Skoda sold 292 units of the Octavia last month with YoY sales increase of 11 percent compared to the same month last year
The Octavia premium sedan was the most sold model in its segment in November 2018 as 292 units were retailed against 263 units in the corresponding month last year with 11 percent growth. Skoda launched the Octavia facelift in July 2017 in Ambition, Style and Style Plus grades four years after its predecessor went on sale and it competes against the likes of Toyota Corolla Altis and Hyundai Elantra and will have a new rival in Honda Civic very soon.
Currently priced between Rs. 15.99 lakh and Rs. 25.73 lakh (ex-showroom), the Octavia gets the traditional butterfly design front grille with split headlamp unit known as Quadra LED headlamps, sporty LED Daytime Running Lights, horizontally positioned fog lamps, wide air inlet, tail lamps with LED graphics, multi-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels, etc.
The interior comes fitted with touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink connectivity along with smartphone integration. The Octavia uses three engine choices: the base 1.4 TSI petrol, 1.8 TSI petrol and 2.0 TDI diesel units.
The smaller engine produces 148 bhp and is connected to a six-speed manual transmission while the 1.8-litre petrol makes 178 bhp coupled with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. The 2.0-litre diesel, on the other hand, develops 141 hp and is mated to a six-speed DSG automatic.
The range-topping Style Plus variant offers programmable LED ambient lighting, hands-free parking, driver fatigue alert system, 12-way electrically adjustable driver seat with memory function, eight airbags, TPMS, panoramic sunroof, traction control, ABS, EBD and so on.
Skoda also sells the RS badged Octavia in India and it has received tremendous response. Priced at Rs. 26.79 lakh (ex-showroom), the Octavia RS derives power from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which is good enough to produce as much as 227 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 350 Nm of peak torque delivered at 1,250 rpm. It is mated to a six-speed DSG automatic transmission.
While the recently revealed Scala hatchback is reportedly considered for India in the future, the Czech brand has big plans for India under the India 2.0 project with huge investment. The first product based on the India-specific MQB A0 IN architecture is a compact SUV that will spawn a Volkswagen badged cousin as well.