[vagster]

Quick Update :

My delivery was supposed to happen tomorrow, but delayed as the vehicle hasn't been shipped from the factory itseems and the dealer is anticipating a delay with no ETA.

Anyone in the course of booking received any updates from their SA on the delivery / waiting period?

Also i came across https://www.reuters.com/business/aut...ns-2023-02-02/ . Im not sure if this would factor in as our fellow BHPian said there are already 30+ kits available and it is a matter of assembling in India.

Im planning to go with Tyre inflator and tunnel mat as an additional accessory from Skoda and 3M nomad mats later. Any other accessory you would recommend along?

Should i do a PDI before making the payment? My SA claims the car will be in perfect condition. But considering the horror stories from Skoda, im bit reluctant to ignore.

[suvan1988]

Has anyone ever tried to upload India maps from skoda update portal using usb drive?

[neoonwheels]

Guess my Android Auto (In my phone) got updated and now I can see full screen AA on my Octy's infotainment screen:



Anyone else noticed this change?

[S.Vats]

Originally Posted by vagster

Should i do a PDI before making the payment? My SA claims the car will be in perfect condition. But considering the horror stories from Skoda, im bit reluctant to ignore.

Definitely go for a thorough PDI. Take pictures and a full car video. Never skip it.

[SR-71]

Originally Posted by vagster

Should i do a PDI before making the payment? My SA claims the car will be in perfect condition. But considering the horror stories from Skoda, im bit reluctant to ignore.

Not just Skoda, it makes no sense to do full payment before doing PDI for any brand whatsoever. There is a detailed check list published in the forum. Also ensure you do not sign the RTO forms until PDI is done. Once they register the car your options are limited.

[adi_petrolhead]

Originally Posted by vagster

Should i do a PDI before making the payment? My SA claims the car will be in perfect condition. But considering the horror stories from Skoda, im bit reluctant to ignore.

Do not make full payment before seeing the car in person. I was in a similar situation when I was buying the Kodiaq, dealer asked for full disbursement and even my finance guy was eager to, to achieve their monthly targets. I paid around 30% of the amount, did the PDI and made the balance payment immediately after. In these cases its best not to rush no matter what pressures you’re in.

[sidhgoyal]

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

Anyone else noticed this change?

Not completely related to your post, but an observation related to a similar situation with AppleCarplay
AppleCarplay by default runs full screen in the Octavia.
Actually, when I was playing around with the infotainment Home Screen, where you can arrange different widgets, ( I don’t exactly remember because like I said I was experimenting), I changed some widget, and apparently after that Apple CarPlay started running on a smaller sized area within the screen with plain borders of background color on both sides.
Just an observation recalled when you posted this about android auto

[GeeTee TSI]

I have a penchant for OE brass valve caps and thankfully TAFE had a set in stock (part# 000071215C)



Typical VAG quality inside out


One needs to be mindful of these while checking air pressure outside (helpfully assisting the attendant to unscrew the caps )

[Jo2]

My user experience has been long overdue. While I have enjoyed reading every post here and learned immensely from all of you, thought its only time I post here without delay to benefit some of the users on this forum who are possibly still sitting on the fence while this beauty is gone forever from our shores!

So here goes.


Our car (Black Style variant) is predominantly driven by my Dad who is 70+ and I get to drive it only when I am back home for my annual vacation. So my experience below is a combination of our drive to Wayanad from Kochi, drive in the mad traffic haze that my home Kochi has become as well as through some village and kuccha roads that we ended up in - thanks to google maps

Pros

• We were a full load on our trip to wayanad- 4 adults and luggage and the car never scraped the bottom even once during our trip which also had some uneven patches and speed breakers but never off the tarmac.We even went through some bad kuccha patches on another drive with 3 adults and surprisingly never scraped the bottom. All of this points to what a well engineered product can achieve without trying to pose as an SUV!
• At one point we reached a dead end and had to do a tight U-turn at a place a wagon R also had to turn tight and the tight turning radius of a car of this size is surprisingly good- no I am not exaggerating.
• The ride comfort is excellent and the way it soaks up bumps is amazing. I am not sure any car this side of 50 lakhs can do it with such finesse.
• Driving dynamics: is great and gives a planted feel at high speeds. Zero body roll and the ease with which the Octy picks up speed, the first 80KMPH warning is here before you even know it!
• The DSG as expected,is a hoot to drive- No other automatic can match this experience- period!
• While city mileage is around the 10KMPL mark, long drives can get you to 14KMPL marks if you are gentle on the throttle- I'll take that anyday for a 2L petrol engine
• The fit and finish of the car after 1 year of use is still top notch and has held up well

Cons

• The car is wide! So in city traffic, if you are upgrading from a smaller car, its going to be a steep learning curve.
• Elderly folks do struggle with entry and exit so is something to watch out for if you have older folks at home. My Dad initially complained but I think he is slowly falling in love with Octy and has started enjoying the drive more
• The infotainment is a sore point- we have a style variant and the infotainment is laggy on most occasions especially when starting up. Kochi with its humidity, one needs to wait for the infotainment to start even for the air-cons to kick in. Why do all cars go to the screens! A traditional knob like in the superb would have made a world of difference. We are learning to live with it now

Something interesting to note is if you /there is someone in the family who is not comfortably with a cushy ride ( compare this to a Volvo bus journey vs a regular bus journey) you can get motion sickness. I love the cushy ride as it keeps the ride plush. But we had someone who was sensitive and couldn't handle the cushy-ness of the ride. ( I wouldn't call it hyundai floaty yet)


Lastly for anyone concerned with service centers, the EVM SKODA service in Cochin is fantastic. Agreed if you need certain parts there is a min 2 week delay ( we were told during our 1st full service we might have to replace the selector knob as an error popped up and waited 2 weeks for the part to arrive, only to find out it never needed a replacement and the car to date runs without any glitches). But the overall care, attention to detail and the way they treat customers is as good as any service center can in today's world. Gone are the days of servicing horrors with skoda at least for now.

Do I miss a sunroof- I wont lie- would have been great in a car of this price but is not a necessity at all. I'd take a well engineered product anyday over a sunroof.

My Verdict
Overall, if you are a keen driver who is looking to balance it with comfortable ride for a family and do long drives occasionally go for the Octy!
If your drives are only in the city, or do not have a 2nd beater car- give it a 2nd thought as the width of the car with the mad traffic can get to you at some point!

Hope this us helpful for anyone still looking to make a purchase decision. I am in love with the car and cant wait to drive this again during my next vacation!

Originally Posted by GeeTee TSI

I have a penchant for OE brass valve caps and thankfully TAFE had a set in stock (part# 000071215C)

Wow those look beautiful! Can you share how much do they cost?

[akshay_b]

Originally Posted by suvan1988

Has anyone ever tried to upload India maps from skoda update portal using usb drive?

Is it possible to run offline maps on the infotainment system? I'm very eager to find out. Please let me know if you come across anything.

[GeeTee TSI]

Originally Posted by Jo2

Can you share how much do they cost?

The valve caps are listed at 2320/- in the accessories brochure

[vagster]

Thank you 'adi_petrolhead', 'SR-71' and 'S.vats'. Will make a PDI before committing a payment.

What is the booking process in Skoda look like? Do we get any notification(email/sms) from Skoda once the vehicle is allotted to us after making a booking? Who will share the Engine and Chasis number to us, Skoda (By email/ SMS after allotment) or the SA (After vehicle's arrival at the delaer)?

I was committed a delivery date as Feb 3 by SA and made all the bank formalities. Now i had put the disbursement on hold as there is no definitive timeline on the vehicle's arrival.
My SA keeps postponing the delivery date by a week every time when asked saying "the vehicle is not arriving in the current dispatch from Skoda".

Now, i cannot hold the disbursement for longer than 30 days after the approval (I have to take the disbursement by Mid Feb or cancel and reapply for a fresh loan application) and im kind of struck.

[BudgetFailure]

I have been following this thread for nearly a year with intention of eventually purchasing the car. During this time, I took numerous test drives of Octavia, even made a booking before cancelling it at the last moment because of financial and utilitarian considerations. Concerns about the car not being used frequently and just sitting in my parking lot, as well as doubts about finding time for drives, kept lingering in my mind. These concerns, along with numerous budget calculations, put a damper on my plans to buy the car.

However, my wife kept pushing me to just buy it, and finally she had her five year old Tiago transported to our place in July last year. Since then we have managed to drive it for more than 7,500 km in six months, mostly on long drives. And that is when I realised that in all the practicality calculations, I had overlooked how much i loved driving and the time I would be missing out because of waiting for the perfect time to buy a car.

I would like to highlight that i am an avid driver and hardly miss a chance to drive, be it any car. I am the default driver in my group and have more than 1,50,000 km of experience over last 14 years, despite not owning a car directly, thanks to my parents, friends and now my wife.

No, to the main point: I am very interested in buying the outgoing Octavia and believe I still have a month to do so. However, I am now getting other doubts, such as the impact of E20 fuel in future and possibility of the purchase not happening in time, causing the car to not get registered. There are too many “ifs” and “buts”.

I would like to know if anyone else is in the same boat and considering purchasing the Octavia before it goes out of production? (My dealer says it is still available, but the hike since last year is huge and there are no discounts now)
I do not think there is any other car at this price point which gives performance, luxury and feel-good factor.

[vagster]

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

Do not make full payment before seeing the car in person

Adi, thank you for the DM. I am unable to reply them .

I have just paid the Booking advance (50,000) and no further payments are made. Made clear that 30% payment would be made only after sharing the Engine and Chassis number followed by the remaining after a PDI.

Originally Posted by BudgetFailure

I would like to know if anyone else is in the same boat and considering purchasing the Octavia before it goes out of production? (My dealer says it is still available, but the hike since last year is huge and there are no discounts now)

I was looking octavia since its launch and cancelled the booking after hearing the omission of Canton system. I have again made the booking now (You are right, there are no feel good cars at this price range and nothing can match the dynamics of a sedan).

Yes, there are no discounts offered and Skoda has managed the inventory really well. There are corporate/ loyalty discounts offered worth 30,000 INR , probably accessories (if you can bargain) and insurance price match.

E20 Fuel - yeah, I had this concern and Zac earlier clarified that all cars from Skoda portfolio will be made compatible (Existing models as well)

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5491676 (List all cars that are E20 and E20+ petrol compliant)

[LONG_TOURER]

Originally Posted by vagster

Now, i cannot hold the disbursement for longer than 30 days after the approval (I have to take the disbursement by Mid Feb or cancel and reapply for a fresh loan application) and im kind of struck.

For a car like Octavia which is going to be discontinued after a month, dealers are asking for 50% of payment so that the buyer doesnt cancel the vehicle at the last moment which you become a liabilty to them if left unsold. I am also in the same boat and booked the Octavia and made 50% of payment to the dealer only after confirmation of VIN and photos of the vehicle.