[drpudhi]

Nice review. One thing the exhaustive review seem to have missed is the dummy switch with missing drive mode selector. Though the image in the brochure shows it, probably lazy copy paste job from international brochures. I think the international version provides the drive mode selector with normal, Eco, sports and custom drive modes with subtle changes to throttle and steering responsiveness.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by romil.shroff

Small correction: Both the variants get the same 17" alloy size. The only difference is in the design.

Other exclusive features for the L&K trim are:

1) Aluminum Pedals

2) Metal front door sills

3) Multiple-net storage solutions in the boot

4) Non-LED front turn-indicators

5) The lower variant (Style) gets a single horizontal LED stripe for the DRLs.

Thanks Romil. I was mainly highlighting the key differences which will impact the price delta between the Style and L&K. All differences were anyways in brochure.

Just a correction though. If you read my post what I have mentioned is for the spare tyre. The Style gets 16 inch spare tyre whereas the L&K gets 18 inch space saver spare tyre. That is because the subwoofer can only be placed inside the 18 inch cavity. So they had to give a space saver in L&K vs a regular tyre in Style.

[avm2407]

The expected pricing of 25-30 lakhs is really going to hurt Skoda in my opinion. While I understand that the pricing is such as there is hardly any competition in this segment, I don't see the Octavia selling well at all given that the Elantra is a good 5 lakhs cheaper with more features. I think the absence of ventilated seats and a sunroof is a big miss at this price point for a market like India.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Octavia fan myself! I would spend the extra 5 lakhs and buy it over the Verna. But the thing is most people who can afford a car of this segment will not. This is especially true in view of the barrage of 7 seater SUVs like Safari and Hector Plus which might even be slightly cheaper depending on the variant.

[fulcrum29]

Originally Posted by Livnletcarsliv

Here are my 6 cents

4. It is highly improbable that the Octy will be priced less/aggressive. In fact, I expect it to priced around 20 Lakhs ex or the style variant and 22-23 lakhs for the L&K.

I think your pricing is a little too optimistic. Octavia launching at these prices would be a dream come true.

[Sachin V.W.]

Superb and detailed review.

I'm always a admirer of Octavia. Whenever I used to go to Mumbai T2 terminus for my official tour, I would spend atleast 1-2 minutes ogling that white vRS on display ! Love it !

The unladen ground clearance of 137 mm will be a big concern for many. Today afternoon, I just experinced the worst water logging while coming back from my office. My humble Baleno survived and it took me safely through two and half feet high water pools in many parts. Man ! I was scared to drive through those.

I just can't imagine to drive a car like Octavia in such conditions.

Maybe, I'm getting old and I need to upgrade to an CUV soon.

[akash_v12]

Great review on a great car, Omkar & Aditya!
I personally feel that the Octy has now grown a much more-angrier look than V1.0 of it's predecessor. Seemingly, it seems that Skoda already wanted to get the Indian Market to get used to the angrier design language and hence they launched the facelift with the much sharper face and the split-headlight unit.

The interiors look really nice and apart from a few things, this car can now seemingly give the Superbs/CLAs/2GCs/A3s a run for their money in terms of space and premium-ness. Hopefully, the 2.0+DSG combo is much more reliable than before.

Places where I feel Skoda might have lost out:

1. No Diesel & No MT! - In a country, where petrol prices are hitting the century mark, do Skoda really expect customers to not make faces upon hearing that there is no diesel. Along with that, there is a very easy chance where the 2.0 + DSG might become a thirsty engine-gearbox combo. It might've been in the best interests of Skoda and allowed them to cash in on the lower (C2) Sedan Segment too!

2. Miss to features - Features like the integrated dashcam (don't know if this is available as an accesory), headlight washers & rear-wiper amongst a few others (drive modes etc.) have been given a miss by Skoda in comparison to the International Version.

3. The all important Sunroof. I know this is not widely available globally as well, but it would definitely have been a welcome addition by many Indians.

4. Also, a quick read on this thread revealed that the Octy has seemingly bouncy ride. So, good chance it's not going to be a great handler. Potential Enthusiast-Owners may want to search for better dampers, shock absorbers or an entire suspension kit.

Now, only Skoda should price it decently, expecting around 20-27L, otherwise Skoda might just have problems selling it.

[headbanger]

I fear if this is going to fare similar to fate of Honda Civic. Start with high hopes around the launch, excellent interiors and exteriors, missing engine options and some missing features list coupled with a high price point. Civic as a brand had tremendous pull much like Octavia. Civic lost on two fronts to the brute competition from wannabe SUVs and Koreans.

I hope the Skoda management realizes that the fight is not with Civics and Elantras. And just a marketing thump that you don't need a SUV may work only that far. Price the Octavia to take the fight to opponents corner else it will be such a shame to lose way like Civic.

[vb-saan]

Great review, thank you for sharing!

Overall, I feel the new Octavia is a great improvement over the outgoing one, it gives that sense of occasion with its classy well-appointed interiors and very well retain its practicality aspect.

They should have given a black interior option as well, looks much better than the sea of beige. And having that 1.5 TSI at launch would have widened its appeal.

[CarKid@40]

Wonderful review with attention to detail, thank you. Skoda has held the fort in the D segment sedan while others have moved on and they surely have leveled up the game


However, I also find the front grill a turn off given that all Octavias have had a great stance. It appears as a shark diving into the road While this is the new design language running into the family, but not looking particularly well here.

No Ventilated seats and USB Port, what is Skoda thinking - given it's a luxury car at that price point!

The rev limiting to 6000 RPM should be making way for differentiation in vRS next year among other things.

[Hayek]

Incredibly good review of a fantastic car. The attention to detail in official reviews continues to amaze me, even after 10 years on the forum.

Was going through the feature list here and comparing it with my Tiguan Allspace. Amazingly, Skoda has given this car several features my car does not have - most valuably the 12 speaker audio system, but also rear sun blinds, electronic child safety locks in for the rear doors (I don’t think my car has them), and electrically adjustable memory seats for the front passenger.

I do agree that several people will irrationally miss a Diesel engine here - but the fact is that unless you drive well over 15,000 km per year, a Diesel engine does not save you a material amount of money. And this Petrol engine is super smooth - it is easily the most refined engine I have ever driven. ₹25-29 l ex showroom seems like a lot - this is after all, and Octavia and not a Superb - but guess the 2 l TSI - DSG combination costs money. If the petrol sells for this much, they would have had to price a diesel at ₹31 l - viz similar to what the BS4 Superb was selling at.

On the tyres, we may have to live with junk going forward. With our government’s import restrictions, presume the best you can hope for are locally made Bridgestones. I remember how much the ride on my Superb improved when I replaced the stock Goodyears (which incidentally were 205 R16s) with Michelin Primacy 3 LCs. Sadly, except for the most determined, those days are probably gone.

Hope reliability is good and this car sells well - though I suspect 200 units a month is the best they can hope to achieve.

[sandeepmohan]

Thumbs up to the review.

I feel that a lot of people will change their opinion of the front grill when they see this car in person. I love it. Take a look at the color scheme for the vRs Wagon below (Does come with Umbrellas in the door). Looks pretty wicked when executed as a different color to the car.

You will need to make peace with that steering wheel and alloys. It is incomplete with that third spoke. The rim design is lame for a car like this. Even a conservative car brand like Toyota do better wheels than this.

Skoda should have repositioned the gear shifter to the steering column. If you are trying to make space, might as well move it all away.

I wish Skoda had used just standard cloth or fake leather for the seats instead of the suede mix up. Once you stain this particular color of suede, it is almost impossible to make them look new again. God help if you spill some masala chaii on it.

Personally; am a big fan of cars that are providing USB-C. Allows for more power to be delivered than any legacy usb standard. Knowing how slow and unreliable wireless charging is right now, I'd much rather use usb-c. The benefits are not limited to just the Apple camp. Most new Android devices have also made the shift to usb-c. I just love that they provided a slot right where you need to fix your dashboard camera. No more cutting and splicing wires to fix one. Wish more car brands will provide this considering there is power flowing to the IRVM in most cars these days.

Skoda sure know what to do and how to win your heart with these subtle design changes. This isn't a car that screams, look at me, yet there is something beautiful about the way this car looks. Really well executed.

[greenh0rn]

Originally Posted by headbanger

I fear if this is going to fare similar to fate of Honda Civic. Start with high hopes around the launch, excellent interiors and exteriors, missing engine options and some missing features list coupled with a high price point. Civic as a brand had tremendous pull much like Octavia. Civic lost on two fronts to the brute competition from wannabe SUVs and Koreans.

I hope the Skoda management realizes that the fight is not with Civics and Elantras. And just a marketing thump that you don't need a SUV may work only that far. Price the Octavia to take the fight to opponents corner else it will be such a shame to lose way like Civic.

I see a very common refrain that Octavia is priced too high, and will lose out as it is going to compete with SUVs and crossover in that and lower price segment.

My humble contention is that Octavia is 'primarily' going to compete with German/Swedish/Brit luxury brands, and will draw a buyer who wants the same levels of class, premiumness and safety of a C-Class/330i/S60 without spending 20-25 lakh more.

That's the kind of buyer Skoda is going after and will also attract.

Prices have increased across the board- you cannot buy 330i for less than 55 Lakh on the road, and other competitors will also comfortably reach 50L. What's a buyer eyeing a premium Euro-spec sedan but with only 25-30L budget got to do now? Skoda has answered this question with Octavia.

Incidentally, the lack of sunroof has already lost this new generation one customer. I was one of those eagerly awaiting, and the day I knew that sunroof won't be there, I began looking for the previous gen RS245, was initially told all units are sold, later found one of the last remaining ones in Kerala and bought it and drove it home.

[sramanat]

I'd like to see this from "who would want to buy this car" and "who would Skoda want to buy this car" questions. At this point it looks like "Skoda, specifically Octavia fans" would want to buy this. Skoda would have wanted the following people to buy the car

1. BMW/Audi aspirants who are on a budget - will the lack of bling like sunroof, heated/cooled seats etc. put them off? Remember, they are already giving up on the BMW/Audi badge and bragging rights. And looks like Superb is already there for these buyers.

2. Buyers who can be made to stretch - These people are value conscious. Considering one cannot make a buyer stretch loooong, the closest cars from where they can stretch are Elantra, Harrier, Jeep, Creta/Seltos. I'd assume Harrier, Creta/Seltos guys can't be converted - they'd miss the space, GC, sunroof etc. The best bets are Elantra (similar sedan) and Jeep (lifestyle buyers). Again, lack of diesel option could be an issue. Even with a big conversion percent, considering the already low sales numbers of elantra and compass, will Skoda be happy with the numbers?

3. Buyers who are already in Skoda's proposed price range - what other options do they have? The upcoming XUV700, Jeep 7 seater?

It all depends on what kind of sales numbers Skoda wants out of this car.

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Hayek

...but the fact is that unless you drive well over 15,000 km per year, a Diesel engine does not save you a material amount of money.

On the tyres, we may have to live with junk going forward. With our government’s import restrictions, presume the best you can hope for are locally made Bridgestones.

@Hayek, all hope is not lost. Michelin (& others) were well on the way to shipping new stocks to India, and the second COVID-19 wave is what delayed shipping and/or Customs clearances.

I expect the premium dealers to start stocking these bigger sizes soon. The stock 205/55/17 is a rare size, and the immediate upgrade should be 225/50/17, which should be available (hopefully soon) with Michelin Pilot Sports 4 & Continental CSC5 definitely. Vredestein is also launching shortly in India.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

It is incomplete with that third spoke.
The rim design is lame for a car like this.
Skoda should have repositioned the gear shifter to the steering column. If you are trying to make space, might as well move it all away.
I wish Skoda had used just standard cloth or fake leather for the seats instead of the suede mix up. Once you stain this particular color of suede, it is almost impossible to make them look new again

@sandepmohan: Well said!
That gear shifter is unnecessarily occupying prime real estate there. A MB style steering shifter could have been executed.

That suede in light colour is just not practical in India's weather + rough use (masala chai ) conditions. I expect a lot of complaints coming in, and Octavia V2 being changed to full leather or part leatherette combos.

Originally Posted by greenh0rn

I see a very common refrain that Octavia is priced too high, and will lose out as it is going to compete with SUVs and crossover in that and lower price segment.

Prices have increased across the board- you cannot buy 330i for less than 55 Lakh on the road, and other competitors will also comfortably reach 50L. What's a buyer eyeing a premium Euro-spec sedan but with only 25-30L budget got to do now? Skoda has answered this question with Octavia.

@greenh0rn: Totally agree. There is a niche clientele here who don't want the Big 3/4, but have been waiting for a 'VFM' Euro sedan like the Octavia.

[@og_adi]

Great review BHPians! Rated the well deserved 5-stars. The detailed explanation kept me engrossed in it throughout the review.

The following quoted point had my head thinking about the issues reported in the ownership thread of the VW Tiguan Allspace by kalyan_hyd

Originally Posted by Omkar

This 2.0-liter turbo petrol engine along with the 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox is the only powertrain on offer in the 2021 Octavia. The combination is shared with the Skoda Superb, Audi A4 and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace

Here’s my question- Is it fair to expect similar problems in the Octavia during the course of ownership? If yes, it is something to apprehend over while considering the Octavia, as the scale of people facing similar issues seems considerate and the lack of knowledge of the VW A.S.S (as reported in the thread) regarding the problem adds to the already grim situation.
If it isn’t fair to compare and assume, please correct me and help me understand how exactly they are unrelated.

Quoting one such post by a fellow BHPian regarding the issue:

Originally Posted by Dhruv29

Odometer Reading: 9150
I had to travel outstation to attend some family function. After travelling approximately 110km, suddenly the car made 3-4 quick knock noise from right side of engine compartment. I ignored it thinking that it was probably noise from passing traffic.
After a few minutes again, when accelerating from 5th gear in D mode at around 1300 RPM, same knock/rattle noise occurred in quick succession as if there is some slack in timing chain or engine is lugging.
The engine would cut power for 1 second then again would be back online.
It’s as if traction control was cutting power. The knock sound emanated from right side of engine bay whereas DSG box is on the left side.
In return journey, same issue occurred intermittently, whenever i tried to apply power to overtake and the engine would get in turbo range and then it would knock and power would cut.
Acceleration would be sluggish and jerky from 5th gear onwards with knock/cut episodes. Then it started to happen with 3/4/5/6th gear, the car would not want to put down power in turbo range.
It’ll steadily rise to cruising speed but would cut when turbo is making more boost while accelerating.
I then had to baby the car back home at a steady 50-60kmph without any overtaking manoeuvre.
Mid way back, i had to stop for 30 min. After the break, the car behaved completely normally.
There are no warning on instrument cluster whatsoever, and vehicle status shows green tick.
Things to note:
- From first day onwards, the car would make metallic rattle noise when coasting through bumps without any throttle input from gearbox side. I showed it to A.S.S, it was deemed as normal DSG noise.
- Today, after the fiasco the same noise has increased. Now it comes even with light throttle input in 1-2 gear in bumps. Which wasn’t the case before. As if something is loose inside gearbox and when more throttle is applied it goes away.
- Gearshifts are now felt more noticeable.

Attaching the link of the 15th page of the thread, where the problem has been initially reported, and the discussion related to it follows.

My Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace - Ownership Review & Upkeep - Page 15 - Team-BHP
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...upkeep-15.html (My Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace - Ownership Review & Upkeep)

Thank you!