[PPS]

Originally Posted by jazzyb

The Octavia is being launched at a price point between the Rapid and the Laura. Guess we have to just wait and watch which way Skoda rolls the dice.

Wow! That is one very well informed dealer! You should send him a link of this thread.
I'm sure Laura will get good discounts once the new Octavia launches.

[Santoshbhat]

According to ACI July issue, the 1.8 TSI in the new OCtavia will come only with a 7 Speed DSG box with no manual on offer. The Octavia drive is the cover feature. Apparently the multi link suspension set up in the 1.8 TSI makes a huge difference when compared to the torsion beam set up in the TDi

No MT for the 1.8 TSI will mean no remaps, performance upgrades etc.. as the DSG box cannot handle any increase in torque. I hope the MT version is launched a little later.

The same issue also features an article on how mod friendly the Laura VRS/ TSI is and how you can get performance equaling 30L cars for Hyundai Verna money

[adi_petrolhead]

100% its gonna be just the 7 speed DSG' box on the TSI. Hope they get the reliability issue of the DQ-200 sorted out by then! Its just pure insane to have your brand new car at a dealership for warranty claims on the gearbox for 15-20 days, thats what Skoda usually takes to repair/replace the DSG' box. Also the Octavia won't come with added safety features like pedestrian safety and radar guided cruise control, as is evident from lots of images of the cars being tested in India. The cars in the UK have all new features. We will also see auto-park and auto start/stop system taking a miss in the Indian octavia. I have my doubts as to will it even end up with the panoramic sunroof when its actually launched. Keyless start/stop too could not make it to India at all! Such features are now part of standard list in likes of Micra/Scala, even Figo offers it now as an added option. So much for cost cutting Skoda India.

[RoadTrippin]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

According to ACI July issue, the 1.8 TSI in the new OCtavia will come only with a 7 Speed DSG box with no manual on offer. The Octavia drive is the cover feature. Apparently the multi link suspension set up in the 1.8 TSI makes a huge difference when compared to the torsion beam set up in the TDi

The lack of multi link suspension in the TDI is the main reason i decided not to wait for this one and plump up for the Jetta right now instead. Well, that and the VW Badge!

Will be watching the Octavia pricing and specs keenly though, expect either major heartburn or contended smugness from me

[Tats07]

What I find interesting in ACI July issue is the possibility of having Octavia1.4 TSI, even if it is launched later, with 138 bhp. Which is more powerful than the 1.4 TSI unit in Jetta. A MT on that with ex-showroom of 12.5 as indicated would be a very good deal.

[kryptonite]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

No MT for the 1.8 TSI will mean no remaps, performance upgrades etc.. as the DSG box cannot handle any increase in torque.

Actually, not entirely true. To explain this better, I'll take my own car for example.

My Rapid's torque figures are rated at 250NM from 1500~2500rpm.
What this actually means is that the engine's output averages around 250NM from 1500~2500rpm. If you actually look at my stock dyno graph, it peaks at 282NM @ 2100rpm

My Rapid's gearbox is the 5-speed MQ250-SF-02R and has a torque capacity of 250NM as well, but what this means is that - this is what it can handle on a continuous extended basis.
Short spikes to higher outputs are easily sustained and it's designed to take it. Post my remap, we bumped up torque from 282NM to about 327NM, but this again is within a small band - and isn't held across the rev range.

I believe the 7 spd DSG's reliability issues are pretty much sorted, but that's up for debate, and not the point of this discussion.

On the 1.8 TSI with 7spd DSG, from the figures I've seen, a typical remap peaks up to 320NM, but not for a long time. By the time they hit 6000rpm, they're already down to 240NM, equating to about 200BHP.
This is on the EA888 Gen2 mill doing duty in today's Indian Laura (250NM @ 1500-4500 rpm, 160ps in stock). If they launch the Gen3 motor in 180ps tune, torque figures are rated 250NM @ 1250-5000 rpm

If for example you insist that torque shouldn't be bumped up any further, then a tuner could also potentially increase horsepower this way (hypothetically): hold torque longer

250 NM @ 5000rpm equates to 175 BHP.
250 NM @ 5500rpm equates to 193 BHP.
250 NM @ 6000pm equates to 210 BHP.
- Only an expert tuner with a Master can tune it the way you want it though.

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

According to ACI July issue, the 1.8 TSI in the new OCtavia will come only with a 7 Speed DSG box with no manual on offer. The Octavia drive is the cover feature.

I have been waiting for a good while now for the new Octavia. But this DSG with the 1.8 TSI is a really dampener! Come on Skoda, give us a MT transmission option on the 1.8TSI - the gearbox already exists here for the older state of tune 1.8TSI engine, so what's the difficulty ? The 1.8TSI is available in MT in Germany and other markets.
Just having the 7-speed DSG option may turn me (and several others) to turn away from the new Octavia since I do _not_ believe its reliable - besides its costs a good deal and I love MT over any AT!
Maybe we should start a poll on whether enthusiasts here want the MT option on the Octavia ?

[Maky]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

I have been waiting for a good while now for the new Octavia. But this DSG with the 1.8 TSI is a really dampener! Come on Skoda, give us a MT transmission option on the 1.8TSI - the gearbox already exists here for the older state of tune 1.8TSI engine, so what's the difficulty ? The 1.8TSI is available in MT in Germany and other markets.
Just having the 7-speed DSG option may turn me (and several others) to turn away from the new Octavia since I do _not_ believe its reliable - besides its costs a good deal and I love MT over any AT!
Maybe we should start a poll on whether enthusiasts here want the MT option on the Octavia ?

Because I think the majority of people who spend what the Octavia will probably end up costing expect AT as standard. My opinion.

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

I have been waiting for a good while now for the new Octavia. But this DSG with the 1.8 TSI is a really dampener! Come on Skoda, give us a MT transmission option on the 1.8TSI - the gearbox already exists here for the older state of tune 1.8TSI engine, so what's the difficulty ? The 1.8TSI is available in MT in Germany and other markets.
Just having the 7-speed DSG option may turn me (and several others) to turn away from the new Octavia since I do _not_ believe its reliable - besides its costs a good deal and I love MT over any AT!
Maybe we should start a poll on whether enthusiasts here want the MT option on the Octavia ?

Looks like some sort of sales strategy. They may bring in the top end fully loaded versions first and sell Lauras alongside for a while. Once Laura kits are exhausted they may bring in the other options.

But yeah, no MT for the 1.8 TSI will be very very unfair to the enthusiasts. Typically a DSG box alone adds about 2L to the cost. I think they would have worked on its reliability this time though. Let's hope Hormazd is wrong this time .

[lancer_rit]

Originally Posted by Maky

Because I think the majority of people who spend what the Octavia will probably end up costing expect AT as standard. My opinion.

That needs to be still seen. This is not the German trinity. It fits in the same bracket as a Corolla or Cruze or whatever.
As santoshbhat said, the DSG makes a 1.5-2l difference in the cost. And I am still not sure whether reliability of 7-speed DSG is resolved. In any case, its bad reputation cannot give any peace of mind. I would never take my family in a long drive at nigh in a DSG equipped car ...

[jalva]

Guys, on a slightly separate note, has Skoda's AS* experience improved of late?

[adi_petrolhead]

Originally Posted by jalva

Guys, on a slightly separate note, has Skoda's AS* experience improved of late?

As of now it doesn't seem like they have improved their after sales service standards! If you're lucky, befriending a service advisor goes a long way in getting quicker appointments and better service, thats what I have to do. Basically if you plan on claiming anything in warranty, issues worsen as their claim procedure is pretty long.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

As of now it doesn't seem like they have improved their after sales service standards!

Are you speaking from a recent experience? As far as my service and product experience goes, it has been quite good. Better than the Hyundais and Toyotas that I own. Though service is expensive in comparison to Toyota, which IMHO is a benchmark in terms of service costs in the Industry, my minor issues have been successfully rectified in the one year+ of ownership of my car.

Nevertheless, that said, service is considered a Achilles heel of Skoda by many including ACI, and that perception needs to be addressed by the company.

--------------

Coming back to topic, ACI mentions that the current Octavia will have -

- Lesser chrome and wood as it is placed in the lowest rung of the Audi VAG group.
- Lesser weight and hence the solid thumps of the doors will be missing.
- Detuned chassis on the diesels so those will be poor handlers.

These above points should still retain value for the older Skoda car owners.

The car was always practical and spacious and those traits will be strengthened. Prices should be between 12 to 14 lacs bracket.

[karan561]

Skoda Octavia 1.4 Tsi acceleration timings/test;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMI9ABGoUKo

0-100 : 8.1 secs
Top speed : 215 km/hr

Fast & Frugal for sure

[hishetty]

The VW stable (Skoda included) has the best Auto Tranny that can be plonked on to a diesel. The DSG even with all its past reliability issues is way ahead of the CVT's and the likes. I strongly believe that this is the best weapon in their arsenal and has not been utilized to its potential. A Diesel hatch/sedan with an auto slushbox in the B2/C1/C2 segment will be a game changer IMO and the first mover (the Verna Fluidic Diesel A/T does not count) is bound to draw large numbers at least in the intial years, a la EcoSport/Dustur. For Skoda India, the MQB Octavia provides the platform to review their fortunes if launched sensibly. Positioning it between the Rapid and the Laura makes perfect sense. All they need is a Diesel Rapid with DSG. The Luxury tag associated with Skoda (in india they are seen as more premium than VW) and first mover advantage should allow them to price it a tad higher than the Rapid and DSG combined and i bet they will be running into capacity issues. They need not fear cannibalization of the Laura sales cause there aren't any . Any more delay and the VW's/Ford/Honda/Renault could take that advantage and seal Skoda's fate.
A puny 0.84% of the India car market share (it was 2.49% same time last year) after 10 year's of existence cannot be attributed to anything but poor pricing decisions and bad A**. If you doubt this theory, just look what Duster did to the Renault brand for proof.