[sarthakgupta]

Photograph of 2013 Octavia:

Features and thrills in the 2013 Skoda Octavia

• It has a 590L boot, just 5L short of the Superb’s, and is a massive 4.65m long.
• The wheelbase is stretched by a significant 10.8 cm compared to the outgoing model, improving space at the rear.
• Turbocharged petrol engines displace 1.2-, 1.4- and 1.8 liters, while the two diesel motors displace 1.6L and 2.0L. Their outputs extend from 84hp to 177hp and each engine has lower fuel consumption.
• There’s a 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual and a 6-speed/7-speed DSG based on the variant you choose.
• Some of the features summarized in this preview drive report are 17-inch wheels, driver fatigue detection system, steering mounted controls and 3D color graphics on the LCD infotainment system.
• A lot of inspiration and soft components have come from the European Rapid. Check the steering wheel, central console and the doors to find traces of the Rapid’s parts inventory.
• The new Octavia will reach the Czech market (home market) by February 2013 and Skoda hopes to make it one of the top 10 best sellers in the world one day soon.

First Drive Review:

....but this new model is the biggest yet; it’s closer in size to a Ford Mondeo than a Focus.

....To see if the new Octavia is worth waiting for, we joined Skoda engineers in Portugal, where they're testing disguised pre-production cars.

What’s the 2013 Skoda Octavia like to drive?
Two models were available for us to test: a 178bhp 1.8-litre turbo petrol that had a seven-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox, and a 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel with a six-speed DSG ’box.

Both engines felt smooth and strong. However, while the gearbox in the petrol car tended to hunt around between gears, the ’box in the diesel was happy to let the engine’s considerable torque do the work.

A system that lets you adjust the responses of the throttle and steering is likely to be standard no matter which Octavia you choose, but there was a more obvious change in the weighting of the steering in the diesel car.

....Steering feels less precise on the petrol model than the diesel....

...In addition, the diesel’s steering was precise in both settings, whereas the petrol’s was a little numb around the straight-ahead position in the 'Sport' setting....

....The one slight note of caution is that we’ve only driven cars with a sophisticated independent rear suspension setup; less powerful models will have a simpler system....

What’s the 2013 Skoda Octavia like inside?
....Interior materials are up with the best in class, and systems are easy to use.....

Instead of hard plastics, you get materials that are a match for those in the latest VW Golf, plus the front seats are more supportive than the Rapid’s, and every model will come with a touch-screen infotainment system.

The Octavia scores just as well for ease of use, because the touch-screen system features clear menus and handy shortcut buttons, while contols for the air-con are also intuitive.

Potential buyers will be more impressed with the space in the back because there's a vast amount of legroom,......

.... you access it through a wide, high-opening tailgate and there’s room for 590 litres of luggage. That’s 130 litres more than the Rapid can swallow and 210 more than the Golf.

There are also some clever touches, including Velcro dividers, a reversible floor (one side is carpeted and the other rubber) and a parcel shelf that stows flush with the rear seats when it’s not needed.

Should I buy one?
..... but Skoda says the new Octavia will start from around £14,000 - that's about £2500 less than the cheapest version of the new VW Golf.

So, as long as Skoda isn’t just planning to offer a headline starting price, and then charge significantly more for the higher spec models you’ll probably want, the new Octavia looks like it's definitely worth waiting for.

Links:

1. http://indianautosblog.com/2012/10/2...lmost-revealed

2. http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/2013...-review/264412

[karan561]

Fantastic !!! This surely will set the benchmark yet again (especially if the " Octavia " badge is reborn)

PS - The Gear knob just looks so tempting to operate

^ IMO Skoda's gearshifts are the most precise & slick in the business ( Had owned a Laura L&K M/T for 1.13Lakh Kms - 4yrz )

PS - Do you see suede leather in the front seats ( RS model pictured ? )

[neerajpv87]

Some more pics. IMO, The car looks stunning!

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by neerajpv87

Some more pics. IMO, The car looks stunning!

I think the car is still wearing some camouflage and fake detailing.

The Chrome grill, the rubber strip on the bumper, the flap on the headlight all look very out of place.

Expect the actual car to look a little bit different than this and more similar to the mission L concept.

But these spy images do show the outside lines of the car and it does look bigger than the current Octavia (Laura in India).

Edit : Expect it to look something like this...

[Swanand Inamdar]

Agree with Santosh here. There seems to be some amount of camouflage that the car still wears.

But, the overall design does look good. Its considerably longer than the existing model. By doing so, they've gotten rid of the famous grouse of current Octi/Laura users, of the rear seats being a tad to small.

Even if 70% of this goes into the actual finished product, they have a looker for sure.
I might just have found a replacement for my existing Laura .

[sarthakgupta]

First uncamouflaged spyshots of 2013 Skoda Octavia:



Another of LCD grabs:



Source: http://indianautosblog.com/2012/11/2...-exposed-54736 and http://indianautosblog.com/2012/11/h...-skoda-octavia

[naveen.raju]

2013 Octavia - Teaser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECFRMHubJXM

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by sarthakgupta

First uncamouflaged spyshots of 2013 Skoda Octavia:

Another of LCD grabs:

Source: http://indianautosblog.com/2012/11/2...-exposed-54736 and http://indianautosblog.com/2012/11/h...-skoda-octavia

The exposed shots have been confirmed to be just photoshopped.
From the teaser, the car looks so LONG,

[shankar.balan]

Truly devilishly delicious looking car. Understated, elegant, purposeful and solid. Love it!

[dkaile]

Undisguised Octavia 2013 - This exact family look from the UK spec Rapid will follow here and also continue on the upcoming Superb. Front headlights now look Jetta like.

[vb-saan]

The Whatcar.com review says that the new Octavia is bigger (closer to a Ford Mondeo) than the current model, to differentiate it with the current European Rapid. I am not a fan of cars growing in size with newer generations.

Full article here

[Swanand Inamdar]

Agree with DKaile here.
The headlights seem to be picked from the current gen Jetta.
So, most of us are going to have a tough time differentiating the Laura from the Jetta now. A la Rapid and Vento .

Also, there seems to be some difference between the pic posted by DKaile, and the one in the link posted by VB.
The one in the link has an elongated 'nose'.
Also, the rear lights look more like the pound sign (£) than the 'C' that we are used to see on Skoda cars.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Also, there seems to be some difference between the pic posted by DKaile, and the one in the link posted by VB.
The one in the link has an elongated 'nose'.
Also, the rear lights look more like the pound sign (£) than the 'C' that we are used to see on Skoda cars.

The picture in Dkaile's post should be the right representation. In the Whatcar review, they have mentioned that it’s a disguised test car. Probably some vinyl/sticker job to camouflage the actual look

Originally Posted by rxpaul

The rear end seems too bulbous.

I agree, the rear does look a bit odd. I liked the front head-on looks though
Looks like they have got rid of the hatchback like boot opening of the current Laura. Probably their line-up is moving to conventional 3-box design.

[rxpaul]

Not too impressed. The car looks like a mix of old superb, Rapid and the Laura. The rear end seems too bulbous. I think the new Octavia should go back to its MKI roots. The MkI had a large enough boot, what it did not have was rear legroom ! I hope the MK III maintains the taut driving feel of the MK I

[raul]

Looks larger than the current gen Octavia/Laura, maybe even the new Jetta. Looks more solid too. I guess if this is priced lower than the Jetta here, VW will have a problem on its hand, especially given the Jetta is already overpriced.