Skoda Launches Octavia In Its Priciest Avatar Ever; Will It Succeed?

As a teenager, the Skoda Octavia was undoubtedly a car that left me in awe. It was an entry into European luxury at a price point that made a dent in the segment. Or rather, created a segment. Critics, alike, loved the built-like-a-tank quality and stunning diesel engines followed by luxurious interiors.

The car has definitely grown over the years but a lot of the originality such as a massive boot and plush interiors have clearly been maintained. While it may not grab as many eyeballs as it did earlier, it certainly has a special place in the Indian automobile history.

The segment, however, has taken a hit with the market shifting towards SUVs. Sales numbers haven’t been very impressive as earlier. Even the performance packed vRS versions didn’t break a neck in sales. Remember the really hot ads?

This time, Skoda has launched the 4th generation Octavia in India with prices starting at a whooping Rs 25.99 lakh!

For the first time, the Octavia starting prices has breached the Rs 20 lakh mark. Compared to that, in 2019 the company had launched a corporate edition priced at just Rs 15.49 lakh ex-showroom.

The new car comes in two variants – Style and Laurin & Klement, the latter being priced at Rs 28.99 lakh ex-showroom.

It is slightly bigger and the boot, as expected, is a massive 600 litres.

There are LEDs all around, and the interior is a dual-tone version. There is a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 2-zone automatic climate control, wireless charging, paddle shifters, as well as hands-free auto parking. It even has touch-sensitive slider controls for volume and other things. It, however, misses an Indian favourite – sunroof.

Engine-wise, a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit that produces 187 BHP power and 320 Nm torque is mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox. The ARAI rated fuel efficiency is 15.81 km/l.

Safety-wise, it is loaded with 8 airbags, multi-collision brake, hill hold control, anti-slip regulation (ASR), electronic differential lock, tyre pressure monitoring system, etc.

4th time’s the charm?

While the new Octavia is, without doubt, an impressive product with extremely plush interiors and loaded tech, it is expensive. On top of that, the market’s shifting love for SUVs doesn’t make a great case for one of India’ hottest sedans.