Fourth-gen Skoda Octavia Goes On Sale In India At Rs 25.99 Lakh

• The Octavia is longer than its predecessor by 19mm, gets sharper and sleeker styling, and has a Superb-inspired rear.

• Cabin gets a dual-tone colour scheme, a new two-spoke steering wheel, a larger 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and Virtual Cockpit digital driver’s display.

• Powered by a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine, paired with a 7-speed DSG with shift-by-wire tech.

• Will rival the Hyundai Elantra and other similarly priced SUVs like Jeep Compass and Citroen C5 Aircross.

Skoda has launched the fourth-generation Octavia in India at prices starting from Rs 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Based on VW Group’s MQB EVO platform, the sedan will be available in two trims (Style, Laurin and Klement) and goes up against the Hyundai Elantra, its only true rival in the segment.

First up, we’ll look at changes on the outside. 

At 4,689mm in length, the new Octavia is 19mm longer than its predecessor. The design this time is sharper and sleeker, with standouts being the single-piece adaptive LED headlamps and LED DRLs and a low and wide butterfly grille in the middle. Move to the sides, and both iterations look almost identical, except for the new turbine-shaped 17-inch alloy wheels (limited to Laurin and Klement). 

The rear seems inspired by the Superb, evident from the split-LED tail lamp setup with a nice crystalline finish.

The cabin layout is neater and minimalistic, now sporting a dual-tone shade of beige Suedia leather upholstery and glossy black around the door handles and upper half of the dashboard. The most noticeable upgrades are a larger 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Skoda’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, and a new two-spoke steering wheel. Talking about practicality, the new Octy comes with a 600-litre boot with all the seats up. Lower the seats, and you have a decently spacious 1,555-litre boot. 

The new sedan is packed with features, including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity,  a 12-speaker Canton audio system, sun visors at the rear, keyless entry with stop/start function, wireless charging, multi-colour ambient lighting, connected car tech, 12-way electrically adjustable front seats, and dual-zone climate control with an air purifier.

Passenger safety is taken care of by eight airbags, an electric parking brake with auto-hold, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, and front and rear parking sensors with a rear view camera. An interesting safety feature that caught our eye is what Skoda calls the iBuzz Fatigue Alert, which reminds one to take some time off the wheel after driving for a long time. Other driver aids include hands-free parking assist, cruise control, and rain-sensing automatic front wipers.

The fourth-gen Octavia will be propelled by only a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine mated to a 7-speed DSG with a new shift-by-wire system for simpler gear changes. The engine sends 190PS and 320Nm to the front wheels and returns a fuel efficiency of 15.81 kmpl. The carmaker might also provide the sedan with a smaller 1.5-litre engine and offer a spicier RS variant in the future.

The 2021 Skoda Octavia will come in five body shades: Brilliant Silver, Maple Brown, Candy White, Lava Blue, and Magic Black. However, the base-spec Style will only be available in the last three paint options. 

While the updated sedan's direct rival is the Hyundai Elantra, it is also an alternative to other closely priced SUVs like the Jeep Compass and Citroen C5 Aircross. To know what we think of the new Octavia, follow ZigWheels for our first-drive review.