Being the highest-selling wagon in Europe, the estate body type of the fourth-gen Octavia will be given priority over the liftback sedan version
Skoda has begun the production of the fourth-gen Octavia at its main facility back home in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. Touted as the highest-selling model in the Skoda lineup, the said plant will be producing around 1,150 units of the 2020 Octavia each day.
Originally developed in 1959, the Czech carmaker has sold over 65 lakh units of the car, making it one of the highest-selling compact cars. Skoda has been using the plant in Mladá Boleslav for producing the Octavia since 1996. After production, the car is then assembled at factories in India, China, Russia, Algeria and Kazakhastan.
Internationally, the Skoda Octavia is sold in two body styles – a liftback sedan, and a station wagon, with the latter being the more popular choice in the European markets. Hence, the production of the Octavia Combi is prioritised over the regular Octavia, and will also be launched a few weeks before it.
Skoda will also be introducing the sporty RS and the rugged Scout variants of the Octavia later next year. The fourth-gen Octavia will also be offered with a plug-in hybrid variant, and will be joining the list of ‘iV’ models in Skoda’s lineup.
Over the outgoing model, the 2020 Skoda Octavia features a sharper exterior design, and borrows styling cues from the Scala hatchback, as well as the Kamiq crossover sold in the international markets. The new-gen model is also slightly larger than the third-gen model, currently on sale in India.
Skoda will only be offering the liftback sedan version of the fourth-gen in India, with a possible debut at the 2020 Auto Expo, and a launch late next year. Skoda might equip the India-spec Octavia with a new 1.5-litre turbo-charged petrol engine, while upgrading the current 2.0-litre diesel unit to comply with the latest BS6 emission norms.
The D-segment sedan currently retails in the Indian market at a starting price of Rs 15.99 lakh, which goes up to Rs 25.99 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom), and rivals the likes of Hyundai Elantra, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla Altis.