2017 Skoda Octavia facelift revealed
Skoda refreshes the third-gen Octavia with a Kodiaq-esque front fascia along with a raft of new features and equipment. The third-gen Skoda Octavia
By Shivank Bhatt
The third-gen Skoda Octavia has received a comprehensive makeover as part of its mid-life update. As a result, the Czech maker’s best-selling Octavia gets a completely new front fascia, updated infotainment system and a slew of new features. The facelifted Octavia goes on sale early in 2017 (in global markets).
As you’ll note, the front end of the Skoda Octavia facelift looks heavily inspired by the recently revealed Kodiaq SUV, featuring a similar kind of power bulge on the bonnet and a radiator grille. The headlamps on the sedan, though, are split-type and can be opted with full LED headlamps and LED DRLs. The front bumper is also re-sculpted to give the car a wider and more powerful appearance.
Apart from the front, the rest of the exterior has been mostly left untouched by the designers – barring the re-profiled LED tail-lamps, not much has changed. Even on the inside, the design and layout of the dashboard is virtually unchanged. But, you do get a lot more equipment and features now. The facelift will have four infotainment options on offer, namely - Swing, Bolero, Amundsen and Columbus – the latter two are equipped with navigation while all four now have capacitive displays. The top of the line Columbus system also gets a bigger 9.2-inch display, a WLAN hotspot and a SIM card module with LTE connection.
Since this is just a facelift, there have been no major mechanical revisions. Internationally, the new Octavia will be available with five petrol (TSI) and five diesel (TDI) engines with their displacements ranging between 1.0-litre and 2.0-litre. Rated power output of these engines will range from 84bhp to 184bhp. Six-speed and seven-speed DSG automatic transmissions along with a manual gearbox will be offered. All-wheel drive will be optional in 1.8 TSI and 2.0 TDI variants. Also optional on the car now is the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), which alters the steering and damping characteristics between three modes - Comfort, Normal and Sport.
Among some of the new features, the Octavia gets a customisable key - allowing multiple user settings, a heated steering wheel, folding tables on the back of the front seats, etc. It also gets predictive pedestrian protection, updated Parking Assistance, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Traffic Alert systems.
While there’s no official word on it, the new Skoda Octavia should be launched in India sometime in the second half of 2017.
