Skoda may be an unfamiliar vehicle brand on the North American shores but it’s a different story over in Europe. Skoda Octavia made its debut in 1996 and went on sale in the UK in 1998 quickly becoming a popular family vehicle due to its practicality and affordability. The all-new 2013 Skoda Octavia uses Volkswagen’s MQB platform which is also used on vehicles such as the Audi A3 and the VW Golf MK7. At first glance, the Octavia does look very “VW Jetta’ish”.
The third-generation Octavia is a bit bigger than the previous generation and is now wider and longer which translates into more interior space as well as leg room for the rear passengers. The vehicle now also offers more head room making it a class-leading vehicle in the C-Segment (compact) when it comes to interior space. The larger interior also has updated look and feel featuring soft touch materials.
The exterior of the 2013 Skoda Octavia pretty handsome but it also looks like certain design aspects were borrowed from a number of different cars. But unlike Kia and Hyundai who would steal designs from premium brands but never made it work completely, the Octavia looks great from all angles.
On the interior, Skoda uses the similar layouts that can be found on the latest Volkswagen models as well as incorporating the latest entertainment and technologies such as the available “Traveler Assistant” package which includes Adaptive Cruise Assistant and traffic-sign recognition system.
The Skoda Octavia will go on sale in the spring of 2013 with eight different engine options which include turbocharged gasoline engines and turbocharged diesel. A 1.4-liter TSI gasoline engine will produce 120 horsepower while the 1.8-liter TSI gasoline engine will have 177hp. And the super fuel efficient 1.6-liter TDI producing only a 109hp but fuel economy of 69.2mpg!
The 2013 Octavia will be available in a manual and DSG transmissions. A performance version, the RS, will be available late next year and feature a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine which can also be found in the VW Golf GTI.
More details about the vehicle will be available when the Octavia is formally introduced at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
