[Shreyfiesta]

Introduction

My apologies for this awfully long thread. You can continue to read even if you are in your teenage or late seventies, I'm composing this thread with full of love towards an astounding machine that marked the start and end of a prestigious segment in the Indian car market. Take your own sweet time to read this thread which contains a lot of info, text and pictures

The launch of the Škoda brand in India in 2001 heralded the entry of the Volkswagen Group into our country. Skoda kicked off its entry in India with the first-generation Octavia. It was one of the many cars that lifted our aspirations in the luxury car space in terms of affordability and features. With its combination of classy styling, frugal diesel engine, decent ride comfort and impressive features, the Octavia was a great buy during the early-noughties. I'd say that Octavia was Skoda's perfect idea of testing waters in India, it just had all right elements to be the part of an entry-level luxury car buyer's wishlist. Not to forget the fact that the company offered many interesting flavours of the MK1 Octavia at different points of time. vRS for those who wanted a not-so-expensive performance car, Combi for those who desired practicality, L&K for the ones who preferred luxury and rich levels of equipment.



Skoda Laura marked its inception in India in end-2005, after four years of Skoda's entry into the market. Laura was basically the second-generation of Octavia abroad, but it was sold here with the first-gen model side-by-side. Skoda India was forced to rename this car since the older model was still doing well in the market, an ironic choice of name though. The same notchback design with European flair was followed by Laura, which made it very beautiful with clean proportional lines. Under the hood, Laura had the same 1.9-litre PD diesel from MK1 Octavia with altered maps. The facelift Laura came with looks that were lot more butch and a design that spoke about style in itself. It was for the first time in India that the Laura got a petrol engine option. At a later stage, a vRS variant for the Laura was released, which was actually a bit of a cheat job for the truth to be said.



Third-generation Octavia came out in 2013, it proved to be the model that truly cemented Octavia as an astute choice of vehicle. The Octavia being an important product for Skoda in India, almost every single variant of the model was released in our market at the right time, same was the case with this generation as well. We have recieved almost all engine options in the MK3 Octavia right from the docile 1.4 TSI to the frugal 2.0 TDI in non-vRS lineup. In the 2017 facelift, Skoda had tried to add some more maturity to Octavia's face. Designers hence replaced the minimalistic headlamps with a quad-headlamp setup, but this reminded us of the pre-facelift Mercedes Benz E-Class W212. Like all previous Octavia RSes, vRS 230 also sacrificed very little in the way of comfort, luxury and practicality to reach its lofty performance heights. In 2020, Skoda reintroduced a more powerful version in India, known as the vRS 245. Due to a revised camshaft, some software upgrades, a new turbocharger and some other engine components, this car had 15bhp and 20Nm over the vRS 230.



Skip to 2021, Skoda rolled out the fourth-generation Octavia in India, but it was a bit too late this time. Market launch for this model was planned for 2020 however it got postponed more than once, thanks to the COVID-19 situation. Sadly this model recieved a lukewarm response from we Indians who prefers midsize SUVs in this price point. ₹ 37lakh on-road for a D-Segment sedan wasn't very appealing. What's even worse was the fact that this car missed out on a lot of equipment like sunroof, ventilated seats, etc. Unlike its predecessor, there existed no option for a diesel engine for heavy users. Sad to see the news that Skoda has discontinued the Octavia recently, and even more sad that the company didn't put effort to make it BS62 RDE compliant. With the demise of Octavia, the lower D-Segment sedan category of Indian car market is declared dead. Corolla, Cruze, Jetta, Elantra, Civic all are long gone. It is highly unlikely for these models to make a comeback to our SUV-centric market.

[Shreyfiesta]

Index

Chapter 1 : MK1 Octavia - The Invincible

Chapter 2 : Laura - Magic Potion

Chapter 3 : MK3 Octavia - Big Foot

Chapter 4 : MK4 Octavia - Segment Struggle

[Shreyfiesta]

Chapter 1 : MK1 Octavia - The Invincible

1990s were a groundbreaking time for the Skoda brand. The development of first Skoda product in the lower mid-class in the brand's modern history began in 1992, just over a year after the company had joined the Volkswagen Group. PQ34 platform served as the basis for the new model. Octavia was actually the first series-production car based on this architecture. The name of the model wasn’t chosen until after the car’s design had been fully completed. Interestingly, the 'Octavia' lettering was inspired by Prague’s Cubist architecture. A team under the direction of the Belgian Dirk van Braeckel designed the bodywork. For them, the toughest challenge was the task of injecting a fresh identity into a brand that was suffering from image problems since a long time. Octavia's elegant contours were created using digital CAD tools back then. The design team had put a lot of effort to come up with a design that encapsulated all positive aspects of Skoda.

Original MK1 Skoda Octavia in its pre-facelift avatar, this is the car that started it all.


Production of the first-generation Octavia started in Mladá Boleslav in September 1996. Initially, customers had the choice between two four-cylinder petrol engines and a turbo diesel. The petrol range consisted of a basic 75hp 1.6 MPI and a 125hp 1.8 petrol with five-valve per cylinder head. The 90hp 1.9 TDI diesel was of course quite impressive as you all know. Diesel version was widely used in the UK taxi trade, owing to the large number of private hire drivers who used the car, due to its low price, space and reliability. Skoda then kept on expanding its range of engine options according to the requirements of various markets. An estate version of the Octavia, called 'Combi' was introduced later in 1998. The Combi was about 6mm longer than the regular liftback Octavia, with more luggage room at the rear. Being an estate, Combi was great for carrying everything from odd-shaped objects to plain luggage. In fact, Octavia was also Skoda's first production automobile to get four-wheel drive system.

Cover page of liftback version's brochure from 1997-98.


Laurin & Klement variants of both liftback and estate featured on the cover of a brochure.


Skoda adopted a cautious approach towards the Indian market. The company's plan for India was to start off with a slow start-fast growth mode, it preferred to the "tune with the market expansion" policy. As a result, the aim was to sell only 2,500-3,000 units in the first year. Expectation was to gradually increase this figure upto 10,000 units per year. Skoda was in the process of constructing its facility at Aurangabad since late-1999. In the meantime, Skoda started its training activities and began the assembling process of facelifted MK1 Octavia from imported CKD kits. One of the main reasons for the delay in Skoda's entry into the Indian car market was that it refused to sign MoU with the Government of India which forced localisation. To replenish the lack of brand image for Skoda in India, the company had put efforts to price the Octavia just above the midsize segment. It was assumed by the industry sources that the Octavia will carry a sticker price tag of ₹ 11lakh. For testing purposes, a couple of pre-facelift Octavias were imported to our country in 2000. Autocar India test drove one in March 2000, they were impressed by its build quality, paint job finish, high quality interior and the punchy diesel engine.

Design sketch for the MK1 Octavia's facelift version.


Design sketch for the facelift MK1 Octavia Estate.


Pre-facelift vs facelift comparison.


The first-generation Octavia was finally launched in India on 16th November, 2001. What India got was the facelifted version with refreshed looks, with rounder shapes for the headlights, taillights and bumpers, including clear glasses for the light units. It came only in a single base-spec Ambiente variant initially, both 2.0 MPI petrol and 1.9 TDI PD diesel. What's even more interesting is that both the petrol and diesel models carried an identical ex-showroom price tag of ₹ 10,60,000 at the time of introduction. Only the petrol variant had ABS and rear disc brakes. Equipment levels of this Ambiente grade wasn't that rich initially, it just had all the essentials like power windows, central locking, tilt & telescopically adjustable steering, heated ORVMs, dual airbags, etc. Candy White, Diamond Silver Metallic, Stone Grey Metallic, Agave Green Metallic, Deep Blue Metallic and Rally Red were the colour options offered. Skoda had only four dealers in India back then, two in Delhi and one each in Mumbai and Goa. The aim was to take the number of dealers up to 12 across the country by mid-2002.

Cover page of the Octavia's 2004 brochure. Skoda used to market it as 'the most well built luxury car' back then.


MK1 Octavia was the car that spearhead the start of a new lower D-Segment category of sedans in India. It was bigger than C-segmenters like the Opel Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer but smaller than D-segmenters like the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata. Auto journos had no clue about what should they compare the Octavia with, I've even seen an article where they were comparing this car with a Ford Mondeo and a Mercedes E-Class W210 which were actually positioned a couple of segments above. Anyway, the Octavia quickly turned out to be a tremendous success in the Indian car market. The car looked elegant, boasted good build quality and was good value for money. It used to sell like hot cakes back then in the early-noughties, and eventually became a common sight on the Indian roads. Potential buyers demanded slightly better colour scheme for the interiors. Users were highly satisfied with Octavia, especially due to the high fuel efficiency from the diesel. Those were the days when everyone wanted to become a Skoda dealer. Lack of sufficient number of service centres was the only disappointment for owners.

An Octavia 1.9 TDI Ambiente being test driven by BSMotoring team in February 2002.


Skoda's 1.9-litre turbocharged direct injection diesel engine belted out a decent 88bhp at 4000rpm and maximum torque of 210Nm at 1900Nm. Yes, it is torque that the Octavia had in abundance, that too at the bottom. Unlike in the 2.0 MPI petrol version, the 5-Speed manual gearbox and the engine were well-suited to each other. Gearshifts weren't butter smooth, but was of a nice quality and there were absolutely no chances of missing a gear. 0 to 100kmph came in about 12.7 seconds and a top speed of about 175kmph made impressive reading back in the day. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine was slightly detuned for India and produced 4bhp less than the 114bhp max power it produced in European-spec and did it at 5100rpm. Max torque of 165Nm came in at a much higher 4400rpm as compared to the max torque of 170Nm achieved at 2400rpm. While 100kmph came up in 12.4 seconds, 150kmph came up in 30.5 seconds. This petrol version was also very drivable, though in second gear, there existed a perceptible lag between accelerator input and power delivery at crawl speeds. India-spec Octavia came with engine and sump guard as well as changes to the software of EMS to deal with the poor quality fuel here.

The diesel powerplant.


Performance specs of the Octavia 1.9 TDI diesel.


Suspension was basically carried over from the Golf and consisted of MacPherson struts with coil springs and a damper unit in combination with lower triangular transverse links and a torsion stabiliser. Front suspension was mounted on a subframe to better the NVH characteristics. Rear featured pilot-pin technology with a stabiliser. Springs and dampers were in line to minimise intrusion into the cabin and the width of the luggage area remained unaffected. Due to the bad road package meant for India, the ride height was raised, the springs and the shock absorbers were stiffened and recalibrated, all for ensuring better ride on bad roads. The car rode over bad surfaces without a twitch but its poor ground clearance always ended up scrapping underside. Steering was quite precise and provided great feedback even at high speeds. Relatively low ground clearance and slightly stiff suspension along with a steering that provided good feedback all added to making an impressive handling package.

The first Skoda production line in Aurangabad, at a time when the industrial zone was still being developed. Source : M. Jancák


The D-Segment sedan category in India saw a fair amount of action in the year 2003. This segment gained a few new options including the Toyota Corolla and the Chevrolet Optra. Hyundai Elantra joined the battle sometime in mid-2004. Even then, the Skoda Octavia continued to dominate the lower D-Segment with the sales figures creeping up slowly. Octavia literally had the right amount of everything at the right places and it came for the right price also. To address the feedback demanding better interior colour theme and more features, Skoda had released one more variant of the Octavia called 'Elegance' in September 2002 at a price of around ₹ 12.2lakh ex-showroom. This is the variant that used to come with rear wiper, climatronic AC and leather upholstery. New exterior shade options like Natural Green Metallic and Cayenne Orange were added to the shade card in this update. Unlike the Ambiente trim, the Elegance had 6-spoke alloy wheels as standard. Also, the Beige-black colour co-ordinated interiors brought an airy feel into the cabin. Frankly speaking, those initial batch Ambiente cars had a somewhat dull-looking cabin.

With the Elegance variant, interior became much more luxurious. Seats were excellent in offering adequate support and had adjustment for lumbar support.


The 528-liter boot was huge enough to shift a house.


After Elegance, the next variant to join the Octavia lineup was the long-awaited top-spec Laurin & Klement in March 2004. Available only in the 1.9 TDI diesel spec, this variant costed ₹ 13.5lakh ex-showroom which translated to a huge sum of around ₹ 15lakhs on-road in most cities. No changes were brought to the mechanical side of the car. Chrome surrounded radiator grille and 15-inch 6-spoke alloy wheels were the only exterior design highlights. Black Magic and Diamond Silver Metallic were the exterior shade options offered for the L&K. Beige interior was exclusive to cars with Black Magic exterior body shade. Silver had all-black interiors. Centre console panels were finished with pseudo wood like the ones seen in the E120 Toyota Corolla. Some of the notable features present inside this variant were chrome plated shift knob, heated seats, audio player with 6-CD changer and 8 surround speakers. Not to forget other features such as rear parking sensors, xenon headlamps, electronic headlamp washers, foldable key, MID, steering wheel audio controls, cruise control and the electrically adjustable moonroof. In fact, this L&K variant of Octavia was the only diesel car option that existed in ₹ 12-15lakh bracket at that time. By then, the Octavia had established itself as the de facto choice of many Indians.

India-spec Octavia L&K's brochure from mid-2004.


Some of the many exclusive features on the Octavia L&K. Having sunroof was considered as a big deal back in the day.


A closer look at L&K special leather-wrapped gear knob. Notice the chrome-plated tip with the 'Laurin & Klement' logo inscribed neatly.


India's hardcore driving enthusiasts tasted the thrill of vRS for the first time in August 2004. vRS stands for "Victory Rally Sport". The RS variant was released with an ex-showroom price tag of ₹ 13.3lakh. For all those who just liked the flash and the glamour and were out on the roads to make a statement, the RS did it very well for them. Cosmetic changes aside, its heart was its strength for the fact to be told. The Octavia you see below, had a 1.8-litre 20-valve turbocharged in-line four unit that churned out 147bhp, the real thing that people bought in Europe pounded the front wheels with 180 horses. It had stiffer spring ratings, 16-inch alloy wheels and low profile rubber with the bite of a ravenous shark. Garnish that concocted with a spoiler, racing pedals, vRS badging and some very bright colours, and we got the perfect meal for an enthusiast who had ₹ 14-odd lakhs to spend for a car. Steering was precise and the wide footprint of the car gave it a lot of grip. The suspension was also set up slightly stiffer and the car didn't bottom out or dive in on bad roads. If the handling of the regular Octavia was good, then the vRS handled 4x times better. Ride quality suffered slightly though in the bargain, but mind you, it was just slight. Larger wheels compensated on bad roads but with a larger contact patch as well, user got more feel of the road at low speeds.

The Skoda Octavia MK1 RS, India's first turbocharged petrol car.


RS was not another flashy variant with just a sticker job and a go-fast spoiler. Instead, Skoda offered a genuine thoroughbred car in a nice state-of-tune.


Recaro style front seats, three-spoke steering wheel, drilled aluminium pedals, etc made the car feel special for an enthusiast.


It's the heart that matters, an engine bay picture of the legendary Octavia RS.


The Octavia RS for India was not actually detuned for the fact to be told. It was brought into our market in the same format, including the mapping as used in Europe. The engine tunes offered in our country were actually more suitable with 91RON fuel. For MK4 Golf platform vehicles, 1.8-litre 20-valve turbocharged was the engine that stretched between 150ps and 225ps for various applications. European-spec RS had the 180ps state of tune. The RS 1.8-litre engine was widely used on all manner of Volkswagen and Audi cars and had a whole catalogue full of off-the-shelf parts available. Though the vRS had issues getting the power down, it was better than any other car through the faster corners. The attitude was flat, the slight understeer provided reassurance rather than obstruction and there was loads of steering feel and a proportional response to steering inputs. Link between the throttle and the sweet engine was wonderfully precise and there even existed a nice sound track to listen to. The RS came with ABS assisted disc brakes all round, with a 312mm disc with floating callipers up front and 256mm disc at the rear to ensure sure-footed deceleration. Forget about the 0-60 run in 3.6 seconds and 100kmph run in 8.3 seconds, what impressed everyone was the turbo motor’s ability to remain consistent when it came to passing speed acceleration.

A model posing with the Octavia RS during its launch event in Bengaluru in September 2004. Source : Getty Images


Mr.Imran Hassen, The Managing Director of Skoda Auto India back then posing with an Octavia RS during the launch event.


The Octavia 2.0 MPI petrol and 1.9 TDI diesel variants were good, capable cars, but going almost four years without any change was pushing it a bit. Toyota came with their brilliant Corolla 1.8 in 2003 and took away some of the Octavia's thunder. Then, General Motors let loose the Chevrolet Optra 1.8 and 1.6, affecting Skoda sales even further. Competition in this segment was heating up at that time, that’s when Skoda introduced the Rider variant of Octavia as a replacement for the aged Ambiente. Priced at ₹ 10.6lakh, it was about ₹ 55,000 cheaper than the base-spec Ambiente variant. The Laurin & Klement continued to be the top-end grade of non-vRS Octavia. No changes were made to the mechanicals again, but the interiors got a mild makeover. The car gained dual-tone fabric upholstery, silver-finish centre console and an armrest between the front seats. This variant was available with either the 2.0 MPI petrol engine or the 1.9 TDI diesel engine. In either case, buyers still had to do with the 5-Speed manual transmission that was standard on the Octavia. An automatic transmission option was long desired in the case of Skoda.

Here's the cover page of an Octavia brochure from mid-2005.


Nearly three years after introduction, the Octavia finally got an Automatic transmission variant for the 1.9 TDI Elegance trim in October 2004. The 4-Speed auto-box was more expensive than its manual sibling by ₹ 80,000 at the time of launch. Skoda was never interested in showing off, so the car had no 'Automatic' badges anywhere on its exterior. There were no significant differences in the car except for the dot matrix display in the instrument cluster instead of LCD one found in the manual variant. Tiny screen dot matrix display was for showing the vehicle range and also indicated the ratio in which the car was in. Unlike the regular manual-transmission Octavia Elegance, this one came with ABS as standard. Initially, the automatic transmission was offered only for the Elegance variant. Rider variant gained the option for auto box later in mid-2005. With 90bhp at 4000rpm, the Octavia automatic’s 1.9-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine helped it to manage a 0-60kmph timing of 6.4 seconds and attained the century mark in 15.3 seconds. Naturally, it was not as quick as its manual counterpart. But nonetheless, it was surprisingly stunning performance for an automatic turbodiesel by the standards of 2005. Anyways, this automatic variant was a case of too little, too late. The Corolla due its automatic transmission advantage, had started eating up the sales of Octavia by then.

An Anthracite Grey Octavia AT being tested by BSMotoring in February 2005.


A newspaper advertisement of the Octavia from mid-2005, featuring L&K, Automatic and Rider


In the beginning of 2005, Skoda discontinued all the 2.0 MPI variants of the Octavia, probably due to the advent of BS3 emission norms. Replacement came in format of the same 1.8 TPi turbo petrol engine from the vRS being plonked in to the Rider variant. AFAIK, there's not much technical differences between the vRS and Rider 1.8 TPi. It even retained those rear wheel disc brakes. Only difference was that the wheels were 16-inches in vRS whereas the TPI (or 20v Turbo as it was badged) had 15-inch wheels. From the outside, this variant also looked identical to other non-vRS Octavia variants. Exterior shades like Storm Blue and Corrida Red were always exclusive for Rider variant. When Octavia's sales began to dwindle slowly, Skoda released a limited edition variant of the sedan, called 'Rider Classic' at a price of around ₹ 11lakhs ex-showroom. What differentiated it from 'Rider' was that, this version came only in Black Magic shade with 5-spoke alloy wheels from Elegance, ABS and rear spoiler. Only 175 units were manufactured, and this was a perfect chance for those who wanted a black Octavia for lower price. Second-generation of the Octavia, called 'Laura' in India was already introduced in end-2005 (more details in the next post). Since the MK1 Octavia was a good-seller, Skoda just decided to sell both old and new generations side-by-side in India.

A model posing next to a Flamingo Red Skoda Octavia at the 9th Auto Expo in January 2008. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty Images


In between, Skoda had brought a station wagon version of the Octavia called 'Combi' in August 2005, but it failed miserably in our market since people weren't interested in estates. It came in two flavours : the L&K with 1.9 TDI diesel and the RS with 1.8 turbo petrol, priced at ₹ 13.9lakh and ₹ 14.5lakh ex-showroom respectively. Those were the days when most car makers were striving hard to sell off their estate models in India. The Combi was about 6mm longer than the regular Octavia, with more luggage room at the rear. Though the Combi played the dual role of a car that was good enough to drive to work, transport a huge bulk of luggage and even cross the subcontinent fast and comfortably, it was short-lived. Both Combi and vRS variants of the Octavia were permanently discontinued in end-2007, post the introduction of Laura. The MK1 RS is one of the most involving car ever built and sold in India. It had the right ingredients for a glorious drive and represented an era where variants were more than sticker jobs with fresh upholstery. Low profile tyres, stiffer suspension, a brawny engine, bright paint jobs and scintillating performance made it a compelling buy for petrolheads. Although not a hot-seller, this car had managed to create a cult fanbase in our country.

An original wallpaper image of the Skoda Octavia Combi.


Octavia Combi at the Speed Autocar performance show in Mumbai. Photo by The India Today Group via Getty Images.


Octavia Combi on display during the 8th Auto Expo in January 2006. Photo by Hindustan Times via Getty Images.


Cut to 2009, the MK1 Octavia was still being sold at a lower price point alongside the Laura. Sales figures were still decent, but it kept on decreasing gradually. The Laura, on the other hand, became a hot-seller in its segment. Skoda continued phasing out different variants of the MK1 Octavia since they were eating up the sales of Laura. Automatic, Rider, L&K, Combi and RS were discontinued at various points of time, with only Ambiente and Elegance variants being sold for MK1 Octavia. Elegance was available only for the 1.9 TDI diesel. The last batch of Octavia Elegance came fitted with vRS front bumper, rear spoiler, L&K 6-spoke wheels and the 4-spoke steering wheel with audio controls from pre-facelift Laura. Sadly, the advent of Bharat Stage-4 emission norms in early-2010 became the final nail in the aged MK1 Octavia's coffin. Last recorded ex-showroom price for the top-end Elegance 1.9 TDI MT was ₹ 12,92,000 in New Delhi. It's been 13 years since this car went discontinued, but its fan base doesn't seem to be waning. MK1 Octavia still manages to be the car that comes to my mind whenever I hear the name "Skoda" in 2023. It was one car that offered good value for money at that time, issues related with Skoda service centers apart. Who can forget the punchy 1.9 TDI diesel, the lightning quick 1.8 turbo petrol, the everyday commuter 2.0 MPI petrol, the extremely practical Combi and the brilliant fun-to-drive vRS? I guess no one will ever do.

From the last printed brochure of MK1 Octavia for Indian market, Ambiente variant is shown here.


8.5 years and 44,900 units later, the MK1 Octavia finally bid adieu to the Indian car market. MK2 Octavia, a.k.a Laura, had some big shoes to fill....

[Shreyfiesta]

Chapter 2 : Laura - Magic Potion

The MK1 Octavia was the car that turned around Skoda's image and fortunes. It proved that the Volkswagen-run Czech company can make world-class automobiles. In India too, Skoda's initial success was hinged entirely on the Octavia. The car which used tried-and-tested Volkswagen components proved itself as a credible saloon and quickly won over the hearts of customers. It was actually the natural upgrade for many Ford Escort, Opel Astra and Daewoo Cielo users at one point of time. Skoda, seen as a bargain brand in most markets, was perceived as a prestigious one in our country (it still is, to an extent). First-gen Octavia was still being sold in many markets even after the introduction of second-generation in 2004. Second-gen Octavia had some big shoes to fill since the first-generation model was a massive success globally.

Picture of a MK1 Octavia from its 2005 brochure.


Longer, wider, taller than the older model, the MK2 Octavia carried a cautious balance between prestige and mainstream design, neither causing offence nor creating much of an impression. Built on the same PQ35 platform that underpinned the Seat Leon, Audi TT and Volkswagen Golf, the MK2 Octavia had a wheelbase 66mm longer than that of the older Octavia for much-needed additional rear legroom and better stability. In India, the MK2 Octavia was expected to carry an ex-showroom price tag of around ₹ 15lakhs, large car for its price - well, that itself was unprecedented. And on top of the Octavia was a damn good car as people all over the world testified. Skoda pushed this car more upmarket on the world stage to compete with models like the Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis and Renault Laguna. A similar policy was followed in India as well. While the gracefully-aged MK1 Octavia continued on sale, the Laura, as Skoda had named the car in India, was targeted on executive sedans like the Mondeo, Sonata Embera, etc. The abilities of a well-sized luxury car with a budget badge, the Laura was an ultimate bargain. There is no doubt that Skoda was perfect as far as the Indian customer and market were concerned. One that combined a low cost of design and manufacture with high-tech components and parts from Volkswagen's formidable range of platforms and drivetrains, it was difficult for any manufacturer to provide such value back then.

Design sketches from 2004 for the MK2 Skoda Octavia.


The MK2 Octavia looked handsome from every angle, it was as well-proportioned as any BMW from the pre-Bangle era.


Second-generation Skoda Octavia came to the Indian shores for the first time in December 2005, as the 'Laura' of course. But because Skoda had decided to keep selling the MK1 Octavia alongside, their latest offering needed a new name. It’s hard to believe that the guys at Skoda had a boardroom meeting and unanimously decided on that name. With the Laura, Skoda Auto India had great ambitions and in its crosshairs was the cream of the luxury sedan market. Skoda just used the same formula that made the Octavia the best diesel car in its class. Solid engineering, state-of-the-art technology, decent fuel efficiency and superb quality wrapped up in an attractive price. The Laura was offered only in the fully-loaded L&K trim initially, in both manual and automatic transmission variants. No petrol-engined variants were made available this time, MK1 Octavia's 2.0 MPI petrol variant was always a slow-mover in terms of sales. Prices began from ₹ 16.8lakhs ex-showroom, this touched ₹ 20lakh mark on-road in some cities for the L&K automatic. Back then, Laura was the only diesel-engined car that existed in this price bracket. The option for DSG automatic transmission was another unique feature that helped to strengthen the Laura’s appeal in India. After the introduction of this car, the old MK1 Octavia was moved on to a slightly lower price point.

The pre-facelift Laura was a beauty queen, especially in shades like Black and Silver.


Mr. Imran Hassan, ex-managing director of Skoda Auto India posing with the Laura in December 2005. Source : Alamy.


Picture of a Skoda Laura from the 8th Auto Expo in January 2006. Credits : Hindustan Times via Getty Images.


A Diamond Silver Laura 1.9 TDI L&K AT being test driven by team BSMotoring in February 2006. Pardon me for the poor quality image.


Almost as long as an E90 BMW 3 Series, the Laura's impressive length and gently curving profile lent it an air of understated class. There was no chance of mistaking the Laura for anything other than a Skoda. The grille with vertical slats, the elevated ridge on the centre of hood, the kink at the C-pillar and the squared-off tail gave it the look of a matured MK1 Octavia. Headlamps extended well into the body sides and the integration of turn indicators on the ORVMs was a neat design touch. Somehow, some of the Indian automotive journos found the Laura's exterior design to be unexciting for a 20lakh rupee car back then. MK1 Octavia's interiors were superbly built but the Laura took the game a step further and put some Korean sedans from the upper segment to shame, it felt like those cars were made from tin foil. Even the dashboard was logically laid out with simple graphics and clear dials. Audio system operated from a fairly large screen surrounded by soft keys that were easy to use. By increasing the dimensions of the car, rear passengers were now treated with better legroom compared to that in the MK1 Octavia. Boot was huge and the 60:40 split folding rear seats allowed larger loads to be carried with ease. Also, the Laura L&K came with a lot of technology, which was usually associated with cars like Mercedes and BMW until then. It was equipped with ESC, parking sensors at front and rear, power-adjustable front seats with memory function for driver, rain-sensing wipers, electric sunroof, 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, tyre pressure monitoring system, puddle lights under ORVMs, rear sun blinds and what not.

Interiors of the LHD MK2 Octavia. IN-Spec version had audio controls on steering wheel for L&K variant. Onyx and Beige colour upholstery options were available, depending on exterior shade.


4-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls.


With significantly more legroom than MK1 Octavia, the Laura appealed to a lot of buyers who preferred to be chauffeur-driven.


Display screen on the audio system for Parktronic sensors.


Technically speaking, the Laura's 1.9-litre four-cylinder diesel engine was similar to the MK1 Octavia's, which means it used the same 1896cc iron block with a single camshaft and two valves per cylinder. The diesel engine featured Pumpe-Duse technology, instead of using a common-rail to feed the engine, this motor employed four injector-pump units for preventing the loss of pressure in transit. More efficient explosion and hence better fuel efficiency and more power were the outcomes. Power and torque, as a result, were much higher and the motor made 104bhp and 250Nm of torque over the Octavia 1.9 TDI's 90bhp and 210Nm. Laura also used turbochargers with variable vane geometry for quick throttle response at low speeds as well as higher levels of resistance and thus, higher power. All the power thus generated was transferred to the front wheels through a 6-Speed DSG automatic transmission, yet another invention from VAG. As you all know, DSG automatic uses a second clutch that pre-selects the next gear for you to ensure quicker and more precise shifts. 0 to 60kmph was possible in under 5 seconds and a 100kmph run in 11.5 seconds. The DSG auto-box had the Tiptronic facility which enabled the driver to shift the gears manually when required. With the independently-suspended MK5 Golf platform as a base, the Laura came with dynamics far ahead of the MK1 Octavia's. Electro-hydraulic steering was effortless at low speeds, and gained weight nicely in a linear manner with speed. It was accurate enough but lacked feedback, responsiveness was nowhere near to that of the Ford Mondeo's steering.

Engine bay image of the Laura 1.9 TDI PD.


Gear selector lever of the DSG automatic.


Detailed data on the performance figures from the road test conducted by Autocar India in 2006.


Skoda had sold around 4,500 units of the Laura in the calendar year 2006, this translated to around 375 units per month. Armed with such healthy numbers and expecting 15,000 units for the year 2007, Skoda introduced the Laura Elegance in May 2007. It was essentially a slightly stripped down 1.9 TDI L&K MT. Skoda had deleted many features like the sunroof, replaced xenon headlamps with projector units, opted for manual settings for the seats and fitted set of 7-spoke design alloys. Class differentiating features like 6-CD audio system, parking sensors, cruise control, ABS and airbags were retained. Autumn of 2007 saw Skoda launching another cut-price, base-spec variant of the Laura called 'Ambiente' with an ex-showroom price tag of ₹ 12.9lakh. Being the most basic trim, the Ambiente had fabric instead of leather upholstery and the electrically adjustable seats were omitted too. Only two airbags were present at the front and the car rode on smaller 15-inch wheels. Unlike the top-end L&K, this one used to come in some interesting exterior shades such as Corrida Red and Satin Blue. With the addition of Ambiente, Skoda brought the Laura name a bit more closer to the Octavia range. For those who wanted to have an all-rounder like Laura for the Octavia money, an Ambiente was the way to go. Addition of Elegance and Ambiente variants made the Laura more affordable for the Indian upper middle-class. This in turn, helped Skoda to garner more sales for the car. Introduction of these variants made the competition tougher for the lower D-segment cars like Optra Magnum, Civic and Corolla.

Picture of a Corrida Red Laura Ambiente from the launch event in October 2007. Credits : Sajad Hussain via Getty Images


An RS kitted Laura 1.9 TDI L&K MT displayed at a dealership in 2008. Source : Motorbeam


BHPian Nikhilv12's 2008 Laura Ambiente 1.9 TDI in Black Magic shade.


Globally unveiled in October 2008, the facelift Laura took a long time coming and it was finally launched here in May 2009. The car was introduced in three engine options : the 105bhp 1.9 TDI PD diesel, the 140bhp 2.0 TDI PD diesel and the 160bhp 1.8 TSI petrol. It was for the first time in India that the Laura received a petrol engine option. Ambiente, Elegance and L&K were the trim levels offered, but 1.8 TSI petrol engine option was available on the Ambiente variant. 2.0 TDI PD engine option was available only with automatic transmission. The availability of petrol version only on the base-spec Ambiente trim with the absence of many features deterred many potential buyers. Skoda used to promote the facelifted Laura in India by stating that the car will offer a perfect 10/10 driving experience. Top-spec L&K, as usual, came equipped with features like 12-way electrically adjustable driver seat with memory function, heated front seats, audio system operated via a 6.5 inch TFT touchscreen with an integrated 6-CD changer and 12 speakers, audio controls on the steering wheel, dual zone climate control, adjustable rear air-con vents, leather upholstery, retractable rear windscreen sun blind and electrically-foldable ORVMs. Skoda had deleted sunroof from the Laura though. An exterior colour option called 'Arctic Breeze' was added as a part of this update.

Following were the prices of facelifted Skoda Laura in May 2009 :
• 1.8 TSI Ambiente - ₹ 12.9lakh ex-showroom
• 1.9 TDI MT Ambiente - ₹ 13.3lakh ex-showroom
• 1.9 TDI AT Ambiente - ₹ 14.0lakh ex-showroom
• 1.9 TDI MT Elegance - ₹ 14.7lakh ex-showroom
• 1.9 TDI AT Elegance - ₹ 15.4lakh ex-showroom
• 2.0 TDI AT L&K - ₹ 17.5lakh ex-showroom

Cover page of Skoda Laura brochure from May 2009.


Arctic Breeze, the shade that was available on Laura from 2009 to 2011.


The fish eye headlamps with the chrome-surrounded grille managed to soften the sharp lines of Laura and the deeper front bumper and restyled fog lamp units made the car feel fresher from outside. High-profile 15-inch tyres on the 5-spoke alloy wheels elevated the blandness with the tail providing some relief, thanks to the integration of the RS-style reflectors at the rear. Altogether, the facelifted Laura's exterior looked much more sporty and youthful and of course, became less barge-like and that blended nicely with its overall character. Two-tone soft touch dashboard looked very upmarket and a wooden panel separated it from the beige portion on lower part. This beige portion of the dash, unlike the one seen in Fabia, was in a bit darker shade. Big front seats were extremely comfortable in the Laura and finding an ideal driving position was easy. Four-spoke steering wheel was borrowed from the MK2 Superb, along with an updated instrument cluster as well. Different colours and digits apart, even the multi-function display looked whole new. Biggest change inside the cabin was reserved for the centre console, where the new audio system controls as well as HVAC knobs and buttons brought the entire dashboard a feeling of newness. Attention to detail was terrific. The door pockets, for example, were huge and moulded to hold a 1-litre bottle. There was enough space for odds and ends, tons of cup holders and even a small compartment under the front passenger seat was provided for additional storage. Space was good at the rear seat but the backrest was a bit too upright and cushion was on the firmer side.

The top part of dashboard was covered in soft-touch plastics, there were bits of chrome spread all over the dashboard. Over usage of wooden trims was a love it or hate it affair for many. Shown in the picture is an Elegance variant car. Source : Motorbeam.


The Laura did better on rear space and legroom than the MK1 Octavia. Only fly in the ointment was the air-con vent unit that protruded out a bit.


Laura 1.8 TSI was actually the fastest car in its segment and the torquey motor made all that grunt accessible. This Audi-sourced EA888 four-cylinder motor produced 158bhp of peak power between 4500-6200rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1500-4500rpm, mated to a 6-Speed manual transmission, which was butter smooth to operate. It reached from 0 to 100kmph in a good 8.4 seconds but it felt quicker than what these figures suggested. The engine used stratified direct fuel injection which sprayed the fuel directly into the cylinder. It also had variable valve timing and then there was the turbocharger which ensured silence before the storm. The car just managed to pull forward across the rev-band and once the turbo spooled, the way how this car moved was great. Engine never went out of breath until 7100rpm and even at three digit speed figures, it cruised well without any effort. This petrol engine was extremely silent at idle and fuel efficiency was not bad for a car of this size. Skoda then launched the Laura TSI with a 7-Speed DQ200 DSG automatic transmission option in February 2013. Same engine and gearbox combination did duty on the MK3 Skoda Superb before this. The Laura 1.8 TSI is still being appreciated by enthusiasts for what it really was, possibly one of the best cars Skoda has ever sold in India. It was really a hoot to drive, but these cars always had some issues with timing chain tensioner which eventually led to catastrophic engine damage.

The 1.8 EA888 engine in the Laura, a tight and snug fit.


From the Elantra vs Jetta vs Corolla Altis vs Laura comparison test conducted by Autocar India in 2012.


When BS4 emission norms came into effect in 2010, Skoda upgraded all the drivetrains of Laura to common rail technology. As a result, the 1.9-litre PD diesel option was replaced by 2.0 TDI CR engine in 110bhp state-of-tune and 2.0-litre PD diesel was replaced by 2.0 TDI CR in 138bhp state-of-tune. Power and torque figures for the latter were rated at 138bhp at 4000rpm and 320Nm in 1750-2500rpm, mated with 6-Speed DSG automatic transmission. These figures may not sound great in 2023, but back then, in the real world, they were enough to get an intoxicating effect for the driver. Power delivery was well spread out throughout the entire range of the rev meter. This common-rail diesel engine under the hood of the Laura was actually leagues ahead of the older Pumpe Düse one. It was smoother, silent and much more refined, only a slight hint of clatter marked the presence of diesel engine under the hood. Common-rail tech allowed more injections per stroke, making combustion to get smoothened out, and an increase to 16 valves allowed the engine to breath much better. In overall, the engine felt less strained, became more flexible due to the wider powerband. Compared to the older motor, this was much more free-revving too. Performance was much stronger with the Laura achieving 0-100kmph figure in just 9.7 seconds, a full 1.35sec quicker than the older 1.9 TDI PD-powered car. Refinement was sufficient, performance was great, and this along with the good ride quality made the Laura a better highway car.

2.0 TDI was an easy fit in this engine bay. Source : Motorbeam


The Ambiente variant rode on 195/65 R15 wheels. These had five-spoke "Pyxis" design alloys.



For every generation of Octavia, there has been an RS version, the first one turned out be a successful model in India. Second-gen Octavia's RS variant was launched here in September 2011 as the 'Laura vRS' at an ex-showroom price of ₹ 15.1lakh. Compared to the RS, both Elegance and L&K variants offered same or more features and had the option for DSG too. Also, the 1.8 TSI was available in cheaper grades already. Fact to be told, the Laura vRS was a bit of a cheat job, even Skoda India will admit. It had a good blend of sportiness, practicality and feel-good factor, but the engine was same 158bhp 1.8 TSI as the standard car, to save the cost of importing 197bhp 2.0 TSI motor. But still, most of the enthusiasts just loved it. Skoda had firmed up the suspension and provided fatter tyres for RS which made a significant difference. The subtle visual add-ons on RS variant made the Laura even more beautiful. RS had LED daytime running lamps, 16-inch Draconis style alloy wheels, a sunroof, rear spoiler, and of course, some vRS badges were spread on the front and rear. In India, this variant was offered in four shades : Candy White, Magic Black, Race Blue and Sprint Yellow. Changes were more visible inside the cabin, especially the seats with leather-Alcantara upholstery in two-tone colour theme, three-spoke steering wheel without audio controls, touchscreen audio system from L&K variant, sunroof and steel pedal covers. RS was the only variant in facelifted Laura lineup that had a sunroof as standard. Xenon projectors had cornering function also. The Laura RS we got in India wasn't the same car that was sold in Europe. Skoda offered neither the 2.0-litre TSI nor the 2.0-litre diesel engine option in India. What it offered instead was the standard 1.8-litre TSI engine which produced 158bhp of power at 4500-6200rpm and 250Nm at 1500-4500rpm, paired with a 6-Speed manual gearbox.

An yellow MK2 Octavia RS displayed at the Auto Expo 2010.


A picture from the launch event of Laura RS in September 2011.


Pictorial comparison between Laura RS and regular Laura.


The nicely styled dashboard with a mix of black, grey and silver materials. Brushed aluminum accents brought a sporty feel. Also, notice the steering wheel with vRS logo on it.


Following the “Corporate Edition” concept began by BMW, Skoda launched a cheaper variant of the Laura 1.8 TSI dubbed "Classic" in January 2011 at an ex-showroom price of ₹ 12.0 lakh. Since this variant was meant to be the most basic one, a lot of features were absent. It lacked front fog lamps, rear parking sensors, lumbar support adjustment for driver and front passenger seats, front center armrest, automatic climate control, rear air-con vents, leather wrapped steering wheel, gear knob and brake lever, and even the storage compartment under front passenger seat was deleted. Unlike other variants of the Laura, this one had steel wheels and a basic single-din audio system. The Chevrolet Cruze was selling like hot cakes at that time, and the Honda Civic was going to be phased out soon, but the Laura was still being appreciated by a lot of people for its all-roundedness. Sales became limited to a few hundred units every month, not bad for a 6 year-old, aged product. Classic was never a successful variant in India, and it even failed to find favour among first-time sedan buyers, literally nobody was interested to spend ₹ 15lakh on-road for a base-spec trim when they could get a fully-loaded C-segment sedan at a cheaper price. Later, about one and a half year later, Skoda had rejigged the entire Laura lineup. The Classic variant was renamed as "Active" and the Ambiente became "Ambition". At around the same, L&K variant had gained few additional features like cooled armrest storage, MaxiDOT instrument cluster, audio system with Bluetooth integration and 16-inch Draconis alloys from the Laura RS. These were the last updates provided by Skoda for the Laura, as the third-generation Octavia was about to get launched here soon. A new generation model for Skoda Octavia was long overdue. So, this was in December 2013 and 8 years had passed, the production of Laura was permanently stopped to make way for the MK3 Octavia.

Picture of a Laura from its last MY2013 brochure. These "Proxima" design alloys blended with the design very well.


The Skoda Laura had a long and fruitful run, it was a brilliant, brilliant machine. Come 2013, India saw the radically new MK3 Skoda Octavia....

[Shreyfiesta]

Chapter 3 : MK3 Octavia - Big Foot

The third-generation Skoda Octavia continued its predecessor's success story. Revealed in December 2012 at the Skoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav, the car began to appear in dealerships in European markets by February 2013. The MK3 Octavia was developed based on Volkswagen's first-generation MQB platform. This platform was actually meant for cars with transverse engine and front wheel drive layout. All MQB cars shared the same front axle, pedal box and engine positioning, despite varying wheelbase, track and external dimensions. MK7 Volkswagen Golf, MK3 Audi TT, MK3 Skoda Superb, MK3 Audi A3, etc were some of the other cars which were built based on this platform. MQB itself helped Skoda to gain on weight reduction, the MK3 Octavia 2.0 TDI was almost 70kg lighter than the Laura 2.0 TDI DSG. Compared to its predecessor, the MK3 Octavia had grown significantly in length and width. It was 90mm longer and 45mm wider than the Laura, mainly benefiting the interior and space on rear seats. These dimensions were larger than even the Volkswagen Jetta, which was one of the largest cars in lower D-Segment. International markets got estate and four-wheel-drive models too, including the rugged ‘Scout’ version. Skoda claimed that interior space on standard liftback model was best-in-class with figures of 1782mm interior length on a wheelbase which was 108mm more than before and boot space of 590 litres, increased by 5 litres from the Laura.

Design sketches for the MK3 Skoda Octavia.


At the first sight, MK3 Octavia had a lot of resemblances with the cheaper Skoda Rapid.


MK3 Octavia burst on to the Indian car market in October 2013. This marked the much-awaited comeback of "Octavia" nameplate in India after three years. It was launched in three variants : Active, Ambition and Elegance. The lower-end Active variant packed in quite a few features as standard equipment, but mid and top trim variants were richly-equipped. Adaptive lighting assistant, cornering lights, headlamp washers, panoramic sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, electrically adjustable front seats, Bolero audio with a 5.8” touchscreen display, 6 airbags, electronic differential lock, electronic stability control, tyre-pressure monitoring system etc. made the Octavia feel feature rich. Three engine variations were offered in India comprising of two petrol and one diesel motor. The lineup started with a 138bhp 1.4-litre TSI engine, available only with a 6-Speed manual gearbox on Active and Ambition grades. Flagship petrol engine for the Octavia was the third-gen 1.8-litre EA888 TSI petrol, producing around 178 horses. It came only with a 7-Speed DSG automatic transmission and only in the top-end Elegance grade. Diesel variants had the MQB-specific 2.0-litre EA288 TDI unit. Skoda used to sell the diesel model in all three trim lines and with choices of both manual and automatic transmissions. Candy White, Brilliant Silver, Cappuccino Beige and Magic Black were the colour options offered initially.

Following were the introductory ex-showroom prices for MK3 Octavia in October 2013 :
• 1.4 TSI Active MT - ₹ 13.9lakh ex-showroom
• 1.4 TSI Ambition MT - ₹ 14.9lakh ex-showroom
• 1.8 TSI Elegance AT - ₹ 18.2lakh ex-showroom
• 2.0 TDI Active MT - ₹ 15.5lakh ex-showroom
• 2.0 TDI Ambition MT - ₹ 16.5lakh ex-showroom
• 2.0 TDI Ambition AT - ₹ 17.5lakh ex-showroom
• 2.0 TDI Elegance AT - ₹ 19.4lakh ex-showroom

Picture from the launch event of MK3 Octavia in October 2013.


Cover page of the Indian-spec MK3 Octavia's brochure from 2013.


The car looked fresh and quite robust from outside. Headlamps were the simplest and yet the most attractive part of the front-end. Those smoked square lights with the LED DRL strip looked smashing. Sharp creases merged from the A-pillar towards the front grille and the hood had an F1 styled nose which dipped over the front grille. The butterfly-shaped radiator grille became a little narrower in the MK3 Octavia, but the airdam got larger. Side profile flaunted a set of 10-spoke alloy wheels which were available in the Ambition and Elegance variants, Active trim had smaller 5-spoke alloys. Rear-end design looked very familiar to we Indians, people easily mistook it for a Rapid thanks to the similar C-shaped taillamps. It even had the same kinks in the metal work around the number plate slot. There was no monograms mentioning engine variants or trim level on the boot lid. Everything inside the Octavia's cabin looked very German. The cream-beige and black interior colour theme was pleasing to the eyes and also gave the cabin an airy feel. There existed some great looking wood and metal trim on the door pads and centre console. Attention to detail was phenomenal throughout and even the seat stitches were neatly done. Rear seats offered good comfort, but underthigh support wasn't great, backrest angle was too upright also. The thick centre tunnel went all the way to the rear seat forcing the middle passenger to sit astride.

Interior quality felt rich and the fit and finish was simply fantastic. Four-spoke steering wheel was nice to hold as well.


Input slots for CD and SD card were placed inside the glovebox.


The Octavia had a standard boot space of 590 liters. With the rear seats folded down, there was 1580 liters of space in the boot.


The most affordable of the lot was powered by the turbocharged 1.4-litre TSI four-cylinder petrol engine. Codenamed "EA211", this was an engine developed specifically for vehicles based on the MQB platform. Volkswagen Jetta, the sibling of Octavia, had a much older 1.4-litre EA111 four-cylinder petrol engine. The 1.4 TSI EA211 in the Octavia thrusted out an impressive 138bhp of power between 4500-6000rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1500-3500rpm. What also worked in favor of the Skoda for offering better performance and fuel economy was its lighter kerb weight with the Octavia weighing around 140kg less than the Jetta. Only a 6-Speed manual transmission was offered with this engine. The engine woke up into life only around 2000rpm, once the turbo had spooled up and provided the kick. Anything below that was like testing the driver's patience levels, with the car being very lethargic. At the end of the day, even this particular engine was considered fun to drive. A big reason for that was the insane amounts of torque the motor delivered, which was surprising for a mere 1.4 litre engine. Although the 1.8 TSI was drastically more fun, this 1.4 TSI made a strong case for itself since it was about ₹ 4lakh cheaper than the top-end 1.8 TSI AT. For cost cutting, Skoda provided a basic suspension at the rear, torsion beam instead of the multi-link used on the Jetta and Octavia 1.8 TSI. Torsion beam suspension wasn't bad as it offered good stability at high speed but the low speed ride suffered and the noise from the rear was annoying.

1.4-litre block in the large engine bay looked small. Picture from Team-BHP's official review thread.


For the ones who wanted pure driving thrills, there was the 1.8-litre TSI. Despite the other block still measuring in at 1798cc, there were a lot of changes to the engine. The model number (EA888) remained same as the older 1.8 TSI used on Laura, but this was the third-generation one used on MK3 Octavia. It also had the exhaust manifold integrated onto the engine block. Balancer shafts with low friction bearings were used for improving NVH levels. This third-generation EA888 motor developed more power than before and that made for a really special engine. With 177bhp at 5100-6200rpm and 251Nm at 1250-5000rpm, this was the engine to go with if somebody wanted to have some real fun. The action began past 2500rpm where the car bolted forward and putting the DSG in manual mode rewarded most drivers, downshifts were lightning quick and were accompanied by throttle blips. Talking about transmission, this petrol engine came paired with a 7-Speed dry-clutch DQ200 DSG automatic transmission. Reliability issues aside, the box was as impressive as the engine and it was quite evident that Skoda had programmed it to provide maximum thrills. Octavia 1.8 TSI AT was quicker than the Laura TSI MT which it replaced. The former got to 100kmph in just 8.0 seconds, which was just 0.2sec quicker than the Laura. It was because the DSG gearbox had a protection mode that didn't allow a proper smoking-tyre launch.

Engine bay image of the MK3 Octavia 1.8 TSI.


Diesel variants were powered by VAG's bread and butter engine, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI EA288. Power and torque output figures were rated at 141bhp at 4000rpm and 320Nm torque from 1750-3000rpm. This was basically the same engine carried over from Laura, but certain upgrades were given for improving its torque spread and drivability. There was plenty of punch in the mid-range as the car rode the torque curve and it gathered pace briskly all the way upto a speed of about 170kmph. It was not the most silent motor back then, and it sounded a bit rough when pushed hard. When adopted a relaxed pace, the motor quietened down to a normal hum while the 6-Speed DQ250 wet-clutch automatic transmission shifted up smoothly. Compared to the diesel engine on Jetta, this one had a wider powerband, the Octavia's torque curve fall off at 3000rpm. There existed a slight hind of lag at lower rpms, it was a very tractable engine otherwise. Even though the DQ250 gearbox on Octavia shared identical ratios with the transmission on Jetta, the former was about 0.7 seconds faster in achieving 100kmph mark. On the highway, this diesel engine + DQ250 gearbox combination was excellent. This diesel, however, came with a non-independent suspension at the rear. Fact to be told, the front and rear suspension felt a bit disconnected when driven enthusiastically. The all-rounded nature of 2.0 TDI diesel version along with the excellent fuel efficiency made it the most popular model in the MK3 Octavia range.

Engine bay image of the diesel-engined MK3 Octavia.


Two years later, in September 2015, Skoda added the Style Plus variant to MK3 Octavia range. This variant sat above the Elegance trim which was the top-most trim earlier. The Style Plus had a lot of useful stuff that were absent in the lower variants. It had side airbags at the rear too, taking the total count of airbags to eight. Other features included keyless entry, start and exit system with an engine start/stop button, SmartLink mobile phone connectivity, paddle-shifters and a rear view camera that was linked to the display of the infotainment system. Since Style Plus was the top-end trim, it was available only with 1.8-litre TSI and 2.0-litre TDI engine options. Skoda continued to revise the Octavia lineup, the company discontinued Active and Elegance variant of the model and launched 'Ambition Plus' as a replacement in 2016. This mid variant was almost ₹ 2lakh cheaper than the top-end Style Plus and had decent equipment on offer. It was available in petrol automatic, diesel manual and diesel automatic combinations. In between, there existed a Zeal Edition trim with all-black alcantara interiors in 2015. All these actions helped Skoda to grow Octavia's sales. Not only did it give sleepless nights to the competition, it took the market by storm and went on to become the best car in its class. Cruze was living its last days of life, Corolla was slowly becoming a sales dud, and Civic and Fluence became history. So, this was in late-2016, four years had passed, it was time mid-cycle refresh for this blockbuster.

An Octavia 2.0 TDI in Cappuccino Beige shade being test driven by Top Gear team in end-2013.


MK3 Octavia with its competitors from D-Segment. Image source : Motorbeam


Facelift version of the MK3 Octavia was globally unveiled in October 2016. As part of the upgrade, the outer dimension of the car changed slightly, it was stretched by 11mm in length to 4670mm. A redesign up front brought a totally new headlamp arrangement, very pre-facelift Mercedes E-Class W212-esque, complete with LED tech. Slight changes were also made to the front bumper, hood and radiator grille. The quad-headlamp setup was controversial back then, front-end design became a love it or hate it affair for many. Outer headlamps produced the dipped beam and the high beam shined from the inner headlamps, tapered towards the grille. Initially, I used to loath this quad-headlamp design (I was a class 8 kid back then), but started to love it eventually. Updates at the rear were limited to a mildly-restyled bumper and new set of LED taillamps. The rest of the design remained unchanged apart from a few minor tweaks. On the inside, there was an updated 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, LED ambient lighting system and a fresh three-spoke steering wheel. The faux wood inserts on the door panels were replaced with brushed aluminium. More driver assist programmes like hands-free parking assist was added to make things easier for the driver to park in tight spots. Mechanically, the facelifted Octavia remained same, Skoda missed an opportunity for providing a multi-link suspension on the 2.0 TDI variants.

The 2016 facelift brought some modernity to MK3 Octavia's 'offend none' kind of face.


The refreshed MK3 Octavia was introduced in India in July 2017, about eight months after its global debut. It continued with the same set of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from the pre-facelift version. There were two petrol engines on offer : the 150hp, 1.4 TSI petrol mated to a 6-Speed manual gearbox and the more powerful 180hp, 1.8 TSI unit paired with a 7-Speed DQ200 DSG. And like before, there existed only one diesel engine option : the 143hp, 2.0 TDI unit that came mated to either 6-Speed manual or a 6-Speed DQ250 DSG dual clutch auto. Trim levels offered were Ambition, Style and Style Plus. L&K variant was launched later in November 2017 as a replacement for the Style Plus. L&K had a 10-speaker Canton audio system and L&K insignia on the front fenders, door sills and the gear knob. Everything else in the kit remained exactly the same as the axed Style Plus variant. Being the top-end trim, standard equipment included a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, automatic dual-zone climate control, 12-way electrically adjustable driver seat with lumbar support. It also came with keyless entry, auto park assist, curtain and side airbags, and fatigue alert. Virtual cockpit feature was made available on L&K from October 2018 onwards. The unit displayed speed, engine rpm, fuel gauge, navigation details, telephone and audio system-related information. User were able to customise the size and layout through controls given on the steering wheel.

Following were the prices of facelifted MK3 Skoda Octavia in July 2017 :
• Ambition 1.4 TSI MT - ₹ 15.4lakh ex-showroom
• Style 1.4 TSI MT - ₹ 17.4lakh ex-showroom
• Style 1.8 TSI AT - ₹ 18.6lakh ex-showroom
• Style Plus 1.8 TSI AT - ₹ 20.9lakh ex-showroom
• Ambition 2.0 TDI MT - ₹ 16.9lakh ex-showroom
• Style 2.0 TDI MT - ₹ 18.9lakh ex-showroom
• Style 2.0 TDI AT - ₹ 20.5lakh ex-showroom
• Style Plus 2.0 TDI AT - ₹ 22.9lakh ex-showroom

Cover page of facelifted MK3 Octavia's brochure.


Back then when BHPian Dippy test drove an Octavia 1.8 TSI in Quartz Grey. Source : Throttle Blips


Cabin of the facelifted Octavia was pretty much identical to the older car. Source : Throttle Blips


Virtual cockpit system featured a large TFT screen with a customisable layout and 3D graphics in place of traditional analogue dials.


Skoda brought the MK1 Octavia RS in India but in a lower power tune while the MK2 Octavia RS (Laura RS) didn’t get an engine upgrade. The MK3 RS was actually the first ever true RS model we got in India. It was perfect in almost every way. And it costed ₹ 24.6lakh ex-showroom back then, which was a steal for an almost-perfect 230ps performance sedan. It was good-looking, fast and an absolute hoot on twisty roads. Being an SKD assembly product, only < 700 units were sold in India till 2019. Even those people who hated facelifted Octavia's front-end, loved the way how the RS 230 version looked. Front-end looked more attractive with the internals of the headlamps finished in black. Front bumper was made sportier with larger air intakes and LED fog lamps. Though the C-shaped LED taillamps were carried over from the regular Octavia, it had a slight smoked effect. Rear-end of the RS 230 was enriched by a tail-gate mounted spoiler and dual stainless steel exhaust tips. Candy White, Steel Grey, Magic Black, Race Blue and Corrida Red were the shade options offered. 17-inch Hawk Anthracite wheels, along with red brake callipers look pretty sweet. Interiors were finished in an all-black theme which blended well with the car's racy image, fit and finish was impeccable. All-black dashboard, Alcantara sport seats with the vRS badging and the red contrast stitching and flat-bottom steering wheel added to RS 230's appeal. There was loads of red stitching in the cabin, like the steering wheel, gear knob and even the seats were stitched in red. Seats were super comfortable and managed to hold the driver well in place when chucked around corners.

An Euro-spec facelifted MK3 Octavia RS.


India-spec MK3 Octavia RS 230 in Corrida Red shade.


Rear-end featured a trunk spoiler, restyled bumper with functional dual exhaust tips and vRS badging on the boot lid.


All-black interiors complemented the car's exteriors and performance well. Source : Throttle Blips.


India-spec RS 230 had a proper Euro-spec 2.0-litre EA888 four-cylinder TSI petrol engine under its hood. The engine generated 230bhp at 5500-6200rpm and 350Nm at 1500-4500rpm, paired through a 6-Speed DSG DQ250 automatic transmission, and then through an XDS+ limited-slip differential to the front wheels. When the XDS+ system detected a G-force of over 0.15G, it applied some brake force to the wheel on the inside of the corner creating some resistance. The LSD meanwhile sent more power to the outside wheel, where it noted less resistance, thereby creating a sharper turn in. This system pulled it inside towards the apex, rather than pushing it wide when thrown into corners. It did a phenomenal job of quelling the understeer. Power-to-weight ratio was 160bhp/ton while the torque-to-weight was 247Nm/ton. According to Skoda’s claims, the RS 230 was capable to crack the 100kmph figure in just 6.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 250kmph. Suspension, like with the regular MK3 Octavia 1.8 TSI, was independent all round, a MacPherson strut setup at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. However, the RS 230 was stiffened up, but still well damped. It was also lowered by 15mm compared to the standard car, but it was still about 15mm higher than the actual European RS. Electrically-assisted steering was nice in terms of responsiveness, but it lacks the certain crispness which people expected from a performance car. Brakes on RS 230 had bigger diameter discs than the standard Octavia 1.8 TSI. All these factors together made the RS 230 a true-blue performance car in the ₹ 30lakh price bracket back then.

The 2.0-litre TSI created a racket, acceleration was super thrilling. Source : Motorbeam.


17" "Hawk Anthracite" rims shod with 225/45 section rubber. Don't forget to notice the red brake caliper. Source : Throttle Blips


Skoda launched yet another special edition model of the MK3 Octavia, called 'Onyx' in October 2019. The Onyx was introduced in 1.8 TSI AT and 2.0 TDI AT engine-gearbox options, priced ₹ 19.9lakh and ₹ 21.9lakh ex-showroom respectively. It was basically the Style variant with 16-inch gloss black alloy wheels, gloss-black ORVMs, black decals along the side and a gloss-black rear spoiler. On the inside, the beige-and-black dual-tone upholstery of the standard Octavia was replaced with an all-black theme. The Onyx trim also featured a ‘SuperSport’ flat-bottomed steering wheel and black leather upholstery for the seats. Since this variant was based on the Style trim, it missed out on some features from L&K such as virtual cockpit, sunroof, curtain airbags, ambient lighting, etc. Most of the changes were aesthetic while the mechanicals remained unchanged. Onyx was offered only in three paint shades : Candy White, Corrida Red and Race Blue. Before the Onyx, there existed a Corporate Edition variant too. This one is considered as a gimmick from Skoda to sell off petrol-manual and diesel-manual Ambition variants of the Octavia, at cheaper prices. Year 2020 saw the advent of new BS6 emission norms in India, and the fourth-generation Octavia was introduced in global markets by end-2019, but a major reason for the discontinuation of MK3 Octavia was Indian market's excessive devotion for CUVs and SUVs. Termination of production was announced in May 2020, soon after the BS6 emission norms kicked in. The 2.0-litre TDI engine required a lot of alterations to be BS6 compliant, and doing so was of not much use. Skoda had also phased out the 1.8-litre engine TSI globally. The story of Indian innings of MK3 Octavia doesn't end here, Skoda had a hidden weapon for our market.

Picture of an Octavia Onyx in Race Blue shade.


Product information video of Octavia Onyx from Skoda Auto India.

https://youtu.be/EtTArE1HSus

While the rest of the world saw the launch of MK4 Octavia, India recieved the RS version of MK3 Octavia in 245hp state of tune. Since the initial allocation of 500 RS 230 was sold out by late-2018, enthusiasts in India had to wait for almost an year to see the return of Octavia RS. Skoda had released a teaser video in December 2019 confirming the release Octavia RS 245 in our market. The first batch of RS 245 comprising of 200 units came to Indian shores via the CBU route. And, finally, the MK3 Octavia RS 245 was introduced in February 2020 at the Auto Expo priced at ₹ 35.9lakh ex-showroom. The RS 245 was available in five colours : Rallye Green, Race Blue, Corrida Red, Magic Black, and Candy White. Bookings for the car started in March 2020, all bookings were accepted directly through the website. The company soon claimed that all 200 units were sold out, but the actual story was something else. Dealers were later caught trying to sell dead stock of the car at a whopping discount of ₹ 8lakh, immediate deliveries also were promised. This happened due to order cancellations due to the pandemic-induced lockdowns and the slowdown that followed. Customers may have booked the car and then cancelled it due to change in their plans. Same was the story of Volkswagen Polo GTI as well, but it happened long before the outbreak of COVID-19. The RS 245 had no direct rivals here, so most journos ended up comparing it with the more expensive G20 BMW 330i. RS 245 served the purpose well for those who desired exclusivity, after the allocations of all 200 units, there was the 3 Series to pick. Where the cars differed most was in the price. The 3 Series in its entry-level Sport trim, was dearer by over ₹ 5lakh than the Skoda and while the former lost out on kit to the richly-loaded M-Sport variant, the RS 245 came in a single trim level with enough equipment.

A snapshot from Skoda India's website featuring the RS 245.


A Race Blue RS 245 displayed at the Auto Expo 2020.


A test drive review done by BHPian Vivekji05 in 2020.

https://youtu.be/HUETKkA3J6g

The RS 245 had some subtle changes on the outside that pointed towards the performance hidden underneath. One of the major key additions were its stylish 18-inch Vega wheels, compared to the 17-inchers used on the RS 230. Other change in the exterior was the piano-black finish for radiator grille, ORVM casings and trunk spoiler. The most noticeable change inside the cabin was its fully-digital virtual cockpit behind the steering wheel. While it was the same unit seen in many VAG cars, it looked quite good in the RS 245. The cabin then felt definitely special, it was all black with red contrast stitching and there was enough Alcantara too. An extra function was the vRS button near the gear lever, it was a shortcut of sorts that took the driver directly to driving modes : Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual. Ground clearance remained identical to its predecessor, the RS 230, which was 15mm lower than the normal MK3 Octavia, but 15mm higher than the global RS version. On the paper, RS 245 had the same 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine as the RS 230, but there were a few changes that increased its power and torque figures. At 241bhp and 370Nm, it gained 15bhp and 20Nm over the RS 230 due to a revised camshaft, some software upgrades, a new turbocharger and some other engine components. According to Skoda, the RS 245 dispatched the 0-100kmph sprint in just 6.6 seconds. The DSG also was upgraded from the 6-Speed DQ250 to the 7-Speed DQ381, but one of the biggest changes that contributed to the performance of the RS 245 was the electronically controlled limited slip differential. Additionally, it also came with larger brakes for better stopping power. In fact, the RS245 had all the hallmarks of a quick car. With all the 200 units sold out in India by May 2021, the most loved generation of Skoda Octavia faded into sunset.

The flat-bottom steering wheel was ergonomic and nice to hold, here's a closer look at the red-stitching on perforated, leather-wrapped steering wheel.


Design of the front seats were very similar to the Audi RS cars. Integrated headrests were big enough in size, but blocked the front view of rear passengers.


Jiko Halder's Rallye Green RS 245.


Here's the last printed brochure of MK3 Octavia in India.


The MK3 Octavia had a glorious innings, it had plenty of character, be it the 2.0 TDI or the RS 245. India's love for SUVs continued to ring alarm bells, signalling the downfall of executive sedan category....

[Shreyfiesta]

Chapter 4 : MK4 Octavia - Segment Struggle

The fourth-generation Skoda Octavia made its world premiere in November 2019. MK4 Octavia is built on a reworked version of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, MQB Evo to be precise. In markets abroad, the car was available with a wide range of engine line-up that included both mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The basic range kicked off with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder TSI petrol engine, putting out 110hp. So, the MK4 Octavia was expected to retain MK3 Octavia's strengths along with more interior space, better functionality and higher levels of safety and comfort. The MK4 Octavia’s exterior design was brought into line with Skoda’s non-SUV models, the Scala and MK3 Superb facelift. Front end took inspiration from the Scala, those beautiful split headlights were ditched in favour of redesigned, LED single-piece units. Lower roofline gave the MK4 Octavia a more coupe-like stance. Dimensionally, the MK4 version became 19mm longer and 15mm wider than the MK3. Boot space was increased by 10 litres to 600 litres. Interior went a step forward, in terms of quality and technology. A wide variety of soft-touch materials was present to lift up the cabin’s appeal, same was the case multi-colour ambient lighting as well. Dashboard was dominated by a massive 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and most importantly Skoda had introduced gesture control and an advanced voice-controlled digital assistant called Laura.

Design sketches for the MK4 Skoda Octavia.


MK4 Octavia's design carried a conservative feel compared to the MK3 Octavia facelift. The older car looked much more agressive.


In India, the MK4 Octavia was slated to launch sometime in late-2020, but Skoda had postponed the event due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The launch finally happened in June 2021, it was released in two variants : Style and L&K. Only five shades were offered : Candy White, Brilliant Silver, Maple Brown, Lava Blue and Magic Black. Both variants, as usual, got 17" alloy wheels, but in different designs. The Style variant had simple-looking five-spoke "Rotare" silver rims, while the L&K variant came with an odd-looking "Pulsar Aero" black alloys. Interior of the Octavia was always ‘The Standard’ in executive sedan segment, and as mostly was the case with good design, it was all down to the details. The radical exterior shape blended well with the interior, though it wasn’t as radical on the inside as the Superb. Only sign of commonality was the shared two-spoke steering wheel, it was nice to hold. Behind the steering wheel was a 10.2-inch virtual cockpit. It gave out a good amount of info and doubled up as a navigation screen. The cabin had a dual-tone black/beige layout and the seats were finished in beige. Both brushed metal and chrome inserts brightened up the cabin, Alcantara was used on top of the dashboard. Switches were down to minimum with the air-con vents placed at the bottom of centre console, there was a wireless charging phone tray as well. The traditional gear lever was replaced by a swivel switch in MK4 Octavia. This car used shift-by-wire tech, so the communication between the selector and gearbox was via electronic signals and not mechanical linkages. Everything from the fit and finish to the quality of materials used all around felt like it belonged to cars a segment higher.

India-spec MK4 Octavia's brochure cover from 2021.


The MK4 Octavia looked stunning in black. Sharp body lines made it one beautiful automobile. Still, I personally feel that the older MK3 Octavia had more character.


The upside-down L-shaped LED taillights looked crisp and you had the Škoda lettering on boot lid.


Seats were finished in beige Suedia + leather and provide excellent comfort. Both front seats were 12-way electrically adjustable, had lumbar support and 3 memory settings. Equipment list included ambient lighting, a fantastic 610W Canton sound system with a subwoofer, LED cabin lights with proximity sensors, retractable sun blinds on the rear windows, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment system's display was quite nice and it had gesture controls for certain operations. Four USB-C slots were present, two at front and two at the rear, and the auto park assist steered the car into a detected spot. Ventilated seats, headlamp washers and sunroof weren’t part of the package, absence of such features were not justifiable for a 37 lakh-rupee car. While a sunroof isn’t functionally relevant in India, Skoda’s argument was that it would have reduced headroom. This has robbed the car one of its major USPs. It's a fact that sunroof isn’t available in the MK4 Octavia, even globally. Another annoying missing feature in the Octavia, was the absence of ventilated seats, buyers expect this feature to be standard in any car north of ₹ 20lakh in India. After all, they're necessary for our country's climatic conditions. The 12-speaker Canton audio system on the L&K variant was outstanding and made the car a disco on wheels. Due to some reasons, Skoda had stopped giving Canton system for the Octavia sometime in end-2022. Shift-by-wire drive mode selector never felt 'premium' to operate. Touch-operated controls for air-con demanded the driver to take his eyes off the road while driving to adjust the settings.

View from the driver seat. Quality levels went a step forward in the MK4 Octavia. Scrollers on the steering wheel for audio control were fantastic to operate.


Space was good at the rear and the seat was well bolstered too.


Skoda's virtual cockpit, a 10.25-inch screen with a 1280 x 480 px resolution display.


The swivel switch for gear selection sat in place of traditional gear lever.


Powering the fourth-gen Octavia was the 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine, mated with the 7-Speed DQ381 DSG wet-clutch automatic transmission. The same combination can also be seen in the Skoda Superb, Audi A4, Audi Q2, Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace and Skoda Kodiaq. The performance of this engine was strong with 187bhp and 320Nm on tap, which was 10bhp and 70Nm higher than the old car's 1.8 TSI petrol unit. So, the 2.0 TSI petrol engine was your only option and it felt almost perfect for this car, it ran relaxed at highway speeds, providing excellent fuel economy and when you were in a lighter mood it obliged with instantaneous power delivery too. The dual-clutch DSG gearbox we got here was well-known for being smooth and quick shifting and the Octavia continued this legacy unchanged. The response was quick and power delivery was remarkably linear. In sedate driving, the motor habitually upshifted close to 1,500rpm. In the V-Box acceleration test conducted by various journos, the Indian-spec MK4 Octavia did 0 to 100kmph acceleration run in 7.8 seconds, whereas the gear acceleration from 20kmph to 80kmph took 4.6 seconds and the 40-100kmph came up in 5.5 seconds. Top speed was claimed to be at 240kmph. In the MK4 Octavia, Skoda went soft with the suspension setup and the ride became a lot more comfortable and the car also absorbed potholes and undulations with much ease. Ride quality became so much better that the Octavia became too Superb-ish in character. Then we had the rough road package in India, at 137mm, ground clearance was good enough to clear the worst of the speed breakers without touching its underbody. The steering, though electrically-assisted, was a nice and user-friendly unit. It weighed up nicely in a very linear manner with increasing speed.

The 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine had a good amount of oomph and was also high on refinement.


Performance figures chart by Overdrive. 0-100kmph in 7.8 seconds was quite impressive for a 190ps sedan. 100-0 kmph braking was excellent at 38.4m.


Raised ride height evident at wheels. L&K trim’s wheels looked really weird.



Sure, the lack of some modern-day essentials like driving modes, ventilated seats, sunroof, a 360-degree camera etc was considered to be a negative point. And for that very reason, users of a range-topping MK3 Octavia found no convincing reasons to upgrade to the newer generation. But it was a worthy contender for anyone looking to upgrade from C-Segment sedans or even the older MK1 Octavias, Lauras and Jettas for that matter. Sedans were losing to crossovers and SUVs everyday, that's when Skoda introduced the MK4 Octavia priced at ₹ 25.9lakh ex-showroom, which translated to ₹ 34lakh on-road in Mumbai. It was overpriced by 4-5lakhs than it was expected to be. Skoda's premium cars are usually focused on profits because of no direct competition, even the Karoq (CBU) and Kodiaq were overpriced since the company knew those cars are going to sell less units even if priced lower. The MK3 Superb Sportline and Audi A4, on the other hand, were eating up the sales of Octavia to an extent. These cars were available at huge discounts, which made them even cheaper than top-spec Octavia. Same engine, same gearbox, bigger size and yes, sunroof and ventilated seats too. "With exchange rates, taxes and shipping we have still been able to keep the car 20% below entry level premium offerings in India", said Zac Hollis in 2021. It was even more painful to see him justifying the pricing, that too in this SUV-centric market, the MK4 Octavia was otherwise a worthy product. Amidst an ocean of SUVs, the Octavia was one cracker of a sedan, but it went unnoticed. Sales never crossed 250 units per month and with the implementation of newer BS6 RDE regulations, Skoda was forced to discontinue its evergreen Octavia from the Indian market in May 2023. Since the phasing out of the Octavia, speculations are there that it will make a comeback with an updated engine, but there is no concrete information about the same. The death of sedans is a terrible trend, the exploding gap between C-Segment sedans and all luxury sedans makes it incredibly hard to upgrade.

Octavia RS iV, the first model from RS family with plug-in-hybrid drive. This model is expected to arrive in the Indian market as CBU by early-2024, there's no official confirmation about it yet.


The Skoda Octavia achieved a milestone of 1,00,000 units sales in June 2022. Here's Zac Hollis with every iteration of the Octavia sold in India.


BHPian pqr shared this detailed sales analysis graph of the Skoda Octavia on his 'Graveyard of Sedans' thread.


Spanning over four generations and more than two decades of presence, Skoda Octavia marked the start and the end of the premium sedan D1 segment....

THE END.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[MV 33]

Originally Posted by Shreyfiesta

Chapter 4 : MK4 Octavia - Segment Struggle

The fourth-generation Skoda Octavia made its world premiere in November 2019. MK4 Octavia is built on a reworked version of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform...

Wow! An Amazing Thread, takes me back to my childhood memories

Mod Note: Please quote ONLY the relevant bits of a post. Quoting a full, long post inconveniences our mobile readers.

Thanks!

[abaliga]

Well deserved tribute to a car that is an all rounder, Really hope Skoda brings it back as there is no car in the price range that can offer the thrills that Octavia offered

Skoda can be a little more aggressive in their product strategy, there is room to have the Karoq and the Octavia between the Kushaq/Slavia and the Kodiaq, right now there are no good alternatives available for folks upgrading from Kushaq and Octavia, they have to consider the Tiguan or Kodiaq which have gotten too expensive and if one wants a sedan, the only upgrade I can think of is the 330i that costs almost twice

While I am so happy that Skoda/VW have tasted some success with their India specific products, that is not a good enough reason to stop assembling CKDs, chip crisis seems to be over and income levels are rising, its only natural most will like to upgrade to premium offerings from Skoda/VW in the future

Now coming to the Octavia, every generation before the current one tasted success in India and not without merits, the 3rd generation did well even with many SUVs getting launched within the price range, Octavia introduced the regular folks to German engineering and the first generation Octavia was almost as reliable as an Innova, without the DQ200 gearbox on the third generation, the brand Octavia could have been a reliability champion too.

Everytime I see the first gen car, the child in me smiles, the design of which still looks special and fresh after 20 odd years, this is the car I wanted as a high school kid and I was finally able to realize the dream last March before it was discontinued, I can only wish Skoda brings it back!

[Bhodrolok]

Amazing thread! This should be a book that Skoda should make...

[AYP]

Thank you for posting this excellent thread. The Octavia MK2(Laura) pre-facelift, was my favourite and still continues to be my favourite among all the Octavias. While most of my classmates used to to drool over the Civic, the Laura was the one which had my heart, especially the L&K in red shade. The PD motor was music to my ears. The facelift though, spoiled the looks completely with its bulbous headlamps.

Cars like the Octavia and the Jetta used to symbolise the phrase- 'Value Luxury' among the sedans. Sad to see the demise of this segment.

[shankar.balan]

Thank you Shrey. Indeed the Octavia was always considered ‘Value Luxury’ and it is hugely popular in Europe and the UK for precisely that reason. Whatever one may say that TDi 2 Litre engine was a real creamy gem. Even today.
Please do a similar thread for the unsung Skoda Yeti - the real LittleBigFoot!
People used to get a but hassled with me for singing the Yeti’s praises when I had mine. 2011-2019. It was way ahead of its time in India and truth be told, all that I ever said was based on experience and well deserved. Now 12 years later that the small SUV segment has come into its own, that vehicle would be so so relevant! I wish I still had it.

[sunikkat]

Wow, that’s one heck of a writing. So passionate and very well written. Thank you for this.

Own a MK3 Octavia TDI, and it’s so good that it’s impossible to find a worthy replacement <70 lakhs. Also there are very few cars which has so much of mod potential in India.

And be it any generation, the Octavia age really well. Hope Skoda get the Octavia back to our shores soon.

[chethan.ram]

Very well done. I am yet to read it completely, but I couldn't stop myself from commenting on this thread. Just wanted to thank you. Will go through it once I get back home. This was my dream car from the early 2000s ever since they entered the Indian market. I am happy to say that I own the MK3 TDI and I am absolutely in love with it.

[sprocket]

Very well written. As an Octavia fanboy I enjoyed reading the article. My only grouse with SKODA is the way they increased the price of the current generation.

Guessing that when there is no direct competition to the D segment, this is what happens. They don't care about numbers! Higher margins with fewer cars.

For a VAG enthusiast there is nothing reasonable to upgrade from the Vento and Rapid. Imagine if we had the Jetta/Octy/Civic together like the good old days.