New 2013 Skoda Octavia initial review out, more photos revealed

The new 2013 Skoda Octavia sedan has been revealed in Europe. This car may come to India at the end of next year as a possible replacement for the Skoda Laura. Skoda may even choose to bring back the Octavia brand name to India.

The new Octavia was previewed by WhatCar? magazine and going by initial reviews the car sounds promising. The new Octavia is a completely new car, although it retains several styling elements that look similar to the current Laura (European Octavia II). The car is bigger as it has been built on Volkswagen’s new MQB platform that is shared with the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3. Also read: Skoda to bring back Octavia brand name to India

Family look and styling

Skoda has tried to keep a consistency in styling that makes the car instantly recognizable as a Skoda sedan. It has some design elements from the Mission L and the European Rapid sedan. The headlights are narrower and sport projectors and LEDs. The car has a more aggressive bonnet and grille and is distinctly longer by about 90 mm, with length going up to 4659 mm from 4569 mm. However, some weight reduction has been carried out making it lighter than the current Laura/Octavia II. Boot space is about the same at 590 litres.  The trademark notchback with integrated rear glass and boot lid design remains, while the tail-lamps are also an evolution of the Laura tail-lamp design. Interior space is supposedly better than the current car.

New engine choices

The new Octavia will come with new engine choices in both petrol and diesel. Skoda will introduce the new 1.4 TSI (turbo petrol) engine in the car, which currently is seen in the new petrol Volkswagen Jetta in India. This engine puts out 120 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque. The RS variant will probably get the 1.8 turbo-petrol, with a boost in power.  The diesel variant of the Octavia will come with an upgraded version of the 2-litre diesel with increased output to 148 bhp, with the six-speed DSG and manual transmissions.

Feature rich

The new Octavia will add a few more features to the car, while good quality interiors continue. All variants are likely to come with a color-touchscreen infotainment display, but features like parking assist, adaptive cruise control etc may only come in the top-end variants. The European version also has pedestrian safety features. Also read: Skoda cars to become cheaper

The new Octavia is set for a December unveil and a January launch in Europe, and may come to India only by the end of next year.

 

Source: WhatCar?