The next-gen Skoda Octavia has long been coming to India and only a few days ago, we got the confirmation about its launch by mid-2021. The mid-size executive sedan segment currently consists of only the Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra. Both these sedans get the option of both petrol and diesel engines. The next-gen Skoda Octavia will however be a petrol-only model in India but there's a lot going on with this upcoming sedan, including what will be under its hood. So here's why you should really watch out for the upcoming Skoda Octavia.
The 2021 Skoda Octavia will be powered by VW Group's 2.0L TSI engine in India. This engine already does duty on the Skoda Superb and it produces 190hp and 320Nm of torque. It solely comes mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. We expect the engine will continue in the same spec of tune on the Octavia and we can confirm that it will indeed come mated to the 7-speed DCT gearbox. And this means that it will be a seriously sporty sedan with lots of performance on tap.
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To give you a perspective, the Hyundai Elantra is powered by a 2.0L petrol engine that produces 150hp and 192Nm of torque. It comes mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. As for the Honda Civic, it is powered by a 1.8L engine that produces 140hp and 174Nm of torque. The Honda Civic petrol solely comes mated to a CVT automatic gearbox. So in terms of specs, the Skoda Octavia is already miles ahead of its competition. The DCT gearbox on the Octavia will also be much more sophisticated than either its rivals and certainly quicker, aiding better performance.
The Skoda Superb with the 2.0L engine does the 0-100kph sprint in about 8 seconds, and that's already very quick itself. When this engine is put in the much lighter Octavia, performance will certainly be considerably better. Also, given that Skoda (and Volkswagen too) make really nice handling cars, you could be looking at the performance benchmark in this segment with the upcoming Skoda Octavia. There will also be a lower-spec variant of the Octavia that will be powered by the 1.5L TSI engine with 150hp that already does duty on the Volkswagen T-Roc and Skoda Karoq.
The next-gen Octavia will also be very well appointed in terms of features and equipment. The interiors are properly premium with a floating touchscreen, digital instrument cluster and most buttons replaced with touch-based controls. The Octavia is also one of the nicest looking sedans around and opinions certainly aren't divided in this regard. All this should not however suggest you that it will be considerably more expensive than its rivals. The new Octavia is likely to be priced from Rs 18 lakh, putting it exactly in the ball park of the Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra. If Skoda really manages to get the pricing right, it could shake up the segment and probably even bring in some SUV buyers as well.
Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Skoda updates and other four-wheeler news.
