Team-BHP - Fate of the Octy.....

The Skoda Octavia's a fantastic car. I'm a hardcore fan of the smokin RS!
My dilemma is: What is to become of the Octavia that we have here? Skoda has discontinued the model in foreign markets and replaced it with the new Octavia (Laura here).

Will the Indian Octavia evolve with time? Coz we would hate to see the car stagnate.

Anyone have any insights / info on the same? :confused:

-Amit.

When the Octy just arrived on Indian shores I felt it was one of the best lookers,but dont know what happened nowadays see an octy and that factor is just not there.

Anyway's skoda sales are down and the octavia magic is not going to last long especially now with the optra diesel and toyota corolla diesel [expected in 2008] things are going to just get worse from here on.Most likely we would see some sort of a facelift/pricecut first and if that too fails to revive interest in the octavia then its bye-bye octavia.But yes the Octavia future does not look very bright.

indian octavia (and the old world-octavia) has already evolved.. that is the laura..

Soon they will introduce laura rider and laura vRS here in india also..

i dont know when they will discontinue the current octavia here.. but it surely wont evolve.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitg79 (Post 472618)

My dilemma is: What is to become of the Octavia that we have here? Skoda has discontinued the model in foreign markets and replaced it with the new Octavia (Laura here).

Will the Indian Octavia evolve with time? Coz we would hate to see the car stagnate.

It has to. No other way out. Optra magnum will offer very good competition, and is priced fantastically. Skoda has to give the Octy a facelift, and also bring down the price and service costs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad (Post 472686)

When the Octy just arrived on Indian shores I felt it was one of the best lookers,but dont know what happened nowadays see an octy and that factor is just not there.

We have been seeing it for years together now.

And, yes, i agree with you. Octavia's future doesnt look so bright. Unless skoda decides to play the VFM role. (remember that Octavia never had serious competition till now)

I dont get it, world over, the face lifted version is the Laura. A phase out of the current octavia, with a price cut on the Laura should have been the way to go, but I think it's probably too late now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitg79 (Post 472618)

Will the Indian Octavia evolve with time? Coz we would hate to see the car stagnate.

This is a very pertinent question with all cars in India. Skoda has "Indianized" their thought processes and retained the older Octavia while discontinuing it in other markets. Unless its sales dwindle due to competition, expect the Octy to continue unchanged.

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Originally Posted by theMAG (Post 472718)

The old Octy is still sold in Eastern europe as the Octavia Classic

The Octavia : I dont think skoda wants to leave that bracked open for the competition to grab it. I mean the 10 - 15 lac bracket. I dont see the Octy being phased out till VAG gets some car in that bracket.

I think this is the Skoda game, to be present in every segment, firs the octy in the 10 -15 lac segment, then the laura in the 17-19 segment, the superb in the 24- 2 segment. Also the Laura comfort in the 15-17 segment.

Now the fabia in the 5.5-7.5 segment. I think their game plan is clear, be present every where.

As for the Octy, i feel so bad that this lovely peice of machiney is being eaten up by competition, but the co. aint doing anything. And i double the though of a new 'upgraded' or 'updated' octy with new bumpers, new grills.

cheers.

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They might keep the base RIDER trim...they might play the Hyundai way - Accent and Verna.....

Hyundai is sensible enough, they have discountinued the Accent, and about Octy, its totally futile even talking since Skoda wont be doing anything i am sure.

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Originally Posted by BUSA (Post 472791)

Hyundai is sensible enough, they have discountinued the Accent, and about Octy, its totally futile even talking since Skoda wont be doing anything i am sure.

Discontinued the Accent? No, they havent.
They still continue to sell the GLE (base variant) of the Accent as an entry C segmenter, while the Verna takes on the others fron the C segment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busa

Hyundai is sensible enough, they have discountinued the Accent,

Hyundai has not phased the Accent completely. They still sell the GLE version. Only 1.6, Viva and CRDi models are phased out