Skoda Octavia

The Skoda Octavia was the first taste of affordable German engineering for the Indian car buyer when the Czech brand first began its operations in India at the turn of the century. Ever since, the Octavia has been the other benchmark for luxury apart from the German luxury trinity. In its second generation in the Indian car market, the Skoda Octavia will undergo a facelift soon.

The current-generation Octavia was introduced after a brief absence, partly because the car that was sold as the Laura in India was actually the global successor of the first Octavia launched in India. The current car is a D-segment sedan with classic three-part sedan lines. It gets a long hood, a spacious twin-cab passenger compartment and a generous boot. The facelift will get a chiselled grille in the front and the head lamps will be split into two like the first of the last generation Mercedes E-Class.

Being a mid-life upgrade, the body shell, underpinnings and embellishments will be carried over from the current car. The bumper will get a few nips and tucks and so will the tail lamps along with the alloy wheels. On the inside, you can expect an up-to-date touchscreen infotainment system, a few changes to make the car feel fresh and that is all.

Under the hood, there will be three engine options just like you have now – the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, the 1.8-litre TSI petrol and the 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine. While the 1.4 TSI will be available with the entry-level trim, the 180bhp 1.8 TSI will be offered with the top-spec Style trim. Both the petrol and the diesel engines come mated to seven-speed dual clutch transmissions with front wheel drive only.

The new 2017 Skoda Octavia is expected to arrive by June 2017 and will compete against the likes of the Toyota Corolla Altis, the Hyundai Elantra and the VW Jetta along with the erstwhile Chevrolet Cruze.