New Skoda Octavia ‘a class of its own’

by Joanne Ahern • December 14, 2012 • Motoring News

Prices for the new Skoda Octavia will start from €19,500

The new Skoda Octavia is expected to be on Irish roads in early March.

Skoda has described it as ‘an ideal car for demanding, confident customers expecting a modern Octavia with all its good values’.

The new Skoda Octavia has been redesigned and Skoda says it’s the best in the compact class for interior room, knee room and rear headroom. The boot, at 590 litres, is also the biggest available.

There is also better front head room, and front and rear elbow width, compared with the outgoing model.

Engineers have also added a number of driver safety aids to the third generation Skoda Octavia. These include Front Assist/emergency braking function; automatic brake in an accident; Lane Assist, and Driver Activity Assistant, which detects driver fatigue.

Adaptive Cruise Control, which automatically keeps a pre-set distance from the car in front; Intelligent Light Assistant, which automatically dips full beams for oncoming traffic; automatic parking assistant, which gets you into and out of tight spaces, and traffic sign recognition will also be available in the new Skoda Octavia.

A panoramic sunroof will also be on offer.

Simply Clever features include an ice scraper which is housed inside the filler flap, a warning vest holder under the driver’s seat and a fuel-error prevention function.

Four petrol and four diesel engines will be available from launch, with plans for a natural gas version at a later date. A sporty Skoda Octavia RS is also expected.

The 1.6-litre TDI (diesel) Greenline version falls into the new tax band A2 (€180), putting out 89g/km of CO2.

Skoda CEO Winfried Vahland said: ‘[The new Skoda Octavia] embodies the good Skoda genes in the best sense of the word: lots of room, quality, precise workmanship, modern, mature technology, timeless design, high functionality and the best price-value ratio.

‘Our customers’ expectations have grown. Our aim was to make this car even better for its third generation. This is reflected in the values of the new Octavia – it is a class of its own.’

The new Skoda Octavia will be available from March, with prices starting from €19,500 for the 1.2 TSI 86bhp.

Visit the Skoda Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.