New Skoda Octavia Vs Honda Civic Vs New Elantra – Specs, Design Comparison

With the fourth-gen Skoda Octavia officially being revealed globally, let’s see how well it fares against other D-segment sedans when it launches in India next year

Skoda revealed the much-awaited 2020 Octavia a few days ago, after a lot of speculation. Internationally, the upcoming car will be launched in two body styles, which will be a liftback hatch style and an estate but India will only get the liftback hatch style later next year rivalling D-segment sedans, and so will the new-gen model when it launches next year.

The said segment has seen two new launches this year, in the form of Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra facelift. Skoda will likely be unveiling the 2020 Octavia in India at the 2020 Auto Expo, and launching it later next year. We compare it with the current-gen Octavia’s rivals in India, to see how well it can perform.

New Skoda Octavia Vs Honda Civic Vs New Elantra – Dimensions

In terms of size, the Octavia continues to be longer than the Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra, just like the current model on sale in India. It is also wider than the two, which means the cabin space is better than its competitors. The boot of the Octavia is comparatively larger than the Elantra and the Civic.

The fourth-gen Octavia has a length of 4,689 mm, a width of 1,829 mm, has a 2,686 mm long wheelbase and 600 litres of boot space. Compared to Hyundai Elantra, the next-gen Skoda Octavia is 69 mm longer, 29 mm wider and has extra 142 litres of boot space, however the Elantra has a 14 mm longer wheelbase.

Similarly, the Honda Civic falls short of the 2020 Octavia in terms of length (33 mm), width (30 mm), and boot space (170 litres). But the Civic has a 14 mm longer wheelbase when compared to the upcoming Octavia.

New Skoda Octavia Vs Honda Civic Vs New Elantra – Design Comparison

In terms of design, the upcoming Octavia retains its overall silhouette from the outgoing model. However, sharper elements have been added all around the car, including matrix full-LED headlamps and boomerang shaped LED tail lights, similar to that on the Scala hatch. It gets a wide front grille with black vertical inserts, surrounded by chrome garnish.

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra is a facelift, hence features only certain changes as compared to the pre-facelift model. It features Hyundai’s new cascading grille at the front, with a new triangular design for the headlamps as well as the fog lamps.

At the rear, the Elantra’s bumper gets a faux skid plate, along with a large black insert. The LED tail lamps at the rear are extended to the boot and look striking. The Elantra lettering can be seen sitting below the Hyundai logo on the tailgate.

The Honda Civic is certainly a head-turner. While the other two cars look conventional, Honda has chosen a different path. It gets a sloping roofline which makes it look like a coupe.

At the front, it gets an aggressive nose along with stylish LED headlamps, and a thick front chrome grille borrowed from other Hondas. At the rear, it gets large C-shaped LED tail lamps, extending to the lip spoiler, which really makes it stand out.

New Skoda Octavia Vs Honda Civic Vs New Elantra – Features Comparison

The international 2020 Skoda Octavia, being the latest of the lot, features a revolutionary design inside the cabin along with a plethora of features. It gets a 10-inch fully digital MID along with a similarly sized floating touchscreen infotainment unit and a head up display.

Apart from that, the upcoming Octavia features a two-spoke steering wheel which looks futuristic. It also gets an LED ambient lighting strip running across the dash, which can be had in 10 different colours!

As this is the international version of the Octavia, the D-segment sedan might see a few misses when the Czech carmaker brings the car to India next year, in order to keep a price check.

The Honda Civic came with a few first in segment features including a remote engine starter and a lane watch camera. It gets a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dual zone automatic climate control, cruise control, automatic sunroof, paddle shifters, interior ambient lighting to name a few.

Over the Civic, the Hyundai Elantra gets a wireless phone charger, a bigger 8-inch infotainment unit, a front seat ventilation system and Hyundai’s BlueLink mobility assistant.

New Skoda Octavia Vs Honda Civic Vs New Elantra – Engine Comparison

While Skoda has revealed the Octavia with a host of engine configurations for the international markets, in India, the car will likely be offered with a 1.5-litre TSI petrol and a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine. Expect the power output of both engines to be around 150 HP, and Skoda will be offering the Octavia with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed DSG.

Hyundai offers the Elantra in India with only a petrol engine, which is a 2.0-litre unit, that produces 150 HP of peak power and 192 Nm of peak torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed MT or an optional automatic transmission.

The Honda Civic gets a 1.8-litre petrol engine along with a 1.6-litre diesel engine. The former makes 139 HP of max power, along with 174 Nm of torque, while the latter puts out 118 HP/300 Nm. The petrol engine comes mated to a CVT only, while the diesel unit can only be had with a manual transmission.

New Skoda Octavia Vs Honda Civic Vs New Elantra – Pricing Comparison

The 2019 Hyundai Elantra is priced between Rs 15.89 lakh and Rs 20.39 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom for petrol trim). On the other hand, Honda retails the Civic at a starting price of Rs 17.93 lakh (ex-showroom), which goes up to Rs 22.34 lakh (ex-showroom).

As of now, the current-gen Skoda Octavia has an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 15.99 lakh, and goes up to Rs 25.99 lakh for the top-end diesel variant. Expect the 2020 Octavia to carry a marginal premium over the current price when it launches next year.

New Skoda Octavia Vs Honda Civic Vs New Elantra – Verdict

The 2020 Skoda Octavia feels like a complete package and a better deal as compared to the new Hyundai Elantra and the Honda Civic, however everything comes at a price. The top-end variant of the Elantra and the Civic are Rs 5.60 lakh and Rs 3.65 lakh more affordable than the range-topping trim of the current-gen Octavia respectively.

With a new-gen model next year, the Skoda Octavia will likely see a hike in its ex-showroom price. But, if you’re willing to extend your budget, the car will certainly offer you more than the rest two.