Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI / 2.0 TDI

India
ROAD Test
Skoda Octavia
No791
1.8 TSI / 2.0 TDI
*estimated
The Octavia is back and is bigger and better but more expensive than before.
Price Rs 18-20 lakh (est, ex-showroom, Delhi) On sale October 2013
0-100kph 8.01/9.35sec Top speed 220*/205*kph Kpl (overall) 11.75/14.5
FOR Strong engines l Spacious interiors l Build quality
AGAINST Gruff diesel l Styling still a bit tame
Ride quality on both petrol and
diesel cars improved from Laura.
T
PHOTOGRAPHY ameya dandekar
he original Octavia is the car
that defined Skoda in India.
The VW-owned Czech brand
was completely unknown
when it came to our shores at the
turn of the millennium, but the
Octavia quickly built the company’s
reputation. Indian customers
appreciated its tough build, quality
interiors and strong yet frugal
engine. Five years later, Skoda
introduced the next-generation
Octavia, called it the Laura and
positioned it above the original
Octavia, which continued to be
on sale until 2010.
This time around, the latestgeneration Octavia leapfrogs the
Laura to sit above it in Skoda’s
Indian model range. Skoda is
moving further upmarket with the
new Octy to take on the likes of the
more premium VW Jetta. The new
Octavia is not only much bigger
than the Laura, but also comes with
more powerful engines. When the
car goes on sale this October, Skoda
will offer it with a 177bhp (17bhp
more than before) 1.8-litre TSI
turbo-petrol and the ubiquitous
2.0-litre turbo-diesel that powers
so many VW Group products.
Skoda has planned a third, smaller
l Octavia shows new family face and
l 177bhp petrol and 141bhp diesel
l Octavia wears Skoda’s new, smart-
l 16-inch wheels look a bit small in
l Petrol gets this tiny lip spoiler
l Rear styling a bit bland and some
gets LED daytime running lights.
engines are strong performers.
looking chrome-on-black logo.
the wheel arches of the bigger body.
to differentiate it from the diesel.
design elements from cheaper Rapid.
132 AUTOCAR INDIA september 2013
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1.4-litre turbo petrol with a manual
gearbox, which will follow later.
Armed with a fresh set of engines
and the latest technology (the
Octavia is the first car for India to
be built on the VW Group’s
advanced modular MQB chassis),
Skoda believes it has the goods to
be the top dog in this segment. In
this exclusive and exhaustive road
test, we find out if the new Octavia
still upholds all the values that first
made the Octavia a popular name.
Design & engineering
The first thing your eyes are drawn
to are the 16-inch wheels, which
are the same size as the Laura’s
but look a bit undersized now that
the car is substantially bigger. The
new Octavia begs for, at the least,
a one-inch upgrade to 17-inch
wheels, especially since the
increased ground clearance is
evident in the car’s tall stance.
That said, the Octavia remains an
understated and well proportioned
if a bit tame design. Its clean-cut
looks will certainly appeal to a lot of
people and the bold, clean strokes
help give it a stance that is difficult
to fault. Skoda’s new ‘butterfly’
grille, chiselled headlamps and ◊
‘The new Octavia is moving
upmarket to take on the likes of
the VW Jetta and Hyundai Elantra.’
september 2013 AUTOCAR INDIA 133
on the inside
l Plenty of quality details like the knurled
finish on the air-conditioner control knobs.
l Air-con vents for rear passengers, but
European Octavia’s plug point is omitted.
l Massive sunroof part of rather long standard
equipment list on this top-of-the-line variant.
The cabin is neatly laid out and easy
to use. Big jump in quality as well.
l Clever adjustable cupholders in
the rear centre armrest.
entertainment
The Octavia gets a two-DIN
touchscreen audio system. Indian
cars get a smaller screen compared
to top-spec versions sold abroad.
However, the big buttons and the
clear fonts make it easy to use on
the move. The system supports
Bluetooth connectivity with audio
streaming. A six-CD changer and an
SD card reader sit in the glovebox.
There is also a media-input slot that
supports aux-in, USB and iPod
connectivity. However, Skoda is not
offering satellite navigation for India.
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september 2013 AUTOCAR INDIA 135
on the inside
∆ square jaw are really attractive
and the detailing on the remainder
of the car is minimal and almost
Audi-like in its exclusion of
unnecessary elements. There is, of
course, the now standard VW group
offering of LED-based daytime
running lights though, which look
fantastic. If anything, the rear of the
car is a bit too bland and looks a lot
like the cheaper Rapid’s rump, with
identical slashes around the
number plate area and similar Cshaped tail-lamps. As for telling the
petrol and diesel apart, the petrol
gets a tiny lip spoiler on the boot
lid, and though our test car didn’t
have it, the diesel gets TDI badging.
The new Octavia’s enlarged
dimensions clearly place it at
the upper end of the executive
car segment. It is longer and
wider than the outgoing Laura,
but crucially, the wheelbase is
a massive 110mm longer,
translating to a dramatic
enhancement of rear legroom.
Despite the jump up in size,
the new Octavia weighs 70kg less
accommodating front seats is the
big step up in quality. The plush
seats, faux-wood on the doorpads,
high-quality splashes of chrome,
piano black surfaces and soft-touch
materials everywhere point to an
exceptionally well-built cabin. Look
closer and you’ll see Skoda’s
attention to detail – the glovebox
opens with an expensive, welldamped motion and it is felt-lined.
There’s a rubberised cubbyhole
ahead of the gearlever for your
cellphone, and even the door
pockets are lined with beige felt
(although this might get dirty very
soon). Then there are the little
things, like the new angular air-con
vents that look really smart, and the
superbly clear dials, as you’d expect
in a Skoda.
If anything, the India-spec model
doesn’t get as much kit as the
European one – the touchscreen,
for example is not the full-size one
you get in the top Euro spec, it
doesn’t have the selectable driving
modes, and there’s no plug point
below the rear air-con vents. That
The front seats are particularly comfortable and get seat memory as well.
‘Despite the jump in size, the new
Octavia weighs 70kg less than a
similarly specced Laura.’
than a similarly specced Laura
and is substantially lighter than
the Jetta, pointing to the tech – lots
of high-tensile steel and lighter
components to name some – that
has gone into making the new
chassis as light as possible. Not
that you would be able to tell
though – the door shut and build
quality are still as solid as you
would expect of a Skoda.
Interestingly, the diesel and
petrol have different suspension,
and we’re not talking about mere
settings here. The petrol comes
with an all-independent, multi-link
setup borrowed from the European
vRS, while the diesel gets a more
cost-effective non-independent
torsion-beam axle at the rear. The
rest of the specs are the same – both
get electrically assisted steering
and disc brakes at all four corners,
and the diesel weighs 19kg more
than the petrol’s 1,376kg.
Interiors
What’s most apparent when
you slide into the wide and
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apart, you won’t be left wanting for
much – there’s a massive sunroof, a
powered driver’s seat with seat
memory, Bluetooth, a six-CD
changer (wonder how many people
still use CDs though), dual-zone
climate control, parking sensors,
remote locking and a media input
port. The cabin’s design,
meanwhile, is clean and simple and
the additional display systems are
easy to read and operated by large
buttons. The air-con controls in
particular, with their knurled
finish, feel great to operate.
The view out is good as well –
the Octavia doesn’t have the high
dashboard cowl that the Jetta has
and with the huge range of seat and
steering adjustments, it’s easy to
find a comfortable driving position.
The biggest improvement over
the Laura, though, is in the rear
seats – the extra wheelbase has
liberated a lot of space and the seats
themselves are supremely
comfortable, with adequate thigh
support, a broad seat base and
superb cushioning. We also liked ◊
Lots of legroom, a supportive seatbase, good headroom. Top marks for rear seats.
590-litre boot bigger than Laura’s 560 litres. Rises to 1,580 litres with seats down.
september 2013 AUTOCAR INDIA 137
on the road
Octavia retains its unique wide-opening hatchback.
∆ the wide door openings and the
generous headroom. In fact, it is
now at least on par with, if not
better than the VW Jetta, which
had until this moment, the best
seats in the class – high praise
indeed for the Octavia.
Then of course, there’s that
Octavia strong point – its huge
rear hatch that opens to reveal an
equally massive boot. With the
Manually operated sun-blinds for rear passengers.
rear seats in place, there’s 590
litres of boot space, and this goes
up to a gigantic 1,580 litres with
the seats down.
Engine, gearbox & performance
The diesel Octavia gets the same
1,968cc four-cylinder engine that’s
carried over from the Laura, albeit
with some minor tweaks to improve
its torque spread and driveability.
Plenty of expensive felt lining, even in the door pockets.
You get the same gruff character,
and at high revs, the drone doesn’t
let you forget that there’s a diesel
under the hood.
However, adopt a slightly relaxed
pace and the drone quietens down
to an unobtrusive hum, while the
six-speed, twin-clutch automatic
gearbox shifts up smoothly and
almost imperceptibly. There’s no
lack of grunt either – the 32.6kgm
of torque coming in early in the
powerband and propelling you
forward with a nicely linear pull.
This updated engine has a wider
powerband than the one in the
Jetta too – where the VW’s torque
curve falls off at 2,500rpm, the
Octavia’s hangs on for another
500rpm more. There is a hint of lag
at low revs, but otherwise, it’s a very
tractable engine and the clever ◊
‘The difference between the rear
suspension of the petrol and
diesel is quite noticeable.’
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september 2013 AUTOCAR INDIA 139
on the road
Under the skin
tALKING TORSION
∆ gearbox negates the need to use
the tip-tronic function most of the
time. The DQ250 gearbox shares
identical gear ratios with the Jetta,
and yet the Octavia is over half a
second quicker to 100kph than its
cousin. Its 141bhp helps it hit
100kph in 9.3sec, which is 0.7sec
better than the VW’s. Performance
is strong all the way up to 170kph
too, after which power starts tailing
off. Also in its favour is the punchy
mid-range and a tall sixth gear,
which makes the diesel Octavia a
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great long-legged cruiser.
But for those looking for pure
driving thrills, it has to be the 1.8litre TSI. This third-generation
EA888 motor now develops more
power than before – 177bhp to be
exact – and that makes for a really
special engine. As before, the TSI is
unbelievably smooth and refined
right through its rev range and
there’s a deliciously engaging snarl
when you really wring it out. It’s
not the most responsive engine at
low revs, but serious shove comes
in at around 2,500rpm and
simply doesn’t
let up
The torsion beam rear suspension
of the diesel Octavia is quite
cleverly engineered. To save weight,
it uses inlay sheets of different
lengths to vary the torsion rating of
the axle across its length. This new
method of construction has saved
15kg from the traditional welded-in
stabiliser bar and is more rigid as
well. The MacPherson struts up
front have not been ignored either.
Both the wishbone and the rocker
pivot have been redesigned, and a
greater use of high-strength steel
has resulted in a modest 2.8kg
weight reduction at the front axle.
until 6,500rpm, where the gearbox
snatches up the next ratio.
Speaking of which, enthusiasts
might bemoan the fact that Skoda
isn’t offering a manual version this
time around – the TSI is available
only with a seven-speed DSG
similar to the one in the Superb.
The good news is that this ’box is as
impressive as the engine and it’s
evident that Skoda has
programmed it to provide
maximum thrills. Stick it in manual
mode and it will downshift on
demand, accompanied by a blip
from the throttle. In fact, with the
1.8 TSI, you will feel the need to use
the tip-tronic mode more often,
especially when you are
pottering
around. Unlike the six-speed in the
diesel, this seven-speed gearbox
isn’t as eager to downshift quickly
in the normal mode (in the interests
of fuel economy, we presume) when
you tap the throttle. This prompts
you to move the superbly finished
stubby lever across the gate into
manual mode to command it to
jump down a gear or two.
That said, the Octavia 1.8 TSI
DSG is quicker than the manual
Laura TSI, but not by as wide a
margin as expected. The Octavia
gets to 100kph in 8.01sec, which is
just 0.2sec quicker than the car it
replaces. It’s because the DSG
gearbox has a protection mode that
won’t allow a proper smoking-tyre
launch. But this little niggle doesn’t
prevent the 1.8 TSI from being the
most exciting four-cylinder petrol
motor in the country
today. ◊
september 2013 AUTOCAR INDIA 141
data log
Figures in green for diesel
Fuel
Petrol/diesel
Installation
Front, transverse
Type
4-cyls, 1798cc, turbo-
petrol/ 4-cyls, 1968cc,
turbo-diesel
Bore/stroke 82.5/84.1, 81.0/95.5mm
Compression ratio 9.6, 16.1:1
Valve gear 4 valves per cyl DOHC/ 4 valves per cyl DOHC
Power
177.5bhp at 5100-
6200rpm/141bhp at 4000rpm
Torque
25.49kgm at 1250-
5000rpm/32.63kgm at 1750-3000rpm
Power to weight 128.99/101.07bhp per tonne
Torque to weight 18.52/23.39kgm
per tonne
Specific output 98.72/71.64bhp
per litre
transmission
Type Front-wheel drive
Gearbox 7-speed /6-speed dual-clutch auto
Ratios/kph per 1000 rpm
1st 3.765/6.93, 3.462/8.12 2nd 2.273/11.47,
2.05/13.71 3rd 1.531/17.04, 1.3/21.63
4th1.122/23.25,0.902/31.17 5th1.176/
30.51,0.912/41.59 6th 0.951/37.73,
0.756/50.18 7th 0.975/36.80
Final drive ratio 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th/5th,
6th & 7th
1st,2nd,3rd&4th/5th&6th
4.438/3.227 - 4.118/3.043:1
chassis & body
Construction Weight
Tyres Spare
Four-door saloon,
monocoque
1376/1395kg
205/55 R16
Full size
suspension
That’s how much longer the Octavia’s wheelbase is when compared to the Laura.
That’s how much more power the 1.8 TSI now
makes over the Laura’s rated spec of 160bhp.
142 AUTOCAR INDIA september 2013
940 (max)
680 (min)
610 (min)
2688mm
4659mm
steering
Type Rack and pinion
Type of power assist Electric
Turning circle 10.4 m
brakes
Front Rear Anti-lock Chassis
Based on the VW group’s MQB platform, the steel monocoque chassis
is now more rigid than the Laura’s.
0.90
1.61
2.21
2.79
3.43
4.12
4.92
5.85
6.89
8.01
9.38
10.79
12.34
14.16
16.16
18.38
20.87
23.97
28.04
33.03
15.72
Braking
80-0kph 28.31m
26.04m
economy
Test
India
2.58s
2.40s
City
9.5/12kpl
Highway 14/17kpl
Tank size 50 litres
drumming sound from the
suspension over lumpy surfaces,
which gets amplified by the large
boot cavity. It’s a sound that makes
you think the ride is bumpier than
it actually is. Drive the petrol’s
more sophisticated setup over
the same bit of road and you’ll
find it rides quieter and softer,
and in fact sets the benchmark
for ride quality in this segment.
However, it’s the diesel that
feels more rock solid on the
highway. The slight lumpiness
you get at town speeds melds into
a flat, unflappable poise at higher
speeds, which is typical of a
European car.
The petrol makes you
concentrate harder at high
speeds – the softer suspension
setup results in a rear end that’s
constantly moving around over
bumps, and you need to constantly
make small steering inputs to
counter this. We aren’t complaining
though – the involving nature of
the 1.8 TSI makes it an utter joy
to drive.
In fact, both variants have
an exploitable chassis that
promises good fun behind the
wheel. There’s plenty of grip,
especially from the front wheels,
that lets you really lean into
corners, and even when you
overstep the limits, the ESP
will smoothly and almost
unobtrusively cancel out the
resulting understeer. Keen
drivers may be disappointed by
the steering, which though
fairly quick and accurate, has an
inert feel. Also, the brakes are quite
ROAD Test
Skoda Octavia
50 litres
TIME (sec)
0.78
1.45
2.07
2.76
3.43
4.34
5.36
6.50
7.81
9.35
11.08
12.92
15.15
17.55
20.31
23.44
25.56
33.00
39.35
48.64
16.57
Ride & handling
The new Octavia’s MQB chassis is
significantly stiffer than the Laura’s
old-generation A5 platform and
this has allowed Skoda to get away
with a softer suspension setup.
You can see this in the way both
the petrol and diesel better isolate
you from expansion joint intrusions
and rough sections of road so
much better than the Laura
ever did.
However, there are noticeable
differences between the dynamic
behaviour of the 2.0 TDI and
1.8 TSI Octavias, mainly because
of the different rear suspensions.
The diesel’s setup, for example,
is slightly less pliant than the Jetta’s
multi-link rear suspension and,
at lower speeds, the torsion beam
setup has this mildly annoying
India
ACCELERATION
Kph
0-10
0-20
0-30
0-40
0-50
0-60
0-70
0-80
0-90
0-100
0-110
0-120
0-130
0-140
0-150
0-160
0-170
0-180 0-190
0-200
1/4 mile
Rear suspension
Diesel gets non-independent torsion
beam while petrol gets independent,
multi-link setup.
Ventilated discs
Discs
Yes
Front Independent, MacPherson strut,
stabiliser bar
Rear Independent, multi-link, stabiliser bar/ non-inde ACCELERATION IN GEAR
pendent, torsion beam 20-80kph (kickdown) 4.95/5.32s
40-100kph (kickdown) 5.53/6.93s
110mm
17bhp
Potdar Design
850 (max)
1476mm
ENGINE
50 litres
autocar verdict HHHHHHHHHI
Latest Octavia sets a new benchmark in the executive car segment.
Safety
The Octavia scored a very impressive
five-star EuroNCAP crash rating.
Kerb weight
The Octavia TDI auto weighs 70kg
less than the Laura TDI auto
despite being much bigger.
max speeds in gear
equipment checklist
1
45kph 6500rpm
40kph 4900rpm
2
75kph 6500rpm
65kph 4700rpm
3
111kph 6500rpm
108kph 5000rpm
4
151kph 6500rpm
155kph 5000rpm
5
199kph 6500rpm*
198kph 4800rpm
6
220kph 5800rpm*
205kph 4100rpm*
5
205kph 5600rpm*
7
CD changer
6
USB
n
Aux-in
n
Bluetooth connectivity
n
Steering adjustment Reach/ rake
Steering-mounted audio controls n
Electric seats with memory Driver
Electric folding/heated mirrors n
Rear windscreen blind
n
Dual-zone climate control
n
Sat nav NA
Sunroof
n
Parking sensors
Front & rear
ESP
n
Airbags
6
NA=Not Available, O= Optional
ROAD Test Read all our road tests at www.autocarindia.com
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No 791
Test
scorecard
COMFORT HHHHHHHHHI
Spacious cabin and extremely
comfortable seats.
VALUE HHHHHHHHII
More expensive now, but bigger
and better equipped.
T
engines
1.8 Petrol 177.5bhp
Rs 18 lakh*
2.0 Diesel 141bhpRs 20 lakh*
AUTOCAR INDIA test results are protected by world copyright and may not be reproduced without the editor’s written permission. Power and torque-toweight figures are calculated using manufacturer’s claimed kerb weight.
Fuel efficiency
The diesel Octavia is slightly
more fuel efficient than the Jetta,
because it is lighter. Its 12kpl
and 17kpl in the city and highway
better the Jetta’s figures by 0.2kpl
in either cycle. The TSI was
surprisingly fuel efficient for the
power it makes. Its tech helped it
post 9.5kpl in the city and 14kpl
on the highway, which is quite
impressive. However, be warned –
this engine is sensitive to the
way it is driven. Constant visits
to the redline will result in a
drastic drop in fuel efficiency.
REFINEMENT HHHHHHHHII
Diesel can get gruff, petrol is
unbelievably smooth and quiet.
Range at a Glance
RPM in 7th/6th at 100kph = 2700/2000rpm
grabby and a touch over-servoed,
and this takes a bit of getting used
to. But apart from these foibles,
there isn’t much else to complain
about.
PERFORMANCE
HHHHHHHHHI
Petrol sets performance
benchmark, diesel is linear
and punchy.
*estimated
Rs 18-20 lakh
(est, ex-Delhi)
NA
950
mm
Price Warranty
Technical layout
Width 1814mm Front track 1539mm
Rear track 1514mm
Ground clearance 155mm
Rear interior width 1380mm
Boot capacity 590-1580 litres
930
mm
skoda octavia
he Octavia feels grown up, and by that
has moved its game up without sacrificing
we mean it’s bigger, the interiors are
any of the qualities that endeared the
far more sophisticated than
original Octavia to owners – the
testers’ notes new car is still solidly engineered
before and quality has
As good as the DSG is, we
seriously improved. With a pair
and superbly built. Of course,
missed the manual gearbox
of capable engines on offer, a
at an estimated Rs 18-20 lakh
on the 1.8 TSI.
properly comfortable rear seat
(ex-showroom, Delhi), the new
Octavia now gets autoand a generous equipment list,
Octavia is more expensive, but
headlamps and rain
sensing wipers.
the new Octavia has something
then again, you are getting a lot
for both the enthusiast driver and the
more car for your money. This car could be a
chauffeur driven. And the best part is that it
new chapter for Skoda once again. AI
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SAFETY HHHHHHHHHI
Test cars have six airbags, ESP
and ABS which is par for the class.
RIDE HHHHHHHHII
Petrol is pliant and comfy, diesel
slightly stiffer.
HANDLING HHHHHHHHII
Lots of grip and lots of fun to drive,
steering could have been better.
BUILD & QUALITY
HHHHHHHHHI
Feels really well built, has typical
European solidity. Big up in quality.
september 2013 AUTOCAR INDIA 143