Got to test drive the Skoda Octavia two days back, Pune now has just one Skoda dealership Viiraaj Skoda, which has taken over Asset Auto, the showroom and service centre however remains the same as Asset Auto! I think for an ever growing city like Pune, Skoda India should look at appointing another dealer if it wants grow and sell decent cars!
Ok, so a decently big city, just one dealer, and sadly that dealer has just one demo cum test drive Octavia, with a diesel heart, in the Ambition trim.
Like all other cars I have test driven, I was expecting a top end variant that is Elegance in this case to be a demo/TD car. After three cancelled appointments, me and a friend finally got to test drive the car in heavy traffic that too for a really short distance. We were not offered a longer test drive, for what reason I am still not sure (I was looking more than decent in my clothing that day!

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As soon as I lowered myself in the car and shut the door, something just felt a miss! The door has no reassuring feel associated with European cars and the horn sounds horrible, hilarious to someone who is used to a VW horn! Cranked the engine and car came to life, 2.0L TDI, the engine as they say is legendary. I think it will soon replace the Fiat Multijet as India's national engine!
Shift to first, disengaged the clutch, nothing happens and the car stalls! Whaaaat!

I am used to driving diesels and petrols regularly of varied ages and mileage, never has this happened, nevertheless that's my bad!
Drove the car for a while, feels decently quick, the steering is strikingly lighter than the Laura or the Jetta! The tyres were heavily over inflated and I have a feeling that the tyre pressure wasn't consistent on all four tyres. For whatever little distance I drove the car, I felt the car handles cool! But I couldn't understand why the car as a package, just didn't feel like a 20+ lakh INR car. Just didn't feel solid enough IMHO. The sales assistant then took us through numerous features on the central display and the MID. The car has a million features, some of which I probably wouldn't even want to use regularly. And to my eyes the central/audio screen is tilted that minute bit to the passenger side, is it really that way or is it just me?
I didn't bother to check the sound quality, because no matter what, being a self proclaimed ICE freak, I knew I wouldn't like it!
All in all, the car is responsive, the gearbox is a breeze, the clutch too light, the interiors are too bright for my taste, too much beige everywhere doesn't cut it for me. Space is huge inside, numerous nifty features, good for everyday use. Big boot, bland rear!
But at around 23.XX lakh on-road in Pune, I really have my doubts about this car being any value for money! Plus I also have my doubts regarding the new dealership!
Disclaimer, I have nothing against the Octavia, nothing against people who own and love the car, or nothing against Skoda! I am not worried about service issues as I drive a VW and have always had expensive but decent service experiences!
The above piece of writing is just my own little observation and opinion! Its just that I went for the TD all grinning after reading so much about it and it just didn't feel special enough to me! I was hell bent on the 1.8 TSI Elegance, which I still think would be substantially better than the diesel that I test drove, but they really cant expect me to buy a 21.xx Lakh rupee car without letting me test drive it, your bad Skoda!
Also, my father being in the mining industry for around 30 years now, understands nothing but SUVs, sedans are not up to his liking and he questions the logic behind them when capable and convenient hatchbacks are available for much lesser price, that's again entirely his opinion, no offence to anyone. It has always been decently built rough vehicles(read multiple, literally 'multiple' Boleros of which I have lost count and a Scorpio) for our workplace or hatchbacks at home for convenience. And I am so sure he wouldn't like the idea of buying an Octavia, specially after he experiences it!
Next stop was VW Pune West (BU Bhandari Automotive), rich guys I must say! Multiple TD cars, thorough professionals, plus I am an existing customer. Checked the Jetta out, for me it clicked a few more boxes than the Octavia! But that's for another thread.