We have seen many new car launches in India this year. Despite the global pandemic, the Indian automotive industry has seen new launches and customers have also shown interest in buying new cars. Following the trail of the new car launches, next in the lineup is the Skoda Octavia which will be launched here in early 2021. According to a report by Autocar India, the 2021 Skoda Octavia has been spied undisguised and here’s what we have speculated from the shots.
2021 Skoda Octavia | What’s New?
The Octavia seen in the spy shots has got LED headlamps with DRLs and LED fog lamps along with taillights. The DRLs are integrated with the headlamps. The grille has got a chrome garnish with black vertical slats. The fog lamps are placed horizontally in a blacked-out section in the lower half of the reworked bumper. The side profile remains the same as we spot the 17″ alloy wheels along with the sporty character lines which give it that Skoda look! The new Skoda Octavia is based on the MQB platform and is, therefore, 19mm longer and 15mm wider than its predecessor.
2021 Skoda Octavia | Inside the Cabin
While the spy shots haven’t given us a peek inside the cabin but zooming in, we can see the interior is in a dual-tone beige and black scheme. However, the German automaker claims that this new-gen Octavia will be more spacious than its predecessor and will have an all-new interior as well. The international spec model, however, has some really good features which you can’t afford to miss. These include a 10-inch floating infotainment system, a 10.25-inch virtual cockpit, triple-zone climate control. The German sedan will also have the connected car tech along with an e-Sim. Gesture control is also available and a digital assistant named “Laura” will assist you while you drive!
Safety Considerations
While more and more people have now started giving importance to the safety aspects of a car, the automakers have started paying attention to it as well! The safety features of the India-bound 2021 Skoda Octavia are still unknown but the international-spec variant has scored a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP. The international-spec variant gets nine airbags, collision avoidance assist and turn assist, enhanced predictive cruise control and predictive pedestrian and cyclist protection.
2021 Skoda Octavia | Engine Options & Price
Skoda has already confirmed the availability of a 2.0-litre TSi engine as soon as this sedan arrives in India. This will be a 190hp generating turbocharged petrol engine. However, we expect Skoda to put in the 150hp 1.5-litre TSI in the entry-level variants of the 2021 Skoda Octavia. Talking about the transmission availability, if the 1.5-litre makes it under the hood of the Octavia, we can expect it to be mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. On the other hand, the 2.0-litre TSI engine is expected to have a 7-speed DSG. The expected price for the 2021 Skoda Octavia is around ₹20Lakh-₹25Lakh. We can expect Skoda to launch the Octavia in India in the first quarter of 2021.
Rivals
The new-gen Skoda Octavia will rival the Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra after the launch. Skoda discontinued the previous-gen Octavia due to the implementation of the BS6 norms. The previous-gen Octavia was on sale since 2013 in India. This German sedan is going to be a tough competition in its segment for sure once launched.
