It came to us way back in 2000 when there were no Passats, Civics and the likes. And then it became a cult. Yes folks, we are talking about the Skoda Octavia.
The first generation of the car was an instant hit in the country and has gone on to become one of the best cars we have seen in this segment. But then the Laura came in and the car was not upgraded to BS IV standards either. Gradually, Skoda pulled off the ‘Octavia’ brand from the Indian market.
But Skoda is gearing up to reintroduce the 2013 Skoda Octavia to us this year which will replace the Laura. The latest generation of the Skoda Octavia has been built on the parent company VW’s MQB platform and the car has become larger and wider than the Skoda Laura. The wheelbase is 2686 mm which is 90 mm longer than the Laura and is wider by 45 mm. The long wheelbase is just short of the one that you can find on the VW Passat which is a notch higher than the Octavia.
The cars interiors are big up from the current generations of cars on offer and the space inside the car reminds you of E-Class to be precise. The seats are cushioned pretty well to give you the comfort and the boot stands at a mammoth 590 litres to give you all the space that you might require to carry your stuff around. The car will have a weight reduction of around 85 kg to make it all the more economical and faster in overall performance.
The car is expected to hit the Indian roads soon and we expect it to arrive towards the later half of the year 2013. The car is expected to get 1.4 litre, 140 bhp petrol motor as the base model and the 1.8 litre petrol heart with 175 horses on offer as the top of the line petrol variant which is expected to get an automatic gearbox as well. A vRS version with 200 horses on offer is expected to make its way to the Indian shores as well.
There will be a 2.0 litre diesel motor on offer as well in two different states of tune which would be 120 bhp and 150 bhp. The car will be priced around Rs.13.5 lakh mark for the base petrol version and Rs.15 lakh mark for the diesel variant to keep it competitive. Skoda Octavia was probably the first car that catapulted Skoda’s brand in India and in its new avatar, Skoda will hope that the same brand will take them away from the current doldrums they are in.
Also Read: Xclusive scoop of new Skoda Fabia with New Logo Theme and Branding; Caught in Pune
Source: AutoCar India
