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Revamped Skoda Octavia arrives

The Skoda Octavia is presenting its new face for the first time. The comprehensive upgrade has been applied to the hatchback as well as the Estate.

The Octavia is Skoda’s top seller: since its market launch in 1996, the Czech car manufacturer has produced more than five million Octavias. In 2016, now in its third generation, the large compact car made up more than 40 per cent of Skoda’s total sales worldwide with 436,000 vehicles sold. 255,000 cars found buyers in Europe, 4.2 per cent more than in the previous year. In the UK the Octavia enjoyed its best ever year with 23,068 registrations, up 2 per cent on the previous year, with more than 20 per cent of those badged vRS (+18 per cent on 2015).

Comprehensively upgraded, the Octavia hatchback and the Octavia Estate are now starting the second half of their life cycle. The new front end with wider radiator grille, which has been expanded by introducing additional headlights with a crystalline look, and the wider air inlets with honeycomb structure in the redesigned bumper are intended to create a masculine and dynamic look. As an option, the headlights are available in full-LED technology with adaptive front headlights (AFS).

The LED tail lights come in a choice of two variants; the C-shaped lights now illuminate in a uniform manner across the surface. The upgraded Skoda Octavia has grown by 11mm (hatch) and 8mm (Estate) in length, and the width of its rear track has increased by 20 or 30 mm (depending on engine and rear axle).

Inside, the multifunction display and the air-conditioning controls have been retouched slightly. Lighting units in the doors (optional) provide ambient lighting which can be adjusted to one of ten different colours.

The infotainment systems in the Skoda Octavia are part of a new generation. All the infotainment systems (optional) feature a glass design, starting with the 8.0-inch Bolero unit. The top-of-the-range Columbus navigation system comes with a 9.2-inch display, and provides passengers with a Wi-Fi hotspot and has an optional extra LTE module for super fast data transfer. In addition, Phonebox enables inductive smartphone charging.

Skoda Connect offers a range of new mobile online services that are divided into two categories, with the Infotainment Online services providing information and entertainment, and the Care Connect services providing assistance and support. Other online services, including remote access to the car, operate using the Skoda Connect app on your smartphone. The SmartLink+ platform incorporates the Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, MirrorLink and SmartGate standards to pair the mobile phone with the car.

The range of engines consists of two TSI petrol engines and three TDI diesel engines; they combine strong performance with low consumption. Their power ranges from 113 to 181 bhp.

Besides manual gearboxes, DSG transmissions with six speeds are available for almost all of the engines; Skoda offers all-wheel drive for the 2.0 TDI. Optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) is a highlight for the chassis – with it, the driver can regulate the character of the suspension by selecting the Comfort, Normal or Sport modes. All engines conform to the Euro 6 standard.

Some new ideas have been added to the ‘Simply Clever‛ features already offered by the Octavia to date: two USB ports in the rear, folding tray tables on the back of the front seats, bottle holders that make the opening of PET bottles easier, and a removable LED torch in the Estate’s boot.

At the top end of the upgraded Octavia range are two vRS engine variants – the 2.0 TSI petrol and the 2.0 TDI diesel. The vRS models also present themselves in the new, streamlined design with the four-eyed face. The headlights, fog lights and tail lights feature LED technology. In the interior, there are vRS sports seats with leather/fabric covers (Alcantara as an option), elegant decorative strips and ambient lighting.

The 181 bhp 2.0 TDI achieves 62.8 mpg on the combined cycle (115 grams of CO2/km). The vRS models are available with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed DSG transmission.

The sports chassis lowers the body by 15 mm, the rear track is 30 mm wider than before. Wheel dimensions range from 18 to 19 inches. The ESC stability system with XDS+ electronic inter-wheel lock, and Performance Mode Select with the Performance Sound Generator (optional) complete the dynamic character of the upgraded Octavia vRS models.

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