Skoda’s new-generation Octavia has arrived in the country, with the A8 series introducing a number of firsts for the model line.

These include a 10-inch infotainment screen with touch slider, the newest versions of Virtual Cockpit (the company’s advanced digital display that takes the place of traditional dials and gauges), head-up display, wireless Apple Carplay and Android auto, shift by wire driving, LED Matrix headlights, LED fog and taillights, traffic jam assist, emergency assist and as many as 10 airbags.

Three model grades – entry-level Ambition, mid-level Style, and range-topping RS – are available, along with two engines options. A 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, turbo petrol engine delivers 100kW and 250Nm through an 8-speed auto transmission, while a 2-litre, four-cylinder, turbo petrol engine churns out 180kW and 370Nm and pumps that through a 7-speed wet clutch Direct Shift Gearbox.

Tech and safety features abound, and Skoda says that as most Australian customers select one or more option packages with their new vehicle, more standard equipment has been included in each variant. The company says there is $6250 worth of equipment now present in the Ambition variant as standard over the previous generation model.

The Octavia Ambition is priced at $30,390 for the sedan and $31,690 for the wagon; the Style comes in at $34,890 and $36,190; while the performance-oriented RS is priced at $47,790 and $49,090.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (May 2021)

18 May 2021