[Karvel]

Preamble
January 2017
The Punky little kid


It was 9 long years since we bought our first car - Zen Estilo, the Innova impersonator . We are in love with the car and it has become a part of the family. Been with us through our marriage, two kids and multi city adventures due to job. While the previous generation Zen had/has almost revered fan following, we prefer the Estilo, more for the tall stance and the high seating. While it looks boxy from outside, the design inside leaves ample space for the passengers. Also enough boot space to take care of the needs of a small family.

We had done long trips, been on the road for more than couple of days on a stretch on multiple occasions, fun spins late in the night, bachelors night outs and the regular visits to the nearby temples. The odo read 65,000 kms after 9 years. Minor niggles once in a while, tyre change at 48,000 kms, regular MASS visits and front suspension replacement at 55,000 kms and a battery change in the 5th year. Cranks in the first twist, no rattling and perfectly smooth ride and returns an average of 15-16 kmpl. If only for my office commute, the car was an absolute fit for the solo ride. With the kids growing up, the need for a safer car with bigger space started showing up. And it started coming up frequently in our dinner table discussions as well. Estilo was good enough, for a small family, only. The judgement was delivered.

Purchase process
In search of the Unicorn
Once the collective judgement was passed, i was given the task of shortlisting the probable vehicles. There again started multiple discussions and consultations with both side of the family. Now, do not ask me then what happened to the assigned task. It was taken over against my will - only responsibility, no authority. Suggestions ranged from sub 4 m sedans(?) to D2 segment to XUV. Thats when it was decided, lets keep the suggestions aside for a moment and lets agree on whats expected from this new addition

• Space - Good enough to carry 4 adults and an occasional 5th passenger
• Power - Been driving a 60 hp motor for long, though its still peppy, wanted to have a better pulling one
• Interior quality - With the money to be spent, wanted certain features like Touchscreen Music system, good plush seats, beige / black interiors and few other creature comforts
• Saftey features - While the Estilo carried us in good stead, wanted to have atleast two airbags in the front and if more available, the merrier
• Ease of maintenance - Wanted to have a trouble free ownership other than the usual wear and tear
• Budget - And finally the overarching guideline

While we discussed all these, we were clear(?) that we can spend around 20 lakhs. With these parameters plotted we started listing down the probables.

On both sides of our family, parents had different cars - Alto, ANHC I-Dtec, Ford Fiesta Classic and a VW Jetta. With the experience of the Diesel mill and effortless pulling, with easy on pocket averages, decided to go for a Oil burner as my commute had increased to 60kms everyday. While these cars were great to drive, as these were already in the family, were struck from the short list.

List the vehicles considered:
Did not want to go for any SUVs but i was fixated on Cross overs primarily S-Cross. Did a couple of TDs of S-Cross and even enrolled for the 48hrs Super TD option where you get the car for 48 hrs to be used within the agreed limits. Fuel to be filled up by the user. While i loved the car, family felt its an inbetween of Estilo and Innova. So i was told no.

So the list started with all the C-Segment sedans, Ciaz, Verna and City. With the City already struck from the list, planned for the test drives.

• 
• Ciaz - As a wholesome package, we all liked it from the first time we sat in it. Quiet spacious both in the front and for the back seat passengers. Diesel mill was quiet refined and though there was turbo lag in comparison to my experience of the I-Dtec, the pull was good and smooth over the curve. As a wholesome package we ticked it as a first choice.
  
  
• Verna - Next pit stop was at Hyundai for checking the Verna. Unfortunately, with the previous experience of I-Dtec and the Ciaz test drive, Verna felt more boxy and claustrophobic (no offence to Verna owners, its just the feeling that you are sitting in a bit dark room).

While we were not impressed with the Verna from a space and utility perspective, though the 1.6 CRDI was quiet powerful, we chanced to see the New Elantra on display. To say the truth, we were quiet impressed by the elegant design and obviously the spaciousness. Checked out the price and the diesel top end was a couple of lakh above the budget. When going on variant below, felt that even the basic features like speed-sensing door lock, which was there even in our 9 year old Estilo, was missing. This was quiet disappointing, when the vehicle costs above 20 big bucks. Then thought, why don't we check the Japanese and the Czech?.

Visited both the Toyota and the Skoda showrooms on the way. Unfortunately in both the locations, the vehicles were out for TD and the sales managers showed us the display vehicles and promised to send in the vehicle the next day morning to our home for TD. The New RAPID was available for a test drive. We took it for a spin and was quiet impressed. Though it was not as spacious as the Ciaz, the build and finish gave a lot of confidence. Thats when the devil woke up. Having checked the Elantra, the display Octavia captured our attention and awe.

Thus began a new search.

Picked up the brochure from both the places in addition to the Elantra brochure picked up already and headed home. The entire evening and night was spent in comparing the feature list and checking online on various automotive sites on the reviews and comparisons. Thankfully there was no dearth of writeups and video reviews. Octy worked out to the the costliest of the lot, with the new Elantra a good two lakhs lower for the top end Diesel manual. The Altis was in between. With the price check on various sites, Octy looked to be in the range of 21-22 lakhs, if we were able to work on the insurance and push for some cash discount. Hyundai sales person had outrightly said no to any discount other than the corporate discount of Rs 20k. With the power comparison, Altis lost out as the diesel looked completely under-powered compared to the Octy and Elantra, even before driving it.

Called up the Hyundai and Skoda showrooms and asked them to bring the TD vehicle in the second half of the day. One at 3 pm and second at 5 pm. Murphy's law came true, yet again. Both of them landed up at 4.30 pm. Drove the Elantra first and then the Octy and drove the Elantra again. Filled up the feedback farm and told them, we will confirm the next day.



The Elantra was more sleek and plush to ride. Took it to high speeds around the deserted sector roads in New Gurgaon. Engine was peppy, good response at the low and mid end. While the engine was good enough for Verna, for a bigger car like Elantra, it was not enough and started gasping for breath at the top end. The issue of basic features missing, even the speed sensing auto-lock, with only two air bags, stood out like a sore thumb.


The Octy was elegant and more majestic. The look and feel was more classic and it boasted of enough gizmos to make you feel curious like when you buy a new flagship smartphone. Ride was more planted but not as soft as Elantra, in the low end. Pot holes and thuds were transmitted due to the stiff setup of springs. On the mid and top end of the drive, the Octy came into its elements. Felt more solid and planted and did respond to quick throttles and steering inputs very well. In short gave more confidence to drive faster.

Selected!
While driving the Elantra second time, got convinced to go with the Octy as it gave a ride equivalent to the Jetta back at home, but had more gizmos to keep one happy. Also it had 4 air bags in the TDI Ambition Plus Manual and had almost all the features of the Style Plus, except 4 compared to 8 airbags and electrically adjustable driver seat and rear-view camera with navigation in the central console. This was quickly discussed in the family and called the Skoda RM and confirmed our preference to pickup the Ambition Plus TDI Manual one immediately. The RM confirmed that he will check up the inventory list and come over to pick up the booking amount of Rs 1 lac, the next day morning. All along, the issues highlighted in reviews about the reliability of the vehicle and delay in availability of spares was playing in back of the mind. With Skoda stepping up and offering 4 years Warranty with 4 years Road Side Assistance and 4 years Service Package and the vehicle being a manual option, felt confident of going ahead.

Features that helped in making the decision:

1. 4 Airbags in the Ambition Plus variant
2. Same engine of 148 bhp and 320 NM torque, as in Style Plus
3. 4 years, upto 100k kms warranty
4. 4 years service package covering all the requirements other than wear and tear parts replacement - a good commitment
5. 4 years RSA - many reviews appreciated the quick response under RSA
6. TDI - hence better mileage due to more than 55km running on daily basis
7. Been driving manual all along. Hence preferred and also better than DSG(?)

April 2017
Not so good first experience - Delay and wrong updates by Dealership

Clear update from Giriraj Skoda
Did not receive any call the next day and though i thought of calling the RM, due to monday blues at office, got occupied till the day end. While returning back to home, felt a bit annoyed about the indifference of the RM and dropped him a message. Did not get any reply. Got a call the next day morning while i was getting ready for office. RM told me that he checked the inventory and TDI models were not available. Was in a fix. Thanked him and then called up the dealership in Delhi, Arya Skoda, which was on the ad in TOI that day morning.

Not so clear update from Arya Skoda
Got a prompt response and the TD vehicle was sent within few hours. The RM had accompanied the vehicle and as we had already finalised the vehicle, sat for negotiation. RM confirmed that MY17, VIN17 vehicle will be provided. Started with a Rs 40k discount then 4 Year service package worth Rs 40k was thrown in as a freebie. Once the RM felt that i am ready to give the booking amount, Corporate discount was also discussed and the total discounts worked out to be Rs 110k. With this the Ambition Plus TDI Manual worked out to be around Rs 22 lacs. Gave the booking cheque and asked the RM to work out additional discounts. Finalised the Brilliant Silver colour.

Got a call promptly from the RM the next day morning and to my delight, confirmed additional Rs 30 k discount, with the total discounts at Rs 140 k. The booking cheque was banked and financing documents were collected by the dealer team and was promised delivery on 10th April as we wanted to take the delivery on auspicious day. This was on 26th March. As there was about 15 days to go for we were happily and eagerly waiting.

Ambition Plus TDI, Manual



No message from the RM post that till 2nd April. Gave him a call to enquire about the Financing and the delivery confirmation. While he confirmed that loan has been approved to the amount we wanted, he was not clear about the delivery. This raised the red flag and i called up his supervisor who had earlier spoken to me after the booking. Supervisor was clear that the TDI Manual in Ambition Plus variant was not available in the inventory and they were waiting for the factory to release the new inventory. That set me off. Was furious as to why this was not conveyed to us and if thats the case why the booking cheque was banked. No answer. Then the supervisor told there is an Onyx edition car which was received the day before and was on display. While the rate card mentioned Rs 27.6 lacs, due to the miscommunication from their end and as a goodwill, as mentioned by the supervisor, they were ready to offer at Rs 25.5 lacs OTR. While it did raise the expectations and eagerness, it was well beyond our initial stretch of Rs 22 lacs. So had to say no.

Then the option given was to wait.

[Karvel]

Search Again?? NO.

Closure by Grand Auto Capital

Was feeling a little low and thought of just checking with some other showroom, as by then it was clear that we cannot take the car by 10th April. Checked on google and dialed up Grand Auto Capital. Again prompt response and was put onto Ms Kanchan, RM. Once i told her that i was looking for a TDI Ambition Plus Manual, she was upfront in telling that they have TDI Style Plus Automatic MY16 and 1.4 TSI Ambition Plus Manual MY17 in stock and do not know when the TDI Ambition Plus variant will be available. As the Style Plus variant was MY16, they can offer some good discount on it. And the vehicle was in Brilliant Silver, our choice of colour.

Met the RM in office and started the negotiation. Asked her to share the VIN details and checked out. VIN was of Nov'16 and RM also confirmed that the vehicle reached their yard in March second week. With further discussions and in consultation with her seniors, as i confirmed immediate booking and delivery, finally agreed on a OTR of Rs 24 lacs all inclusive, a good 10-11% discount on the rate card. 4 yr service package was not included in this. As the discounts were good, agreed to buy that separately directly from Skoda

Style Plus TDI 2.0 Automatic



* There was discount going on on the 4 yr service package - Instead of Rs 39,990 it was being offered at Rs 12,990/- for a limited period for cars manufactured from Oct-2016 till Mar-2017. This was announced after we had booked the car. RM Ms Kanchan promptly informed about this hence was an icing on the cake as this saved another 27k.

Discussed with family and all were happy that we can go for an upgrade with a little stretch. Promptly gave the booking cheque and the financing documents. Told her clearly that the cheque to be banked only after i see the vehicle in person the next day in their yard. RM agreed and PDI was arranged for the next day morning.

PDI

Went over to check the vehicle and it was in factory condition with the plastic wrappers still on the bonnet and the side panels, all around. Checked the VIN and the ODO. VIN matched to the earlier VIN shared and the ODO read 20kms. Drove around for few Kms and checked for abnormal sound, engine bay, tyres, rubber beadings, wipers, under the mats for dust/rust and other functions in the gizmos. Was satisfied and gave the green signal to go ahead for processing. Agreed for taking the delivery on 21st April. All set.






Thus started our journey of moving to a bigger car and from a Ciaz finalised, ended up with the Silver Bull.


Delivery
On 21st took the day off from office and landed up at the Grand Auto Capital Skoda showroom in Pitampura in the afternoon, with wifey and kid. Processing was a breeze as the financing documents were signed off and cleared couple of days back. We were received courteously and taken care of with refreshments. Earlier had spoken to the RM that we will be reaching there in our Estilo and wanted the Estilo to be dropped back later by their driver, which was agreed immediately.

Had a cake cutting ceremony and was handed over the keys by the RM, Ms Kanchan and her Manager. Daughter was elated and loved the sunroof feature the most. Got the vehicle file with Invoice and receipts and the navigation SD card. Got rubber mats all around including the luggage bay, couple of pillows, scuff plates in the front driver and passenger side and front mudflaps as part of the essential kit. Insurance included zero dep and skoda drive assure which covers the consumables and glass and rubber parts as well. Distributed sweets to all in the showroom and thanked the RM and team and we started off.





Straight away went to the Siddhi Vinayak Temple and did Vahan Pooja and then reached home as proud owner of the Silver Bull.

[Karvel]

Getting to know the Car!

All the while during the selection process the DSG failures i read about kept raising a yellow flag in mind. One thing that came out is the 7 speed DSG used in 1.8 TSI contributed to most of these and hence either a manual or a 6 speed DSG on diesel looked to be a safe bet.

After the initial euphoria of taking the delivery, eased down, got into understanding the car as till now i was primarily driving a Point A to Point B workhorse compared to the sophistication in the Octy.


Engine & Transmission
The 2.0 Diesel engine is of a very refined and free revving unit. Output of 141 bhp with 320 NM torque. Climbs up easily to 4.5-5k without any shudder. The pushback into the seats when flooring gives a very satisfied feeling of owning a very responsive unit. Start, shift to drive mode - vehicle starts moving in idling rpms due to the heavy torque. This pulls even on the parking ramp at my office. Generally a lazy one, but tap the pedal, quick to respond and is rev happy and will tell you that it was feeling bored due to the driver not being interested.



While the engine is free revving, the 6 speed DSG is butter smooth. It is very eager to upshift once we ease on the throttle and downshifts are also gradual. There is no jerk or shudder during upshift or downshift. There is a noticeable 1-1.5 secs lag when the throttle is floored, which i think is the equivalent time one might take in downshifting even in a manual transmission.

(Note: The above comments on the engine and further comments on the automatic transmission are after clocking about 17.6k kms, as i write this review. Restricting to a summary as enough has already been written about the 2.0 TDI and the 6speed DSG units)

And the Made in India Exide battery finally as OEM!


Some random pictures of the Dash and the Head unit along with features.

Very neatly laid out Dash and Headunit panel - All within easy reach. No clutter.



Right and Left stalks with wiper functions and cruise control. Just above sticking their head out - paddle shifters



Neatly laid out window buttons with the side view mirrors adjustment knob. The buttons are backlit and look good during the night time.


Sunroof opening knob, along with front passengers reading light. It has options to switch-on automatically when doors are opened or remain switched off completely.


Some pictures of multiple features that can be selected. Quiet thoughtful and across the range.













Navigation map is quiet accurate, though not as informative as Google maps. No traffic info in India.




And the noisy, but sturdy Eagle NCT5


Love the Skoda Rubber mats which came as part of the Accessory kit - 5 mats (4 for the passengers and 1 for the boot), 2 Skoda pillows, 2 mudgards
Look at the floor mats - they have a half an inch high lips all across. Helps a lot in keeping the sand/mud/dust from footwear from spilling on to the black flooring material. Also the quality of these are very good.



And the gleaming Silver Bull with eyes half open. A beauty.

[Karvel]

Driving experience

Have clocked about 16k kms as of now. Primarily office commute with weekend family outing. Daily drive is about 60 kms with nearly 70% on the highway where 75-90 kmph can be maintained barring the odd days.

Suspension
Car is very stable at these speeds and soaks up any undulations with ease. The stiff suspension setup helps a lot in absorbing the rough patches without much fuss. On the other hand, this leads to some amount of road condition impact getting transferred to the cabin at speeds between 30 to 50 kmph. Speeds below and above this range, the suspension handles superbly.

Ground clearance looks adequate. Have not yet scrapped any speed breakers. The still setup of suspension, helps a lot. Have not yet tried with a full load. Hopefully it will sail through without much issue.

Automatic Transmission
Quick to pick up speeds with just a dab on the pedal, shifting is a breeze and after the move from stand still, with soft to moderate pedal inputs, the gear change is not even noticeable, except when one watches the rpm needle. There is a perceptible rev up noticeable when the engine downshifts while slowing down when coasting. During braking, this is again smooth.

Run-in period
Did go through the run in period. Initially when i tried to speed up to increase the rev, the DSG was intelligent in keeping the rev within the 1.2k to 2.1k range as it was upshifting or downshifting. Then hit the idea of using the sports mode frequently to take up the rev to nearly 4k, as shifting on a more than moderate pedal input happens after that. This way was able to run the engine across a wide rev band. Couple of times got a blaring warning from other drivers as well due to the sudden acceleration and deceleration. So was careful after that and did it only depending on low traffic condition.

Mileage
Boy, i love this torque engine. Feels so powerful, rev happy, does not sound laborious and is a very thrifty drinker. While the initial few hundred kms ended up with 14-15 kmpl average, after 1k kms, the average steadily climbed during each tankfill. Settled at around 17.5-18.5 kmpl subsequently. During the evening office - home runs started getting as high as 22-23 kmpl, including the toll crossing in gurgaon. Feeling pretty happy with this diesel workhorse.




Very effective Breaks
Braking is quiet effective and bites well. Though NCT5s are noisy, they still do a proper work in braking. Took time to get adjusted to the discs compared to the slightly spongy drums in the Estilo (front discs and rear drums). Maintaining 35 & 34 PSIs at the front & rear.

Wonderful NHV during cruising upto 110-120 kmph
At cruising speeds of 70-90 kmph, the noise levels are very low - both the engine and the tyre. Above 100 kmph a low droning and sweet sound of the diesel clatter is audible. Engine is relaxed at about 1500 rpm when doing 75-80 kmph and a leisurely 1700rpm when reaching 100 kmph. Above 120 kmph, tyre noise filters in quiet well. Will run the stock NCT5s till their useful life and then explore the MRF Perfinzas or P3STs.

Skoda Oneapp
Very easy to set up. Download the app, fill in the car details - VIN number and set up the units. Indian Rupees is missing. But workaround is use the $ option as the diesel price is now more or less equal to the $. This can help in working out the cost. Switch on the mobile hotspot on the mobile and connect through the WLAN feature on the headunit and then you are ready to go. Live information is available. If the GPS is switched on in the mobile, the travel route is also recorded with each and every detail - rpm, fuel consumption, g-force, speed and many other info gets recorded at each point of the travel.

Pity that the gps in the navigation system is not used to record this and the mobile gps is required. Can save battery on the mobile.

Screenshots from my mobile:



Note : Have given a detailed step by step way of connecting the Skoda Oneapp with the car in another thread, if anyone needs help.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4387217

Verdict from Family:
Wifey loves it and happy to have this enormous leg space even in the front. Good to stretch and get into a sleep immediately after getting into the car. Kids love the back seat and start their games and pillow fights. They love the sunroof and are eager to drive around standing, which i have not yet allowed. And a good place to cuddle and sleep as the seats are good and spacious. We all are below 5'8". Headroom is ample both in the front and the back. Have to check when my brother (6'2") visits us.

We have not yet done a long distance trip - more than 100 kms. As of now with all the city driving and short picnics done, seats are very very comfortable and no discomfort or complaints as such.

Few pics from the photo-shoot giving details of the various internal features:

Loads of space for the backseat passengers. Very good leg room. The tall hump in the middle is an issue, if the fifth passenger hops in.




Good all around safety. 8 Airbags. Airbags on side of the seats, both in the front as well as back. Apart from the curtain airbags in the B Pillars.



Classy door opening lever from the inside. Flanked by a twitter.


Height Adjustable option on the B Pillars for the Seat Belt


Panoramic Sun roof, gives a very airy feeling inside the cabin. Well tinted. The photo was taken around 1 pm on a hot sunday afternoon, just to give a perspective of the heavy tint.



Wrong placement of the bonnet opening lever. Maybe some serious reason behind such a design. I am not able to get it, though. Makes it difficult everytime we go to a hotel/mall parking lot when the security wants to see what is inside


The glove box looks big on the outside. But not so spacious once you open it. Main reason is the media unit being present there. In the European version, in between the two SD card slot, there is a SIM slot, by which the Head unit is connect to the web. This also helps in getting the traffic updates and the online updates for maps. Missing is Indian version. Would have loved to have it.

The glove box is a cooled unit, through the central AC system. The level of air flow can be adjusted as per needs. Have not yet used it. Need to see the effectiveness. By the way, a puddle lamp is provided in the glove box which switches on when the box is opened. You can also see the cabin air filter housing lurking behind the glove box.







Nifty little items. The storage near the driver's right knee, good to keep the parking tickets and the loose change. The ticket holder on the right hand side of the wind shield. Quiet useful. Instead of pasting the office parking sticker on the windscreen, have kept it here. Neat.





And finally the neatly laid out central console and the driver aid - neatly arranged MID flanked by the rpm meter and the speedometer.





continued

[Karvel]

Some random shots of the exterior. The car looks great even after a year. These were taken at odo reading of 17.6k.







The rear stop lights. Classy and rounded. Unlike the peers, does not sport a split design. Still looks elegant and proportionate.





See the intricate designs on the reflector. Attention to detail from the design team.



And the little stubby antenna.


I am sure that my photography skills are amateurish and not justifying the beauty of the car, compared to the detailed one by our Senior BHPians. Sharing the link of the official review for attention to details.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post3255242

This review was one of the reason i started considering Octy.

[Karvel]

From Day 1, the car kept us pampered and cocooned. All the gizmos around kept me busy and everyday learnt a new hidden feature. Did read through the user manual, which was incidentally the common one. Though some of the features, like the storage bin under the passenger seat, were absent in the Indian version, I came across many features which are nifty and can help in getting the best of the creature comforts.

It was time for me to take care of the Silver Bull as well. Did the PPF treatment from 3M. Had visited the 3M Car Care, Golf Course Road, Sector 27, Gurgaon, few months back to pamper the Estilo. After seeing the quality of work signed up for the annual package.

So the day after delivery, took the Silver Bull to get few things done. Priority list was
1. PPF
2. Paint sealant treatment
3. Nomad mat for the rear seat Hump area

Discussed with the 3M centre owner Mr. Anurag. The total cost of PPF for the whole vehicle worked out to be around Rs 1 lakh. This was way beyond the makeup budget. Cost per sq ft, including installation, was Rs 530/sq ft. Hence decided on doing only the three essential items - Front and rear bumpers, Side view mirrors and Door handle wells. The total cost worked out to be around Rs 21k.

Silver Bull getting a good wash in preparation for the PPF



Bumpers sprayed with soap solution



PPF being installed









Odo reading at the time of PPF installation


Nomad mats of black colour were not available. Hence reserved for the next visit along with the paint sealant treatment

[Karvel]

To summarise

Features that were new and i liked the most:

1. Auto Headlamps - select it and forget about running the vehicle during the day with headlights on.
2. Rain sensing wipers - another nifty feature - though useful during couple of months in a year.
3. AFS - Wonderful feature in auto adjusting the beam depending on speed, load and ambient light conditions. Favourite of my kids, as during starting, the entire setup gets into operating mode and we can clearly see the light beam movement sideways and up before settling.
4. Dual tone interiors - Beige upto ankle level and black floor boards. Makes it easy to maintain while at the same time gives a airy feeling.
5. Parking sensors and reversing camera - Shifting from a mini hatchback to a long car, these sensors and the camera gave a lot of confidence in handling the car with care till the dimensions are ingrained into the driving behaviour, while negotiating in bumper to bumper traffic or parking in tight spaces.
6. MID - Gives a wealth of information without having to look at the central console. The details displayed can be changed through the controls on the steering wheel and is quiet helpful
7. 12way adjustable seats - Driver seat adjustment is a breeze now with three memory options. Also the second key can have its own seat/sideview mirror default settings (yet to test it though). Seats are very comfortable and provide good lumbar support as well. Maybe for 6 footers the under-thigh support might feel a bit less.
8. Full size spare tyre - This was missing in many cars as the spare was either a downsize rim or tyre itself. Though i miss the alloys, its better to have a full sized wheel/tyre.
9. Cavernous boots - Holds the entire monthly shopping with ease. Also very convenient in carrying my cycle when i go to meet the cycling group for our rides. Ofcourse, need to fold the back seats.
10. Tilting left sideview mirror - A small feature while slotting reverse, but a thoughtful one. Helps a lot when parking in a tight spot by kerbside.
11. Sunroof - Though not a panoramic one in true sense, helps in elevating the airiness of the cabin. Well tinted.
12. Skoda One app - very useful. Can be connected by switching on the mobile hotspot feature on the phone and wifihostspot on the head unit. Transfers most of the driving details and gives rating as well. I just managed to reach sub 200 rank
13. Paddle shifters - helpful during the odd days when we get stuck in everlasting jams. Used them on many occasions and are quiet responsive and fast.
14. Music system - It is above average 8 speaker system. Good mid end and high end. No screeching or blurring at high volume.
15. TPMS - Though not a true system, very useful. Got alerted 4-5 times due to couple of leaks which were attended. The alert comes once the pressure drops by about 4 PSI as per my experience.
16. Rough road package - The underbody plastic covering as well as the rough road coating upto the footwell on the outside gives a lot of protection to the engine / oil sump bay as well as chipping of paint in the side underbody.
17. Super cool AC - AC works like a charm. In Gurgaon heat, cools the cabin in less than 5 mins (basement parking helps, though)
18. 8 Airbags - Excellent saftey, with the top end variant receiving a 5* on European NCAP testing.

Features i did not like:

1. Navigation maps - The unit and gps is as such gorgeous and accurate. But the maps supplied is very very spartan as i am used to Google Maps. This makes the entire navigation system near useless.
2. Bonnet lid opener - This is given in a very very inconvenient location. Without opening the driver door, this lever cannot be operated. A big miss.
3. Headlamp washers - Not sure how these are helpful. Most of the time the lamp gets clouded and the dust/dirt remains. Without a wiper, not able to understand the usefulness.
4. Tyres - Goodyear Eagle NCT5 are good tyres. But this car needs better tires. While grip levels are good, road noise is very high. Above 80-90 kmph, a tyre drone in very audible. Need to change to a good set at the earliest.
5. Verytall transmission tunnel - Even though the car is FWD, the transmission tunnel is too high and this makes the use of the fifth seat very difficult. Only kids can feel comfortable there.

Features i miss:

1. Additional USB connector in head unit - For android auto connectivity, the phone needs to be connected through the USB port. There is only one and when android auto is connected, pendrive cannot be used and hence miss on the favourite music
2. Sunroof slide cover - Its manual. Could have been a auto slider at this price of car. Also it is a bit transparent. Should have been thicker.
3. Video playback - Option to playback video should have been there in the headunit, atleast with the parking brake switched on.
4. Charging point for second row - USB or 12v charging option missing for the second row. (This has been addressed in the new version, though)
5. Boonet power damper struts - The bonnet with the sound insulation setup is heavy (Can be used as substitute of bar-bells in gym). These struts would have been helpful.
6. Seat cooling/heating feature - This was available in the Elantra top end. Would have been very helpful in the scorching summers as well as freezing winters
7. Sound equaliser - While the headunit is good, only basic features are there to manage. A good equaliser setting would have been helpful
8. Independent Link Suspension - Would have loved to have the better suspension at the rear. Its a pity that Skoda offers this only in 1.8 TSI even though Style Plus TDI 2.0 is a good 1.5 lacs costlier.

All in all, settled as a happy and proud owner.
A parting shot, the Punky Little Kid and the Silver Bull. Lovely together, aren't they?

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Col Mehta]

Beautiful car! Wish you and your family many happy and safe miles with it!

[deepfreak15]

Originally Posted by Karvel

Wrong placement of the bonnet opening lever. Maybe some serious reason behind such a design. I am not able to get it, though. Makes it difficult everytime we go to a hotel/mall

Congratulations! Wish you many miles of happy motoring. The placement of that lever is a safety feature to prevent accidental opening of the hood while driving. Common across all VAG cars.

[blackwasp]

Great choice in the Octy! And the sweet deal must have made the buying decision even more pleasant.

How do you feel after a big jump from Estilo? The diesel is a workhorse and fun to drive thanks to the ample torque available from low down.

Wishing you lakhs of kilometers of fun filled trips with the Silver Bull!

[Flyer]

Congratulations on your new ride. You have made the right choice. The 2.0 TDI and 6 speed DSG 250 combination is awesome. There are a few other ownership reviews of the Octy in here and more informations about service packages available from Skoda. Be sure to check them out.

[ZMG]

Congratulations on the new ride!
Its raining Octys on team-bhp.

Please remove the Green sticker above the Skoda logo! It just destroys the looks of the car.

I am so tempted to buy a new car in D2 segment each time a see review, however holding back knowing what a depreciation disaster it is, and moreover I can use that 20 odd lakhs in some better way, especially when I am only 26 years old.
Maybe 10 years down the line, I will definitely bite the bullet and buy a D2 segment car.

Cheers!

[Dieselritzer]

Wow, what a write-up. I thought i was reading the official review. Superb pictures.

One humble request, never ever let your kid pop their head out of the sun roof unless its just for a picture when the car is parked in your garage or off the road.

wish you and your family a beautiful ownership experience.

[V.Narayan]

Congratulations and happy motoring. If your budget permits or your wife allows you to sell the jewelry her mother gave her then I would suggest you get PPF done on the whole car. I did it for my Volvo XC60 three and a half years back and the Lexus ES300 last year and have not regretted it for a moment though many laughed at me for doing so. We used a Laura for 8 years and well over a lakh kilometres with no major complaints. It was a manual transmission. If you use Giriraj Motors for maintenance be ready to be firm and snarling from day one.