[F150]

Best looking sedan in its class. Great review Viddy , as usual.

Pricing is off the mark, and JETTA is looking VFM all of a sudden. VW is any day > SKODA

[Akshay1234]

Great review Vid, this sure seems like its going to be a hit.

The pricing is really good, considering how much the Rupee has depreciated and the fact that they are still importing CKD kits from Europe. Of course there will be some amount of localization, but the price is still quite good.

As a Laura owner, I have mixed feelings towards the car. I find the looks a bit bland from some angles, especially the front on the cars which don't have the xenon headlights. But neutral looks seem to go well with the public.

The Elegance is pretty loaded now, though they still have miss out on a couple of features from the international Octy. Hopefully some like driving mode selector would come here in the vRS.

I think the variants have been chosen well, if the Ambition had xenon lights it would have been ideal.

Either way, its going to be a hit the same way the Superb was.

[9thsphinx]

Classic review.

This car will do great if paired with a 5+year warranty package just like the Rapid. Skoda had a chance to announce it along with the launch of the car but missed out on showing that they really care for the people who put faith in their brand.

The new Octavia is top on features, looks and power but it may not just be a hit as Skoda intends it to be for two reasons - Price and Skoda A.S.S.

[k_ajay]

Nice review again Vidyut, thanks.

Wish the 1.8 TSI and Diesel Elegance also came with manual transmission. Also priced higher than I thought it would be, making it hard to reach both. :( No doubt the 1.8TSI and Diesel will give a hard time to peers in its segment. 1.8TSI might blow the competition away.

Beautiful vehicle. Actually, pretty darn HOT. For the price they're charging for the elegance variants, Skoda should have retained the larger screen for the audio head unit available internationally on this car and those sexy small paddle shifters from the VRs, to the 1.8 TSI.

My guess is that when the sales start dipping and slump, Skoda will introduce the 5 yrs standard or extended warranty option.

Originally Posted by auto_enthusiast

Can you explain what's the use of a net below the shelf ?

One of the uses I'm aware of is that you can stow away things you don't want to keep lying in the boot area. Umbrella, microfibre cloth, etc.. Small items that can be fastened to the parcel shelf. Will also reduce opportunity for any unwanted rattling.

[StarScream]

Another tempting and great looking car from Skoda but the whole package with after sales, warranty, reputation and company attitude doesn't convince.

Skoda is a bit like the legend of the mermaid - drawing sailors to their death with her enchanting voice!

Excellent review. The following 3 factors are discouraging me:

1. Price

2. Ground clearance of 155 mm [10 mm less than my Linea; I want to have more ground clearance in my next upgrade! ]

3. 2 year warranty without optional extended warranty.

[aneezan]

Great car and a great review. The only thing that hurts is the pricing. The high end versions will surely cross deep into the 20+ Lakhs region OTR. Most will settle for the diesel low and mid end versions.

[anilkumar]

Vid awesome review
Loved every bit of the car absolutely stunning to look but the only problem is its pricing didn't expect it to be so high in Bangalore as you already know the active variant will cross 18L+ which makes VW jetta a better buy

[F150]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The pricing is really good, considering how much the Rupee has depreciated and the fact that they are still importing CKD kits from Europe. Of course there will be some amount of localization, but the price is still quite good.

Either way, its going to be a hit the same way the Superb was.

Lets check the price of Laura which the OCTAVIA is replacing. I dont see any justification in pricing, and the lack of SKODA SHIELD is also a dampener.

Or is it replacing the superb ?

Originally Posted by dkaile

Great review Vidyut, Rated 5 star. But I was disappointed to see no manuals for the cracker of a 1.8TSI engine. Guess that makes my last years 17L Superb 1.8TSI MT a keeper now.

It sure is !!

[vvb8530]

Hi Vidyut,

Thanks for the great review. I Just have a few doubts that i want to ask you;

1. Is there any difference in the list of features/ bells and whistles between the elegance trims of 1.8TSI and 2.0TDI?

2. SS Traveler in his review had mentioned a couple of times about very uncomfortable front passenger seats, did you also feel the same? Also is the thigh support in the rear seat better than the laura's? How comfortable is the drivers seat for longer drives?

I think the top end 2.0TDI Elegance should cost approx 21L on road in Mumbai which should be a good value for money considering the Superb petrol ambition costs almost the same on road.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by vvb8530

1. Is there any difference in the list of features/ bells and whistles between the elegance trims of 1.8TSI and 2.0TDI?

Offhand, I can think of only 3 things - the different rear suspension, the different DSG gearbox, and the bootlip spoiler on the 1.8 TSi which is absent in the 2.0 TDi.

[Bomi]

Great review, Vidyut.
Do you have the in-gear acceleration timings of the petrol and diesel?

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

+1 to it. Makes it looks too plain jane and will be a pain to maintain it in the long run. In comparison to the Octavia, even the Laura's interiors have a classy touch Attachment 1147749 Attachment 1147750

positioning of the handbrake lever changed ... LHD/RHD market reuse ? maybe the laura was more 'indian' & the octavia is more 'european'

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by F150

Lets check the price of Laura which the OCTAVIA is replacing. I dont see any justification in pricing, and the lack of SKODA SHIELD is also a dampener.

Or is it replacing the superb ?



It sure is !!

Featurewise I think the Octavia Ambition = Laura Elegance and Octavia Elegance = Laura LnK.

If you consider the above equation then the pricing is pretty good, considering you are getting a newer, bigger, more powerful and better car overall. If you factor in Rupee depreciation of about 15% in the past one year, the pricing is really good if you ask me.

I've made a price comparison chart.

Also I think current Laura pricing is based on availability of kits. See the pricing of Laura 1.8 TSI MT is higher than the TDI MT. This was never the case earlier. I think they've dropped the TDI prices to clear the unsold inventory.

[Tats07]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

I've made a price comparison chart.

Is this Bangalore ex-showroom? Can you please tell us where you sourced this from, since am looking for the Bangalore prices as well?

Am little surprised, since Ambition 1.4 TSI in Delhi ex-showroom is 14.95, and typically it means than Bangalore will be 15+, since the ex-showroom prices are almost always higher here. If it's really 14.66 ex-showroom Bangalore, then I would say it's not as disappointing.

Still, for the same price, one could get a 1.8 TSI earlier, and I lament the days when one could get a MT Laura 1.8 TSI at 13 Lakhs OTR post huge discounts.

Edit: No, these are not Bangalore prices. Please see below: