing in the new design language to India.


Front 3 quarter view.


Minimum lines flowing through the side profile. Clean.


Rear 3 quarter view.


Rear view. Number plate section reminds you of the Rapid.


Closer look at the front grille.


19 slats (on the grille) noticeably protrude.


Bi-xenon projector headlamps, LED DRLs and smoked fog-lamps.


Chrome lines running inside the headlamps.


Two 'C' shaped strips. These are NOT LEDs.


16" 10 spoke alloy wheels.


Rear wheels gets disc brakes too.


Puddle lamps under the ORVMs.


Sunroof opens up and slides on top of the roof (not under).


Ski-rack bolt-in points visible with the doors open.


Twin-pipe exhaust.


A look at the diesel engine bay.


Heat insulation neatly done inside the engine bay. It's all about the details with German cars.

[parrys]

Interiors:

Beige-black interior theme. Classy & understated, rather than loud & flashy.


Passenger side view of the cabin.


Dark wooden theme around the gear lever, stereo has a piano black surround.


Chunky 4 Spoke steering wheel.


Easy to read instrument cluster with a thin chrome surround on the dials.


The Bolero music system. Lower left image indicates that the car comes with ESC?!


Control stalks exude quality. Notice the glossy surround on the head.


Flippy key.


Good looking & comfortable leather seats. Electrically adjustable with memory function.


Passenger seat is manually adjustable.


Area between the front seats.


Storage space under the driver armrest.


Illuminated, cooled glove box with felt lining on the inside. SD card slot & CD player on top.


Inside view of the sunroof.


Nifty ticket holder on the windscreen.


Wide rear seat, but the tall floor hump will make things difficult for the 5th occupant.


A/C vents for rear passengers.


Access to the boot from behind the rear seat armrest.


Useful bag hooks.


Rear sun shade provided, it is manual though.


Rear door pad hosts a speaker and tweeter.


Opens up like a hatchback, rather than a conventional sedan's boot.


Massive boot.


Storage space with the rear seat folded away.


60:40 split for the rear seat.

[JayPrashanth]

Link to News Section

The Skoda Octavia is back in India and this time, in its third generation version. Skoda India has just unveiled the car for the Indian car market even as production is underway at the Czech car maker's Indian factory at Aurangabad. The 2013 Octavia carries in the tradition of its predecessor, the second-generation model known as the Laura in India, in that it will sell alongside the Laura for a specific period of time. The Laura will eventually make way for lower priced variants of the 2013 Octavia in India. The 2013 Octavia is based on the Volkswagen group's MQB platform.

The first-gen Skoda Octavia was the first car that the Czech car maker launched in India, way back in November 2001. Skoda sold 44,900 units of the first generation Octavia in India, in a production spanning a full decade. The 3rd generation version is a much bigger model than the car it replaces. The 2013 Octavia's is 90mm longer than the Laura with the wheelbase going up by a full 108mm. The car's front overhang though, is 29mm shorter.



The shorter overhang makes for a modicum of tautness in the 2013 Octavia's design. Talking design, the 2013 Octavia features the new family face of Skoda, replete with the new logo of the brand. Given the fact that the Volkswagen group owns Skoda, car enthusiasts may notice Audi genes in the design geometry of the new car. The big increase in length and wheelbase makes the 2013 Octavia a much more spacious car than the model it replaces. The car also gets a host of new features and creature comforts.



Initially, the car is likely to be sold with turbo petrol and turbo diesel engine options in the Indian car market. The 1.8 Liter TSI turbo petrol motor outputing 175 Bhp-250 Nm and the 2 liter TDI turbo diesel engine outputting 140 Bhp-320 Nm are the two engines that could be offered on the 2013 Octavia. While the petrol model gets a 7 speed DSG automatic gearbox handling transmission duties, the diesel model gets a 6 speed DSG unit. A key difference between the petrol and diesel engined Octavia lies in the suspension department.



While the petrol engined 2013 Octavia uses a multi-link rear suspension, the diesel powered model makes do with a cheaper, torsion beam set up. These differences are expected to show up in the handling department with the petrol engined model likely to be the sportier handler. The 2013 Octavia's prices, variant details and technical specifications are expected to be unveiled during the actual launch of the car, which will happen close to the festive season.

[DocRock]

The cars a looker.What differences are there in the suspension between the petrol and diesel?
I hope they price it appropriately.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by DocRock

The cars a looker.What differences are there in the suspension between the petrol and diesel?
I hope they price it appropriately.

The differences are listed in the post I thought. Petrol gets Multilink suspension, diesel gets torsion beam. Multilink will give you a more sophisticated and sportier ride and handling whereas the torsion beam will imply more wallowy ride with greater body roll.

[ampere]

Why the difference in AT gear boxes ? (7 and 6 speed DSG) Does it mean the 7 speed supports less torque than the 6-Speed version?

[kar.carthik]

I Read on the Autocar website and it says the following.
"The new Octavia will initially be offered with two engine options, a petrol and a diesel. The petrol is the 1.8 TSI engine from the Laura which has been uprated to make 177bhp now. The diesel motor is the familiar 2.0-litre TDI unit that makes 141bhp. Both engines will come mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, but will not have the option of paddle shifters."

It says both the cars come with 7- Speed DGS???

[AbelAFC]

Originally Posted by JayPrashanth

Link to News Section

The Skoda Octavia is back in India a

That car looks brilliant, just wow. One wonders if Skoda would go overboard with the pricing though, considering how premium the car seems to be.

Why on earth would they have different suspension systems for different engines? To keep the price difference between petrol and diesel low?

Also, is it just me or does anyone else see a tint of the Superb and Audi A4 in the new Octy?

[harishpr]

Pricing is the only factor between the success and failure. Looks, hype, equipments, brand, handling is all +ves, hope it's priced sensibly. An aggressive pricing around elantra's boundary can make it an immediate success. In bangalore, if priced on-road for 20lacs for top end, will cannibalize everything in D and few from D+as well.

[ACM]

If it was unveiled today why is the price not announced as yet? The looks were already known as it is released worldwide. So what exactly did they unveil today? This seems to be like the new gimmick that companies have caught on.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by ACM

If it was unveiled today why is the price not announced as yet? The looks were already known as it is released worldwide. So what exactly did they unveil today? This seems to be like the new gimmick that companies have caught on.

Exactly! What are the companies trying to show by such 'unveiling'? They should rather concentrate on sales and customer satisfaction instead of spending time and money on such useless displays.

However, I like the car and think think it will boost Skoda's income if it is priced right.

[maverick145]

Originally Posted by ACM

If it was unveiled today why is the price not announced as yet? The looks were already known as it is released worldwide. So what exactly did they unveil today? This seems to be like the new gimmick that companies have caught on.

I am with you on this. I had already seen the pictures and read most of the stuff about the car before hand. I was eagerly waiting for the price. There is nothing that is news to me.

[r0ckstar.1]

Originally Posted by maverick145

I am with you on this. I had already seen the pictures and read most of the stuff about the car before hand. I was eagerly waiting for the price. There is nothing that is news to me.

+1. Nothing new, except that the DSG will be made available with both the options. What are the prices and when does the booking start?

[Yeldo]

What is this unveiling all about? The car is on sale in other markets, reviews are all over the net and what is the point in this unveiling ceremony?

If not prices, Skoda could have revealed at least the engine variants and trim levels!

[GTO]

Parry's Thread moved out of the Assembly Line. Existing thread merged with it. Thanks for sharing!