[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Q to current Octavia owners: how high does the boot lid get, in a fully opened position?
Couldn't see mention of a boot-close electronic button / mechanism from the outside.

Not an Octavia owner but the hatch opens quite high. I’m 158 cm and I could stand below a fully open hatch with some space left.

There’s a button provided on the hatch to close it and the height of the opening however can be set by long pressing the button and thereafter it will open to the set height. This is standard on most VW/Skoda/Audi vehicles.

[gururajrv]

Skoda is clear - they’re pitting this car against the premium offerings from the big Germans and aren’t considering any other makers! The boss himself has tweeted supporting / justifying the price tag for the product on offer.

Makes sense with their strategy (obviously minus pricing):

- we always termed Superb as VFM because it gets you an E class comfort for a C class money

- now it’s younger sibling is a grown up product too so it’s comparing itself with a C class or a 3 series or even an A4!

Saw this on Facebook page - Rushlane

What’s your pick?

[greenh0rn]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Unfortunately, we all tend to get carried away by the money illusion - and think that a Rupee today is the same as a Rupee 5.5 years ago. If the 1.8 Style Plus was ₹20.15 L in January 2016, that translates to ₹ 24.99 L ex show room today just based on the depreciation of the INR against the EUR in this period. Consider the extra cost of a 2 L TSI BS6 engine VS a 1.8 TSI BS4 engine, the DQ381 wet clutch gearbox against the DQ200 dry clutch gear box, the far superior ICE system in the new Octavia, and inflation even in Europe over the past 5.5 years (6% over this period in Germany) - and you could very easily justify at least 15 -20% more - which would get the Style Plus to ₹ 28.75- 30 L. So on that basis, the L&K at ₹ 28.99 L and the Style at ₹25.99 L seem like real steals.

Approaching this from another angle, if we look at comments on all recent CKD car launches (the Jeep Compass, the Citroen C5 Aircross, and now the Skoda Octavia), we find the same theme - the car is over priced by ₹3-5 lakhs. That is because we are anchoring to prices from 5 years ago and failing to realise that the auto industry is actually doing a great job keeping prices down for vastly superior products.

The only benchmark against which the Octavia really looks over priced is the prices that people got for the 2020 Superbs and Tiguan Allspaces in the November to March period. But these were discounted prices for clearing inventory after a Covid year in which inventory planning went completely awry. We can’t compare launch prices for a new car with that.

One of the most practical takes on the pricing and one that I couldn’t agree more.

The new Octavia is definitely not overpriced. For those who want it and are falling a little short on budget can and must wait for discounts to roll in. Mind you, once you drive it for a while, you won’t like or want any other car (provided you want a sedan in first place). And definitely not Elantra!

[vikrantshete]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Amidst tens of posts cribbing without justification about the pricing of the Octavia, this is one of the few that makes sense in my view.

Unfortunately, we all tend to get carried away by the money illusion - and think that a Rupee today is the same as a Rupee 5.5 years ago. If the 1.8 Style Plus was ₹20.15 L in January 2016, that translates to ₹ 24.99 L ex show room today just based on the depreciation of the INR against the EUR in this period.

Not sure these calculations are accurate. My style At 2019 was about 20L ex showroom for brand new car MY 2019

Does the new octavia style variant really offer that much more than my car that it commands 26L ex showroom?

[vigneshkumar31]

The car looks stunning. Just like a Skoda should.
Will not jump into the value discussion, because the way prices are soaring every few years, I'm frankly scared if I could afford any aspirational car in the future.

Saw the Skoda Superb SportLine at the Mumbai T2 today and was blown away by the boot space. I was never a Sedan guy but the Skoda sedans/notchbacks stunning designs and premium appeal coupled with overpriced stilted SUVs riding the market on SUV wave, may just make me cross deck and get a swanky Skoda.

[vikrantshete]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

Someone I know has a 10,000 km run 2016 MY single owner 1.8 TSI for sale. His price is 16L negotiable.

Suddenly 16L feels a steal.

I had mine evaluated at olx auto. They qouted a price of 11L for MY 19 Octavia style TSI AT 45000KM done. Only a completely broke guy would sell at that price. I would rather let it lie in my parking than sell at such a low price.

[JishD]

Can't help feeling that Skoda has now started positioning Octavia as a brand builder rather than a VFM offering. Predicting sales will be far below 200 / month once the initial euphoria dies down.

Not a significant improvement in performance Vs the 1.8 TSI either - Octavia at these prices will remain an epitaph in the dusty pages of history !

What they need to do is get the fantastic Karoq as CKD , drop the prices within 2-3 lakhs of the top end Koreans and see the volumes.

No

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Amidst tens of posts cribbing without justification about the pricing of the Octavia, this is one of the few that makes sense in my view.


I do hope this sells reasonable numbers - I certainly don’t want VAG to down the shutters and exit India. But guess the fate of the Taigun and Kushaq will matter far more in that regard.

.
Slightly OT

Prices of consumer items seem to be largely driven by a function of demand and supply. It is at the end of the day what people are prepared to pay for their perception of value.

Inflation may be used to justify essentials but for discretionary products likes cars it is usually priced for highest margin and profit that the manufacturer thinks the target buyer will pay for it. If inflation is used to explain prices then we should all be happy with 100 rupees for a litre of petrol.

A large number of folks felt that the Octavia is overpriced by a certain margin. I am sure inflation would not have been their thought, it would have been based on their willingness/unwillingness to pay for the value that they see in the car.

A lot of bhpians felt that the Creta was overpriced. But the market certainly did not think so and Creta was a runaway success. A lot of us think that the Rapid TSI is a steal but the last time I checked it's not exactly setting the charts on fire.

In a nutshell, I think inflation of the rupee is not a pricing factor. It's simply a price that Skoda put to earn a certain margin on every car they sell and what they think a target buyer would be prepared to pay.

Drive on,
Shibu

[jithin23]

The car itself looks classy and the review is even more classy! Though the sedan breed is in its sunset days in most parts of the world and India, the Octavia makes a strong case for itself with the numerous features on offer. I even noticed a driver side vanity mirror, which shows the level of detail Skoda has put into this car. TSI's are fun to drive but the the only deterrents against this car are the on-road price, part availability and the 2.0 TDI is missing. The new Octavia is replacing the superb in terms of price.

[AMG Power]

The new Octavia is a whopping 84 kgs heavier than the old Octavia so you will get a lot more steel and plastic for your money. In this day of emphasis on weight reduction to aid FE, performance and handling, Skoda seems to have taken a different approach to cars.

What you get is an extra 10bhp to handle those 84kgs. However, that isn’t enough and the new car is slower than the earlier Octavia (160 kmph comes up in 18.38 seconds in the old Octavia vs 18.9 seconds in the new one).

That is just on the performance front. With the chassis being longer and wider giving it less torsional rigidity, expect compromises on handling.

Clearly the current Octavia is no more a sporty car or directed at the performance enthusiast. The earlier car had all of this albeit much less than the Laura, this version takes it further away.

There was always an excitement at each new launch of the Octavia because it was a car directed at the performance enthusiast. It is sad that this isn’t the case. Those who enjoy driving will have to look elsewhere.

[camon]

I feel center cup holders next to electronic brake is awful design or placement,spilling of coke or water is inevitable.

So We should be ready to face this challenge.. Mostly kids going to give tough time 😇😇

[evil_grin]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Q to current Octavia owners: how high does the boot lid get, in a fully opened position?

For perspective, I'm 6 feet tall and I can't reach the top of the boot of mine when opened. I have to use the grab handle inside.

I'm really disappointed in the new Octavia. The previous generation was also expensive but still somewhat justifiable. This one is a worse car for way more money. Here's why:

1. Bad looks. The front, wheels and steering do not look good at all
2. Worse handling
3. Terrible tyres. Goodyear Assurance is what you get on the Honda City. At least the Goodyear NCTs on the previous model were grippy even if noisy and hard after 10k km
4. Puny gear switch. A car should come with a proper gear lever, even if AT
5. No switches for AC. Ridiculous
6. Space saver tyre
7. No sunroof
8. No leather seats. That material they're giving will be a nightmare to keep clean.
9. Much lower ground clearance. Can't afford that in India. Especially on a sedan.

The only important things that are better are
1. A more reliable gearbox that can handle higher torque after remaps.
2. A bigger engine that oddly gives out similar power.
3. Electronic handbrake that lets you auto hold at signals. This is very convenient.

I'd strongly suggest anyone eyeing this car to buy a used previous generation. Even if you live in an expensive used market like Hyderabad or Bangalore.
Other better choices are a used 3 series, Compass diesel MT and a Superb.

I somehow end up with the best generation of my cars. First 3rd gen city and now make 3 Octavia.

[Surprise]

Originally Posted by vikrantshete

I had mine evaluated at olx auto. They qouted a price of 11L for MY 19 Octavia style TSI AT 45000KM done. Only a completely broke guy would sell at that price. I would rather let it lie in my parking than sell at such a low price.

1.8 TSI Style AT for a 2019 model even in Pune, MH, one of the lowest used car prices in the country is nothing less than 17L. Attached one seems from an individual is quoted at 21L (2017 model). Check in the market as if you are a buyer for similar model & you will know the prices

[vjbox]

I continue to fathom the positioning of this car. I mean it seems rather well built with better interior aesthetics, larger screen, a futuristic gear selector and all which sounds better than what is seen in the Superb and its pricing is cutting it too close to the Superb.At 36L on road, I wonder what makes this check against the Superb?

[niranjanrvce]

Originally Posted by AMG Power

What you get is an extra 10bhp to handle those 84kgs. However, that isn’t enough and the new car is slower than the earlier Octavia (160 kmph comes up in 18.38 seconds in the old Octavia vs 18.9 seconds in the new one).

What is the source of data for this claim that the new Octavia 2.0Tsi is slower than the old 1.8Tsi please?

From what is available online:-
Octavia 1.8 Tsi: 0-100: 7.8s, 0-160: 19.7s
Superb 2.0Tsi: 0-100 7.7s, 0-160: 17s (Almost ~3s faster, Octavia should be within a ~sec of this)
Octavia 2.0Tsi: 0-100 7.4s (claimed)

Whatever the shortcomings or not of the new Octavia, I think it's fair to say the new engine+gearbox combo is indeed a step up over the old engine+gearbox combo.

Sources:
1) https://fastestlaps.com/models/skoda...ia-1-8-tsi-n-a
2) https://fastestlaps.com/models/skoda-superb-2-0-tsi