What else can you buy for the price of a 2017 Skoda Octavia?

Skoda has launched the 2017 Octavia in India and has priced it at Rs 15.49 lakhs (All India ex-showroom). This is a mid-life update for the Czech automaker’s mid-size sedan since it was launched in late 2013 and a major one at that. The changes are mostly cosmetic and are both on the inside and outside of the car. This Octavia is now being offered in eight variants and across three engine options. Skoda has ditched the one-above-entry Ambition Plus variant and now the models have been shuffled to fit into three trims Ambition, Style and Style Plus.
The Octavia exists in a part of the market where the sedan has become a bit of second player and is now being overtaken by SUVs to give you an idea of what the Octavia takes on, here is a shoot out of what else you can buy for the price of a Skoda Octavia.

Skoda Octavia Ambition 1.4 petrol (Rs 15.49 lakh)
This is the entry-point for the Skoda Octavia and here the 1.4-litre petrol motor is only offered with a six-speed manual. However, being an entry point does not mean it is a compromise as you get a decent bit of kit for this kind of money.
At this price point you can have a top spec Hyundai Elantra SX petrol or diesel which also comes with a decent bit of kit to match the likes of the Octavia. The petrol variant has a similar output compared to this Octavia in terms of power, but falls behind quite a bit in terms of torque. The diesel variant is obviously, down on power, but has a torque figure that´s closer to that of the Octavia.
Moving up in terms of size and offering, you get the Innova in the mid-level GX variant with 2.8-litre engine and in the eight seater configuration. Finally, if you are not a fan of the MPV style, then you can also have the Mahindra XUV500 in the W8 trim and with all-wheel drive.   

Skoda Octavia Ambition 2.0 diesel (Rs 16.89 lakh)
This is the entry-level diesel model for the Octavia and gets the same feature list as the base petrol model. Here you can have the top-of-the-line SX diesel Elantra and mid-level Innova Crysta petrol. The SUV fray comes in strong here as you get both the Tata Hexa (XT 4X4) as well as the XUV500 (W10 AWD) for the price of this Octavia.

Skoda Octavia Style 1.4 Style (Rs 17.49 lakh)
This is the most expensive 1.4-litre variant you can buy and this is a mid-level variant which gets some of the bells and whistles that Skoda offers with the Octavia. The options are limited here but they are both top of the line trims of the Elantra and the XUV which in this part of the market is the W10 AWD AT.
Skoda Octavia Style 1.8 and 2.0-litre diesel (Rs 18.59 lakh and 18.95 lakh respectively)
This is the entry-point for the larger 1.8-litre petrol engine which can only be had with a seven-speed DSG. You also get a diesel variant in the same trim level and it is priced Rs 36000 more than the equivalent petrol option.
The Elantra is back in the picture once again and this time around you can have it in the top spec SX diesel AT. However, at this price range you can also get the Innova in the 2.4-litre ZX setup as well as the fully loaded Corolla Altis which in this case is the VL petrol AT.

Skoda Octavia Style 2.0 AT and Style Plus 1.8 AT (Rs 20.49 lakh and 20.89 lakh)
 This is an automatic version of the mid-level Octavia diesel and is priced Rs 1.05 lakh more than the equivalent manual variant. The gearbox is a six-speed unit which is also offered in the larger Superb sedan.  Its only major rival is the Hyundai Tucson which, in this case, is the 2WD manual diesel model.
You also get the top spec petrol AT for Rs 40,000 more and it is only with this engine that you get the Multi-link rear suspension. Unlike its diesel sibling here, you do get more options which include Innova Touring Sport diesel, Hyundai Tucson petrol AT as well as the Honda CR-V in the manual trim. 

Skoda Octavia 2.0-litre diesel Style Plus AT (Rs 22.89 lakh)
This is the most expensive Octavia model that you buy and it is priced Rs 2.4 lakh more than the Style diesel AT. At this price range, you can have the top spec AT variant of the Tucson or the much larger Isuzu MU-X in the 4X2 variant.