Skoda unveils the next Octavia, India-bound in mid-2013

Skoda has unveiled the next-generation Octavia and the Czech-based manufacturer will introduce the vehicle in India by mid-2013. This time, the company will replace the Laura with this the next-generation and set its moniker as Octavia.

The Octavia brand has tasted more success than Laura, and Skoda will want to continue with the same tradition.

The new Octavia will be 90mm longer and 45mm wider than the current generation. It will be based on the new MQB platform, and the dimensions will be similar to the Jetta. On the inside, the rear seat knee room has been increased by 73mm, which is indeed incredible.

The MQB platform has optimised the cabin space. For this reason, the wheelbase has been stretched by 108mm. The Octavia gets the Mission L design, which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 2011.

The Octavia will be offered globally with four petrol and four diesel variants. Despite the increase in dimensions, the new Octavia is 102kg lighter than its predecessor.

The MQB platform uses high-strength steel to increase the stiffness of the chassis and at the same time reduces the mass as well. This platform is already used on the VW Golf, Seat Leon and Audi A3.

Skoda is currently working on the all-wheel drive version for this car. We reckon the Indian market will get the 2.0-litre diesel, 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre TSI engines powering it.

Even the interiors of the Octavia have been re-done. The Octavia gets a lot of bells and whistles like Adaptive Cruise Assistant, Automatic Parking Assistant, Keyless entry, start and exit.

The new ŠKODA Octavia impresses with an all-new generation of radio and radio navigation systems. Touch displays with proximity sensors and swiping functionality will be available in higher-level systems, while the new CANTON sound system and an acoustically optimised passenger space provide pure listening pleasure.

The pricing of the vehicle will be between Rs 15-21lakhs.