New-Gen Skoda Octavia Production Begins In India; Launch Later This Month

Skoda Auto has announced commencing the production of the fourth-generation Octavia sedan in India. Earlier today, the first production unit rolled off the assembly line at the company's manufacturing facility in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The first Skoda Octavia to be produced in India is the top-spec Lauren & Klement variant of the sedan, which pays homage to the founders of the Czech carmaker, and it comes in the new signature Lava Blue colour. The company has confirmed that the new Skoda Octavia sedan will be launched in India later this month.

The first Skoda Octavia was the top-spec Lauren & Klement variant of the sedan in the new signature Lava Blue colour

Speaking at the roll-out event, Zac Hollis, Brand Director Skoda Auto India, said "The Skoda Octavia has always offered a compelling combination of the brand's emotive design, exquisite interiors, class-leading safety, and intelligent connectivity features, and the all-new iteration pushes the yardstick further. A twenty-year run, and about a hundred thousand satisfied customers, is a testament to its strong equity among discerning car buyers in a dynamically evolving automotive market like India. With the commencement of production, we also commit to a stronger product portfolio as we look to grow our presence in India. In line with our laser-sharp focus on customer centricity, we are also rapidly growing our network presence and have introduced several initiatives to ensure an unmatched ownership experience."

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In the last twenty years, Skoda Auto India has sold over 100,000 Octavia sedan in India

The new-gen Skoda Octavia has been on sale in the global market for a while now, and while it was supposed to launch in 2020, challenges caused due to COVID-19 restrictions forced the company to postpone the launch to 2021. Last year, speaking to carandbike, Zac Hollis had said that the company aims to launch the RS version of the car along with the standard model from the word go. However, at the moment there is no confirmation on that.

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Visually, the 2021 Skoda Octavia comes with a new chrome grille, new headlights with optional Matrix LED technology, sculpted bumper with bold line horizontal LED foglamps connected by a chrome strip. At the rear, the car comes with a new sharper-looking boot lid with the Skoda lettering at the centre and new LED taillamps, and a sculpted bumper. The car has also grown in size, and it is now longer by 19 mm at 4689 mm and 15 mm wider at 1829 mm.

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The new-gen Skoda Octavia is being produced at the company's manufacturing facility in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

Inside, the new Octavia comes with a two-spoke steering wheel with optional heating and a new control button and knurled scroll wheels, offering access to over 14 functions. The driver's display is digital too and a 10.25-inches unit, whereas the infotainment unit includes an 8.25-inch and a 10-inch option, depending on the variant. The car also gets Trizone Climatronic, a keyless vehicle entry system, electric parking brake, and acoustic side windows at the front that reduce road noise in the cabin.

The India-bound Skoda Octavia is likely to get the 2.0-litre TSI with 188 bhp and 320 Nm and it will be offered only with the DSG automatic transmission. Skoda could also offer the Karoq's 1.5-litre TSI four-cylinder petrol engine that develops 148 bhp and 250 Nm, however, these details will be confirmed closer to the launch.