The new, fourth-generation Skoda Octavia is almost ready to launch, and Skoda has given us an info-dump of details for its new hatchback and estate.
Octavia's 60th birthday
It's a big year for Skoda this year. Not only has the brand already introduced major new models such as the Kamiq and Scala, and is on the verge of the new Octavia, but it's also celebrating its 60th birthday of the Octavia badge. The first model launched in 1959.
So what do we know now about the new Octavia? We know from the sketches that it will be longer, lower, and sleeker than before, with front styling that mixes and matches cues from the Superb and the Scala.
Bernhard Maier, Skoda's CEO, said: "For Skoda, the Octavia is of immense importance. That's why we've totally renewed this car. The outcome is the best Octavia of all time: it is even more spacious, more practical and safer than ever. Just in time for its 60th anniversary, we are taking a big step into the future with the new generation. Over the last six decades, the Octavia has contributed to the positive development of the company and the brand. I am very confident that the new generation will play its part in maintaining this positive development."
The new Octavia will be 22mm longer than the outgoing model, 14mm wider, with a 2,686mm wheelbase. Alloy wheel sizes are now up to 19 inches. In spite of all the extra size, the Octavia will be more aerodynamic than before - a coefficient of drag (Cd) figure of 0.24 for the saloon, and 0.26 for the estate, is hugely impressive.
More rear legroom, bigger boot
Inside, rear legroom (always an Octavia strong point) is up to 78mm, while the boot has grown to a class-dominating 640 litres for the estate, and 600 litres for the saloon. Up front, the steering wheel switches to a neat two-spoke design, while the front seats can now be had with a massage function, as well as optional heating and cooling systems. This is also the first Octavia to get a climate control system that's divided into three zones (front left, front right, and rear).
It's also the first Octavia to get an optional heads-up display on the windscreen, which can be combined with a new ten-inch digital instrument panel. The central infotainment screen can also be specced up to ten inches, and offers optional streaming services for radio and TV as well as completely cable-free smartphone connection using wireless SmartLink+ technology.
The new headlights - slim, single-lamp units rather than today's oddball quad-light arrangement - use LED tech, and on top-spec versions, they'll get the same Matrix LED system as high-end Audis, allowing the light to be segmented and dipped section by section to avoid dazzling other road users.
On the mechanical front, the updated DSG automatic gearbox now gets a shift-by-wire system for the first time in a Skoda, and it gets the same small rocker switch controller as seen in the new Golf 8.
There's a glut of safety systems too, from steering that can help you to swerve away from a collision, to doors that let you know if a cyclist is approaching in your blind spot, to an emergency assist system that detects if you've had some sort of medical emergency and brings the car to a safe stop. Christian Strube, Skoda Auto Board Member for Technical Development, emphasised, "The safety of our cars and their passengers, as well as other road users, is top priority at Skoda. With the new safety and assistance systems of the fourth Octavia generation, such as Collision Avoidance Assist and the Exit Warning system, we have raised the Octavia to a new level and made it one of the safest cars within its segment."
New mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options
The engine range will be pretty familiar, kicking off with the 110hp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, which will be joined by the 150hp 1.5 TSI petrol four-cylinder Evo unit. Go for the DSG automatic option on either of those engines, and you'll also get a mild hybrid system, using a 48-volt battery and starter/generator, which can boost engine power for short bursts, allows high-speed coasting, and longer operation of the stop-start system. There will also be a 190hp 2.0-litre TSI version, exclusively available with a DSG 'box and four-wheel drive.
The Octavia will also join Skoda's growing iV range of plug-in hybrid and electric models. The Octavia iV will come with a 1.4 TSI turbo petrol engine combined with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. There will be two models, with either 204hp and 245hp, and while Skoda hasn't yet given us any details on performance or emissions, you can expect CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and electric range of more than 50km.
Diesel is still on the menu, with the heavily revised 2.0-litre TDI Evo engine available with either 115hp, 150hp, or even 200hp. As well as a diesel particulate filter, the engines are equipped with a new development stage in SCR exhaust gas treatment. Using what is known as 'twin dosing', AdBlue is specifically injected in front of two SCR catalytic converters that are arranged one after the other. This method and the use of the second catalytic converter reduces nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions by around 80 per cent in comparison to the previous generation of each engine.
While Skoda hasn't released details of any future RS model (patience, patience...) it has confirmed that you'll be able to sporty-up the standard Octavia with a lower (by 15mm) sports chassis, and optional adaptive dampers with the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) package. The DCC option gives you a 10mm chassis drop (except for plug-in hybrid models) while there's also a rough-road suspension option that actually raises the ride height by 15mm.
This being a Skoda, you'll be expecting some nice little extra touches, and the Octavia has them. There's a Sleep Package, which gives rear seat passengers bigger headrests and a nice blanket; the estate gets an automatically retracting load cover, and a new luggage net system; the boot also gets a new underfloor multi-storage system. Child locks are now electronically operated, and there are dedicated smartphone storage pockets on the backs of the front seats. The interior comes with USB-C charging sockets, as well as an optional three-pin socket, while there are filling funnels for both the windscreen washers and the AdBlue tank (for diesel models).
The Octavia will get its world premiere in Prague on the 11th of November, and sales will start shortly afterwards.