THE SKODA OCTAVIA is the Czech manufacturer’s best-selling model. Five million customers from all over the world have opted for an Octavia in the 20 years since its 1996 reintroduction.
Skoda has made major revisions to this updated model including a newly designed front and rear end, state-of-the-art driver assistance systems, infotainment and connectivity, as well some new ‘simply clever’ features.
The new Octavia will be available its usual five-door liftback and estate form. Both the Liftback and Estate offer 1782mm of interior space and 73mm of legroom in the rear. Boot space is 590-1580 and 610-1740 litres, respectively. There is an optional electric tailgate available for the Estate model.
The lines of the new Octavia have been streamlined and the new bisected headlights feature full-LED technology. The Skoda logo has gained even more presence, with the front of the car featuring a more powerful and wider appearance. The light alloy wheels range from 16 to 18 inches and come in numerous new designs.
The revised models also get new infotainment systems. There are three systems – Bolero, Amundsen and Columbus – which all have touchscreens and the top Columbus system now features a full 9.2-inch display, a WLAN hotspot and an optional SIM card module with an LTE connection for ultra-fast Internet.
From launch, there will be two TSI and two TDI engines. The petrol units are a 1.0-litre TSI making 115hp and a 1.4-litre TSI making 150hp. The diesel units are a 1.6-litre TDI making 115hp and a 2.0-litre TDI making 150hp. Depending on the engine a DSG transmission with six or seven gears is available as well as a manual transmission.
A highlight in the chassis is the optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), which enables the driver to regulate the steering and damping characteristics in the Comfort, Normal and Sport modes.
New ‘Simply Clever’ features include a customisable key that allows multiple users to save their own vehicle settings, as well as a heated steering wheel and bottle holders which facilitate the opening of bottles.
New driver assist technologies include Blind Spot Detection and Rear Traffic Alert and a trailer towing assistant that will take over the steering when the vehicle is slowly reversing.
The new Octavia will be available from the end of the year with deliveries beginning in early 2017. No word on prices yet but expect them to be quite similar to the current prices, which start from €18,595 for the Liftback and from €19,995 for the Estate.
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