The discontinuation of the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla Altis means that the 2021 Skoda Octavia only has one direct rival in India, i.e. the Hyundai Elantra
The Octavia was discontinued from the Indian market last year as the BS6 emission norms came into effect, but the D-segment has now returned to the country in a fresh avatar. Skoda has finally introduced the new-gen version of the Octavia, but unlike the previous-gen model, the 2021 version of the sedan only has one direct rival in the market, the Hyundai Elantra.
Here is a detailed specifications comparison between the Hyundai Elantra and the new Skoda Octavia, take a look –
Dimensions
In terms of size, the Skoda Octavia has a length of 4689 mm, a width of 1829 mm, stands 1469 mm tall, and has a 2680 mm long wheelbase. On the other hand, the Hyundai Elantra measures 4620 mm in length, 1800 mm in width, has a height of 1465 mm and gets a 2700 mm long wheelbase.
| Dimension | Skoda Octavia | Hyundai Elantra |
| Length | 4689 mm | 4620 mm |
| Width | 1829 mm | 1800 mm |
| Height | 1469 mm | 1465 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2680 mm | 2700 mm |
This means that the Octavia is 69 mm longer, 29 mm wider and 4 mm taller than the Elantra, while the latter has a 20 mm longer wheelbase over the Skoda D-segment sedan.
Powertrains
Powering the Skoda Octavia is a sole 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol TSI engine that belts out 190 PS of maximum power, along with 320 Nm of peak torque. The transmission duties are taken care of by a 7-speed DSG driving the front wheels as standard.
| Specification | Skoda Octavia | Hyundai Elantra |
| Engine | 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo-petrol | 2.0-litre 4-cyl NA petrol/ 1.5-litre 4-cyl diesel |
| Power | 190 PS | 152 PS/ 115 PS |
| Torque | 320 Nm | 192 Nm/ 250 Nm |
| Transmission | 7-speed DSG | 6-speed MT, 6-speed AT |
On the other hand, Hyundai offers the Elantra with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder NA petrol engine that belts out 152 PS power and 192 Nm torque, as well as a 1.5-litre oil burner that produces 115 PS and 250 Nm. The transmission duties on both the engines are taken care of by a 6-speed MT as well as a 6-speed AT.
Features
On the feature front, the new-gen Skoda Octavia comes equipped with a free-standing 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with connected-car tech and smartphone connectivity, Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, 12-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, LED ambient lighting, leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, LED headlamps and LED tail lamps, a 12-speaker Canton sound system and so on.
The Hyundai Elantra’s equipment list consists of an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, connected-car tech, dual-zone automatic climate control, an electric sunroof, wireless charging, an Infinity premium sound system, LED quad projector headlamps, leather upholstery, gear-knob and steering wheel, cruise control, hands-free smart trunk, drive model select and more.
Safety
The safety tech on offer with the new Octavia includes 8 airbags, ABS with EBD, Multi Collision Brake, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Hold Control, Hydraulic Brake Assist, Anti Slip Regulation, Electronic Differential Lock, Tyre Pressure Monitoring, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors and an electromechanical parking brake with Auto Hold.
On the safety front, the Hyundai Elantra gets Electronic Stability Control, ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Management, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Emergency Stop Signal, front and rear parking sensors, reverse parking camera, disc brakes on all four wheels, Hill-Start Assist Control and 6 airbags.
Price
Skoda is offering the Octavia in two variants, namely Style and L&K, which have been priced at Rs 25.99 lakh and Rs 28.99 lakh respectively. On the other hand, the Hyundai Elantra is currently priced between Rs 17.85 lakh and Rs 21.12 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).
Comparison Verdict
While the Hyundai Elantra is the only other D-segment car in the Indian market apart from the newly launched 2021 Skoda Octavia, it should also be noted that the top-end petrol variants of the two sedans now have a difference of almost Rs 9 lakh!
While the Skoda Octavia is more expensive than the Elantra, it is slightly larger in size than the Hyundai sedan, also offering more space inside. The Octavia also gets a much more powerful turbocharged petrol engine with the enthusiasts’ favourite DSG gearbox, while the Elantra gets an optional diesel engine that the new-gen Octavia misses out on.