[Omtoatom]

Clean and timeless styling. Although there's some oddity in the front which I cannot quite put a finger on at this point.

BTW do I see a passing resemblance to the current gen Passat also? Especially in the side view. Anyway I don't imagine Skoda being enterprising and bringing so many engine options to our shores at the outset. My guess is 3 configs tops. As it is, Skoda has revealed that they're planning to slot the Octavia between the current Laura and the Superb. So I'm thinking the new Octavia will eventually sit comfortably north of the 2 million rupee mark.

As to how that is repositioning the brand a notch or two lower is anyone's guess!

[naveen.raju]

I doubt that it will touch 20L mark. Maybe the top end model might do so. The entry model might come to 15-16L minus all the goodies like projector headlights, sunroof, touch screen audio, automatic park assist etc. A stripped out variant to be precise. I have a strong feeling that this will replace the current gen Laura and position within that price range.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Excellent design! Clean lines, loaded to the brim, and one that looks good too.
Suddenly the Jetta seems oh -so -boring.

Regarding the launch in India, they would probably do what they did with the current gen Laura. Introduce the Octavia in between the Laura and Superb, and then slowly start phasing out the Laura.
This seems more logical.

If they do actually launch the full spec car in India, then oh boy! I might have found the perfect replacement for my existing Laura

[v.anand]

What a beautiful car. Its going to be the most desirable new car launch of 2013.

Only area of concern is, before VW made their Indian entry Skoda had a clean run with equipment and quality matching its European counterparts. No reason why non-enthusiasts started talking about Skoda at the same breath as the mighty German big 3.

Look at all the VW products in India now, they are all one down on their European brother in terms of quality and equipment. Skoda too are getting diluted at every version upgrade and are pressurized to price lower than VWs. Its a different point though that both are still better than their direct competitors in quality but the brand value is getting diluted. In all possibility, Octavia is going to be priced lesser than Jetta and equipment list could be lesser than even the spartan Jetta.

[neerajpv87]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Speculating for India the 1.8 TSI to come along with the diesels.

Cheers!

Personally, I'd like to see both the 1.8 TSI and 2 TDI in their 180 hp guise coming to India.

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Omtoatom

Clean and timeless styling. Although there's some oddity in the front which I cannot quite put a finger on at this point.

Yes, there is an oddity in the front and to me it is the sharp turn in the lower part of the headlights, which are a deviation from the smooth flowlines everywhere else (This is visible more in the red car pics)! It somehow seems to stand out a little and breaks the overall design. But seeing the car in flesh will only be the real way to judge the design.
Otherwise a very coherent and flowing design which means business - I give it 95/100 in my design books!
Suddenly after seeing this my current gen Laura design has started appearing old school to me - looks like the upgrade bug is out to bite me again!

Regards,
Behemoth

[amit]

I agree with most of you. This looks awesome and the Jetta seems yawningly boring compared to it.

Originally Posted by volkman10

This will slot in between the Laura and Superb.

Will the Indian customer pay 16-20 lakhs for a Octavia? Maybe they will have to change the name.

[rxpaul]

Something strange ! The Octavia in post 18 looks/ is quite different from the Octavia in post 83. The 83 post Octavia is just superb !! It seems to have narrower windows, a different rear end and many more sharp edges....way to go Skoda

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by rxpaul

The Octavia in post 18 looks/ is quite different from the Octavia in post 83

The one in post 83 is the real deal. Previous ones like in post 18 were just camouflaged testing mules.

[avira_tk]

Skoda will make this the replacement for the existing Laura, once the kits run out for the existing model. The European Rapid will be the new Octavia in the Indian market, the only problem is that the Octavia will not have a direct VW sibling, unless VW plans a rebadged Euro Rapid specifically for India. There is a huge gap between the Rapid and the Laura, the Euro Rapid will be a nice fit.

[rxpaul]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

There is a huge gap between the Rapid and the Laura, the Euro Rapid will be a nice fit.

The Euro rapid is a notchback (5 door) and has the new Skoda moniker. In what other way is it different from the Indian Rapid ? I doubt if Skoda can just brand this as the Octavia and sell it in India.

Logically Skoda should withdraw both the Indian Rapid and the Laura and get in the Euro Rapid and the New Octavia. This would ensure that all Skodas are notchback and hence be more purist.....but will VW permit

[volkman10]

Autocar - First drive review on the Skoda Octavia 1.8TSi DSG SE Plus.

Push the starting button (which sits where the ignition key used to be) and the motor spins up into a very subdued idle. Pull the (very slick-action) lever into ‘D’ and the Octavia pulls away with remarkably little mechanical intrusion.

This drivetrain is exceptionally smooth and refined, with the transmission worthy of a special mention such is the instinctive way it interacts with the engine.

There’s a great delicacy and accuracy to the steering, which shone through even on the very uneven and snow-packed B-roads outside Prague. This car can be driven through the fingertips and rewards precise inputs. The ride was also highly impressive, doing a very fine job of round off ridges and short bumps.

On the motorway it was flat and stable. High speed refinement was notable for the calm in the cabin, though the result was the noise from the snow tyres and wind being more to fore.

In this petrol turbo form, a smooth, sweet transmission is matched by what, even on very poor, ice and snow-covered Czech back roads, is an equally sweet-handling, smooth-riding chassis. It’s the sort of car that would be ideal for a precise and thoughtful driver.

Cheers!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/...si-dsg-se-plus

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by rxpaul

The Euro rapid is a notchback (5 door) and has the new Skoda moniker. In what other way is it different from the Indian Rapid ? I doubt if Skoda can just brand this as the Octavia and sell it in India.

It's a completely different car, different dimensions and better interiors, compared to the Indian Rapid, it will be an apt replacement for the Octavia, similar size and better package interiors. All in all, another reason to go for Skoda and avoid the more expensive Jetta. I doubt it will be launched here.

[Omtoatom]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

Yes, there is an oddity in the front and to me it is the sharp turn in the lower part of the headlights, which are a deviation from the smooth flowlines everywhere else (This is visible more in the red car pics)! It somehow seems to stand out a little and breaks the overall design. But seeing the car in flesh will only be the real way to judge the design.
Otherwise a very coherent and flowing design which means business - I give it 95/100 in my design books!
Suddenly after seeing this my current gen Laura design has started appearing old school to me - looks like the upgrade bug is out to bite me again!

Regards,
Behemoth

Yes, it must be the sharp curve in the headlamps section which seems to be a little asynchronous with the rest of the car body. You're right though: all this talk is speculative at best. We will only be able to pass a conclusive verdict one way or another on seeing the car in flesh and blood. Besides, who knows a lot of companies are known to "Indianize" their global models to suit popular tastes (excess chrome et al). So you never quite know what we'll eventually land up with right?

While on the subject, I'm a big fan of the current Laura's design with the swept back headlamps et al. It definitely makes the car look sportier and in tune with the times. I think it manages to strike a perfect balance between the old school and contemporary.

Overall the 2013 Octy looks the part man. No wonder you're already salivating! Er all the best dealing with the upgrade bug!

[prithwi-81]

Auto.cz forum reported this bug while looking for Fabia RS Model. Interestingly the configurator was pulled offline by Skoda for 'maintenance reasons'.

Well not before the folks at Auto.cz snapped the screens.