New Skoda Octavia

The Skoda's have been known for the fuel efficiency of their diesel engines and now the 1.4-litre petrol introduced is also fuel efficient.

The all new Skoda Octavia has been claimed to be the most fuel efficient Octavia of all time. While the 1.4-litre powered variants offer an impressive 16.81kmpl of mileage, the 1.8-litre TSI AT, 2.0-litre TDI CR-AT and 2.0-litre TDI MT produce the ARAI certified mileage around 14.72kmpl, 19.28kmpl and 20.61kmpl respectively.

The power produced by the Octavia petrol and diesel mills is good and sufficient in real world or even on paper.

Offered in total three engine options, the new Octavia has variants for individual needs. The 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine powered variants, being the most affordable of all, delivers lesser power output. The 1.4-litre TSI churns out the maximum power output of 138bhp, while yielding the peak torque of 250Nm @ 1500-4000rpm. While, the 1.8-litre TSI and 2.0-litre TDI engines promise to produce 178bhp and 141bhp respectively.

The acceleration produced by the Octavia 1.8-litre petrol is phenomenal.  The diesel too has good power to offer.

Skoda vehicles have always been known for their operating capabilities on roads and their promising performance statistics. Though the vehicles are not designed to be sports cars, they offer internationally competitive performance in the segment. The 1.8-litre TSI turbo charged petrol engine is expected to churn out enough pick up top help the vehicle attain top speeds with ease and so will be the case with the diesel engine model as well.

Skoda Octavia received quite a few exterior modifications over the years and the third generation facelift continues the tradition. The new vehicle is an exceptional beauty which claims authority and elegance on the roads. The front fascia offers a simple design statement with trendy geometrical design rather than an over the top hardware cluster. The frontage offers a well rendered front grill, which has the headlamp cluster on either side complementing the design statement. The headlamps, unlike contemporaries do not curve away along the bonnet or fenders but state swift design turns, which allow the front profile to form a synchronized design statement. The headlamps are almost in sync with the front grill and run parallel to it towards the wheel arches. The front design is also very 'Czech' in terms of not having any elongated proportions. The front bonnet section is accurate and does not extend more than needed or underplays less than expected. The front grill is a well sculpted vertical line set with the Skoda logo breaking the norm in the top section of the vehicle. The fog lamps are placed on the front bumper which also houses air intake grills. The front fog lamps are almost evident in being synchronized with the headlamps and run parallel to it. The side profile of the vehicle is a typical sedan design and the designers did not venture into experimenting more with it, which might have ruined the elegance. Instead, Skoda clearly improved the existing sedan design with perfect curves and body aerodynamics, which helped the vehicle in offering an executive and classic statement. The body colored door handles blend in the vehicle’s frame work and give out a futuristic design. The side profile also depicts wheel arches which are relatively flat and aerodynamically evident as the transition of the framework from the curvy structure to the linear wheel arches is rather swift instead of a traditional gradual transition design. The side doors feature simple detailing and the skirts are also in body color maintaining a symmetric design balance. The wheels are beautifully designed to fit in the aesthetics and they have been equipped with a set of five spoke shiny alloy wheels. The windows are noticed to be offered with a black outlining separating them from the roof but since the entire windshield is probably tinted, in the trail model spotted, it offered an elegant visual appeal. The rear profile features a rather massive back which from side does seem to be decent. Though the rear profile is rather simple, it is evident that it can house a lot of luggage in it . The tail lamp cluster is also designed in a no nonsense way and it is situated on the framework rather than extending over the rear boot. The rear boot lid has a beautiful rendering and offers a space above the number plate probably to allow light positioning of the number plate. The rear bumper features indicator lights. The body colored bumper too adds up the elegance factor of the 2013 Octavia.

Having built on the Volkswagen's MQB platform, the new 2013 Octavia is 90mm longer and 45mm wider than earlier, taking the overall length and width to 4659mm and 1814mm respectively. The wheelbase too has increased a little to 2688mm, which means more comfort and space inside. The 1476mm height and 155mm of ground clearance too are well proportioned.

Skoda has revived the interior styling of the Octavia and we like the way the instrument panel has been design. The space is sufficient and even the boot is extra large.

Like all Skoda vehicles, this latest 2013 Skoda Octavia is also extremely comfortable and is much better and elegant than its predecessors with better fit and finish, better quality fabric and plastic. Though the list of comfort features is so long, the most important features offered with the car are steering mounted control for Audio and telephone, 12-way electrically adjustable driver's seat with three programmable memory functions, height adjustment for front seat occupant, lumbar support adjustment for driver, front and rear seat armrests, automatic air conditioning with electronic regulation of cabin temperature, dual-zone climatronic, rear AC vents etc.

The interiors of the vehicle measure larger than the second generation due to the increased wheel base and other measurements such as lenght and width. The 2013 Skoda Octavia ensure ample leg room along with pertinent head and shoulder space to all its passengers. The boot space offered on the car too is quite decent with 590-litre capacity, and this can be extended further to 1580-litre if rear seat is folded. 

The engines on offer and the performance of them is brilliant, especially the 1.8-litre petrol We love the way, this engine performs.

The 2013 Skoda Octavia will be offered with various engine options to cater the needs of the performance inclined customers as well as mileage oriented customers by offering 1.8 litre turbo charged TSI petrol engine as well as 2.0 litre turbo charged TDI diesel engine . There are also some speculations about a 1.6-litre diesel mill as well, which will further bolster the model line up.

The Skoda Octavia comes loaded with an in-built Bolero or Swing music system, depending on the version. There are xenon headlamps, LED DRLs and loads of other brownies on offer.

The 2013 Octavia comes with an 6 inch touch screen inside the vehicle and the audio system has a CD player along with speakers and othe rinput options such as USB port and Aux-In interface as well . The exact details of the interior accessories will be revealed shortly.

The braking and handling of the Octavia is typical Skoda. It is a joy to drive it around bends and brakes bite hard.

The all new Octavia offers best-in-class drivability with several advanced features. And since the vehicle is quite swift, it surely needed an advance set of brakes both at the front and rear. It comes equipped with hydraulic dual-diagonal circuit braking system vacuum assisted with Dual Rate system, which ensures a smooth braking. The vehicle has disc brakes fitted to both front and rear wheels. And to better the braking efficiency, it has been offered with an anti-lock braking system, electronic brake-force distribution system with brake assist.

Skoda has loaded the Octavia with several features like airbags, ABS with EBD and ESP depending on the variant you procure.

Over the years, Skoda has never been a brand blamed for creating dangerous vehicles, always concentrating on creating safe and beautiful vehicles . Though the exact safety measures of the 2013 Skoda Octavia are yet to be revealed, but for sure these sedan will certainly feature the top class safety amenities such as airbags system , three point seat belts, ABS with EBD and many more such aspects.