The Škoda Octavia was the first completely new model developed under Volkswagen’s leadership and certainly paved the way for the current success of the Czech brand. The latest generation of the Octavia was presented in 2013, almost simultaneously with Volkswagen’s Golf. Given that the Golf has recently been refreshed, the same procedure followed for the Octavia. Undoubtedly, the biggest change concerns the front grille, where the Czech model now features two separate headlights. There is no doubt that the Octavia, due to the two rectangular lights on each headlight, somewhat resembles the old Mercedes E-Class W212, which appeared on the market in 2009. Interestingly, when Mercedes was ‘refreshed’ in 2013, it omitted those double lights on its E-Class, which have now been reincarnated in the new Škoda Octavia.
New engine
As for the interior space, there are no significant changes; the Octavia is still the absolute record holder when it comes to trunk volume, and since it is on the new MQB platform (since 2013), there is also enough space on the rear bench. For comfort and safety, some elements such as blind spot warnings have been added. Also, in line with trends, the Octavia has a larger touchscreen central display. The Czechs note that this screen is now significantly easier to use than its predecessor. Regarding the engine lineup, the biggest change, as with the Golf, is the introduction of a new three-cylinder engine that develops 116 horsepower. Its efficiency is highlighted by the fact that it accelerates to 100 km/h in about 10 seconds and reaches a top speed of 202 km/h. The engine offering still starts with a 1.2-liter engine producing 86 horsepower, but it will soon be replaced by a weaker three-cylinder engine. For our customers, the most interesting is certainly the diesel version 1.6 TDI, which offers a good balance of performance and extremely low consumption.
