2013 Skoda Octavia Revealed

Here it is! After weeks of drip feeding the press with teasers, the 2013 Skoda Octavia has finally been revealed.

Featuring crisper styling and a more prominent grille, the new Octavia is 90mm longer and 45mm wider than its predecessor. Its wheelbase has also been extended by 108mm, making it roomier inside.

Skoda said the new Octavia is designed to set new “standards in the compact segment,” although to our eyes, the restrained and evolutionary styling hardly set the stage on fire. Nevertheless, it is much better to behold than the outgoing model.

Inside, redesigned dashboard is well laid-out, with a large infotainment screen and clear instruments, featuring white needles and fonts against a black background. There are various metallic highlights to lift the ambience as well, such as those on the air-vents surrounds and door panels. The Octavia also has a best-in-class cargo capacity of 590 litres.

A total of nine different engines will be available, including four petrols, four diesels and a natural gas variant – although not all will be coming to Australia. Amongst those engines will be a 1.8-litre TSI with 132kW (179PS) and a 1.6-litre TDI that delivers 81kW (110PS). The latter will average 3.4L/100km and emits just 89 g/km of CO₂.

All engine variants can be mated to either a manual or DSG dual-clutch transmission, depending on the market. Options include Adaptive Cruise Assistant, automatic parking assistant and Intelligent Light Assistant.