Planning To Buy The Skoda Octavia? Here Are Some Pros And Cons

The Skoda Octavia has been one of the more popular mid-size sedans in India. Earlier this year, the Skoda Auto launched the new fourth-generation Octavia sedan in India after much delay. The delay was mainly due to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new Octavia is better-looking, much more feature-packed, and comes with a powerful TSI engine. So, if you are planning to buy the new-gen Skoda Octavia, here are some pros and cons that you must know about the car.

Pros

1. The Skoda Octavia is built on the versatile MQB EVO platform, which means it offers great driving dynamics, good ride quality, and exception handling.

2. Visually too, the Octavia is very appealing. The new design language gives it a muscular look, which is accentuated by the LED headlights, LED DRLs, and the Black Pulsar 17-inch alloy wheels.

The Skoda Octavia gets LED headlights, LED DRLs, and the Black Pulsar 17-inch alloy wheels

3. The Octavia gets a powerful 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine that makes 188 bhp and 320 Nm of peak torque. It's the same engine the powers the Superb.

4. The TSI engine comes mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission that makes the car an absolute fun-to-drive machine. Also, it now gets the shift-by-wire technology.

5. The Octavia is loaded with features like - a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ambient lighting, Virtual Cockpit system, wireless charging, 12-speaker Canton audio system, dual-zone climate control, an electrically adjustable driver's seat and more.

The new-gen Skoda Octavia is expected to be priced between Rs. 25 lakh to Rs. 30 lakh (ex-showroom, India)

6. The Octavia is also big on safety. You get eight airbags, multi-collision brake, fatigue alert, ABS, ESC, EBD, ASR, and Electronic Differential Lock (EDS) as standard. Skoda also offers Park Assist and TPMS.

Also Read: 2021 Skoda Octavia Review

Cons

1. The Octavia is very expensive. It comes to India as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) model and thus commands a heavy price tag of Rs. 26.29 lakh for the Style trim and Rs. 29.29 lakh for L&K (both ex-showroom, India).

2. The Octavia doesn't get a sunroof or ventilated seats, and that's a big miss, especially given the price segment.

The Octavia doesn't get a sunroof or ventilated seats, and that's a big miss, especially given the price segment

3. The Octavia drops the conventional Type-A USB slots for Type-C charging ports at the front and rear. Type-C cables are still a bit new and not that widespread, so that's an extra purchase if you don't have one.

4. Skoda also does not offer a manual transmission option with the Octavia, even though the company offers one globally.

5. While the DSG transmission is probably one of the best ones in this category, it's an expensive technology and will be pricier to maintain.