Fourth-gen Skoda Octavia launched in India at Rs 26 lakh

The Skoda Octavia has a cult following in India thanks to its fun-to-drive credentials. The fourth generation version was much awaited and after the delays caused by the second wave of the pandemic, Skoda has finally launched the Octavia in India at Rs 26 lakh, ex-showroom for the base Style variant and Rs 29 lakh for the fully loaded L&K.

We have already reviewed the new Octy in detail, read our full review here

The design is a pleasant evolution and appears simple and timeless. There are sleeker full-LED headlamps upfront, larger signature Skoda grille surrounded in chrome and clean character lines that make it look elegant with a hint of sportiness. The Style gets standard 17-inch alloys in silver finish while the L&K gets 17-inch machine cut alloys. At the rear, massive Skoda lettering is now plastered on the tailgate.

On the inside, there are quite a few prominent elements including the new two-spoke steering, twin digital screens including a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment, a 10.25-inch digital cockpit and the well finished shift-by-wire selector. The infotainment now gets an intuitive Android like UI. That aside, it also supports Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Also, there’s a new touch sensitive slider at the bottom of the infotainment screen to adjust volume or to set the cabin temperature.

Gone is the old 1.8-litre TSI and the new Octavia is now powered by a 2-litre TSI, a staple for the VW Group in India these days. The turbo-petrol motor makes 187bhp and 320Nm of torque, which is enough to hustle the Octy to a 100kmph in just 7.3 seconds. It also has an impressive top whack of 240kmph. Power gets sent to the front wheels through the tried and tested 7-speed DSG that now also gets a Sport mode for snappier gear shifts.

In terms of features, the Octy is packed to the brim. It gets an 11-speaker Canton sound system with one sub-woofer, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats with lumbar support and memory function, dual zone climate control, suede and leather upholstery and an electrically operated tailgate among many such premium features.

Apart from the Hyundai Elantra that starts at Rs 17.85 lakh, ex-showroom, the Skoda Octavia has no other direct rivals. The Toyota Corolla Altis and the Honda Civic have been discontinued and the Octy is practically entering a dead segment with a whole host of similarly priced SUVs breathing down its neck.