Škoda Octavia

First generation (Typ 1U; 1996–2010)

The first generation Octavia was released in November 1996 and was built at the modernised Škoda factory in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. This generation was made available in hatchback or estate styles only.

In the United Kingdom, sales began in 1998 and the mid-size car was an instant success with buyers who appreciated its solidity, refinement and value for money, though it could not quite match the success of established large family car favourites such as the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra.

The car was widely used in the United Kingdom taxi trade, owing to the large number of private hire drivers who used the vehicle, due to its low price [and advantageous leasing agreements directed at the self-employed taxi driver], space and reliability.

The first generation Octavia had a facelift in 2000, and was still manufactured and marketed in some markets, even after the second generation was introduced in 2004. In Germany, and other parts of West Europe, as well as Asia, the first generation model was marketed as the Octavia Tour, while the newer model is marketed as the Octavia. In some markets, the first generation Octavia was still known as Octavia, and the newer model was referred to as the new Octavia, Octavia5 (Greece) or Laura (India).

The major improvements of the facelifted model are the independent rear suspension and improved interior, in terms of space, design and quality of materials.

The facelifted Octavia featured a 4x4 wheel drive version both for the estate and more popular hatchback models, and used the Haldex Traction clutch, like other Volkswagen Group A platform based cars (Golf IV, Audi A3 and Seat Leon Cupra R4). It had higher ground clearance and a bigger fuel tank carrying 63-litre (17 US gal; 14 imp gal) compared to the 55-litre (15 US gal; 12 imp gal) standard front wheel drive versions.

The 4x4 option was only available with the 1.8 T 150 bhp (112 kW; 152 PS) petrol engine, the 1.9 TDI 90 bhp (67 kW; 91 PS) diesel engine, or the 2.0 L petrol engine, all coupled with a 5-speed manual gearbox, and with the 1.9 TDI-PD (Pumpe-Düse) 100 bhp (75 kW; 101 PS) diesel engine which came with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The other 6-speed manual model was the 1.9 TDI-PD 131 bhp (98 kW; 133 PS), only available with front-wheel-drive.

The vRS was the top-level and quickest specification and used a 1.8-litre straight-4 turbocharged engine which produced 180 bhp (134 kW; 182 PS). Škoda made a limited number of 100 WRC Replica Cars worldwide in 2002. These differ from normal vRS Octavias, as they are produced in white, have rally decals and have additional accessories as standard (such as ESP, xenon lights, heated front seats).

The vRS model was also popular with the United Kingdom Police, both as a traffic car and as an unmarked Q-car, due to its low cost, reliability, performance, and understated styling.

Engines

The engines used are the same as for many other cars in the Volkswagen Group:

Motorsport

The Škoda Octavia has been used in the European Touring Car Championship, the World Rally Championship and the FIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup.

Second generation (Typ 1Z; 2004–2013)

The second generation Octavia was introduced in March 2004, based on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35) platform also used by other Volkswagen Group cars, such as the Audi A3 Mk2, Volkswagen Golf Mk5, Volkswagen Jetta Mk5, SEAT León Mk2, etc.

Responsible for the design were Thomas Ingenlath and Peter Wouda. Along with a new internal combustion engine range, also shared with other models of the Volkswagen Group, body changes included more legroom for rear seat passengers (a weak point in the original model) and increased ground clearance at front and rear to reduce the risk of grounding on steep ramps or facing kerbs.

In addition to the Czech factories in Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabi, from 2008 the Octavia has also been produced at a factory in Bratislava, Slovakia, and in Shanghai, China, under the joint venture of Shanghai Volkswagen.

In India, the second-generation Octavia was marketed as the Laura to distinguish it from the first generation. The car was marketed in a higher segment, and was sold alongside the previous generation Octavia. However the first generation ended production in India in 2010, and as of 2012 the Laura's price was reduced and was competing in its predecessor's segment.

There are two four-wheel-drive versions of the Octavia: the 4x4 and the Scout, both featuring a Haldex Traction four-wheel-drive system, based on a computer-controlled clutch centre coupling. The two models both have higher ground clearance than the standard Octavia, increased by 24 mm (0.9 in) for the 4x4 and by 40 mm (1.6 in) for the Scout.

The Scout, announced in 2006, is only available with the estate body style, and has several crossover style exterior modifications, such as larger bumpers.

In August 2011, a special Škoda Octavia vRS hit the world record on the American Bonneville Speedway and became the fastest car in the world with an up to 2-litre engine, when it hit 365.43 km/h (227 mph).

Engines

There are several internal combustion engine options available. All engines are inline-four cylinder designs, water-cooled and utilise multi-point fuel injection. All diesel engines are Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) engines.

Notes:

1. Designed specially for Lithuania police department. From outside it appears like 2.0 FSI with minor differences
2. Badged 1.8 TFSI in some countries
3. Diesel particulate filter available as option
4. Diesel particulate filter not available

Trim levels

In the United Kingdom, the Octavia is available in the following trim levels: Classic (now called S), Ambiente (now called SE), 4x4 (estate only), Elegance, Laurin & Klement, Scout 4x4 (estate only), and vRS. All models come with four airbags, electric front windows, air conditioning, central locking and anti-lock braking system. On some markets, including British and Czech, a version aimed to lower fuel consumption called Greenline is also available. As of September 2011, trim levels have been renamed to Active (Classic) and Ambition (Ambiente).

Facelift

A facelifted version was launched in 2009, after being formally unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

The modifications of the facelifted version include aesthetic exterior changes, mechanical changes and interior features. Externally, the designs of the headlights and bumpers were revised. There were some changes to the range of available engines and manual and automatic gearboxes, with the 1.4 TSI and 1.8 TSI engines and the 7-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission available for the first time. Inside the car, the stereo and steering wheels were revised, along with some of the interior trim.

Third generation (Typ 5E; 2013–present)

The third generation Octavia was revealed on 11 December 2012, at the Škoda museum in Mladá Boleslav. The car began to appear in showrooms in key European markets in February 2013.

Previously, photos of the car covered in light camouflage were released to the media in late October 2012, after other pre-production cars had already been spotted on several occasions during the same month. It was once again spotted, this time without camouflage, on 18 November 2012, in Santiago, Chile, in both hatchback and estate body styles, during the filming of a TV advertisement.

The car, designed by Jozef Kabaň, recalls the VisionD concept car presented in 2011. The new model is 9 cm (3.54 in) longer and 4.5 cm (1.77 in) wider than the second generation and the wheelbase lengthened by 8 cm (3.15 in).It is also up to 102 kilograms lighter than the previous model. The interior length of the third generation ŠKODA Octavia has grown - in comparison to its predecessor - by 33 mm (1.30 in) to 1.782 mm (0.07 in), while the legroom for the backseat passengers grew by 47 mm (1.85 in) to now 73 mm (2.87 in). The headroom in the back was increased to 980 mm (38.58 in) (Octavia II: 966 mm (38.03 in)). The elbow width was also increased, in the front by 39 mm (1.54 in) to 1.454 mm (0.06 in), and in the rear by 26 mm (1.02 in) to 1.499 mm (0.06 in). Similarly, the shoulder room was optimised, in the front to 1.398 mm (0.06 in) by adding 19 mm (0.75 in), and in the rear to 1.378 mm (0.05 in), a plus of 4 mm (0.16 in). The luggage compartment volume is a class leading 590 l (20.84 cu ft), slightly more than the 585 l (20.66 cu ft) of the previous generation model or 565 l (19.95 cu ft) of the larger Volkswagen Passat. Octavia customers wishing to carry more can opt, from May 2013, for the Combi (estate) version with its 610 l (21.54 cu ft) luggage capacity.

The 3rd-generation Octavia is the first Škoda car to feature front radar and a multi-function camera. The radar sensor in the front bumper monitors the area in front of the vehicle and continually evaluates the distance, direction and speed of all nearby objects (not only traffic). This radar provides data for two assistants in the Octavia: Front Assistant (forward collision warning and emergency braking) and Adaptive Cruise Assistant (adaptive cruise control). A monochromatic fixed-focus multi-function camera is mounted on the windscreen in front of the rear mirror, and allows function of Lane Assistant (lane keeping system), Intelligent Light Assistant (automatic control of the high beams) and Traffic Sign Recognition (recognises and shows traffic signs on displays of both on-board computer and satellite navigation). Added to this, there are assists, whose functionality is based on evaluating data provided by ESC or steering sensors: Crew Protect Assistant (pro-active passenger protection), and Driver Activity Assistant (fatigue detection).

The Octavia features numerous so-called ‘Simply Clever‘ details, i.e. an ice scraper inside the fuel filler flap, a rubbish bin inside the door panel, and a double-sided (rubber/textile) floor mat in boot. A tilting/sliding panoramic sunroof is available as an option – single-piece for the Octavia hatchback and two-piece for the Octavia Combi. The Bolero, Amundsen and Columbus car radios are protected against theft by the physical separation of the central display and the multimedia system’s own central unit. The Octavia also offers a Phone Box, a storage compartment for the mobile phone with planar antenna in the bottom of the compartment, which permits a so-called inductive exterior antenna connection.

For the front-wheel Octavia, engine outputs are offered of 63–132 kW (86–179 PS) on petrol/gasoline cars and 66–110 kW (90–150 PS) for the diesel engines. There are two environmentally-friendly version of the Octavia: the GreenLine version with 1.6-litre diesel produces only 85 grams of CO2 per km; the G-TEC is fitted with 1.4-litre TSI engine running on CNG and emitting 97 grams of CO2 per km. The all-wheel drive Octavia Combi can be powered by one petrol (1.8 TSI/132 kW) and three diesel engines (ranging between 77-135 kW).

The Octavia RS, available in both the hatchback and estate body styles, was premiered at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013. It features the 162 kW (220 PS) 2.0 TSI engine from the newly launched Golf 7 GTI and the 135 kW (184 PS) 2.0 TDI engine from the Golf 7 GTD. With top speed 248 km/h, the Octavia RS with petrol engine and manual gearbox was acclaimed to be the fastest production Octavia ever. In comparison with standard car, the sports Octavia features progressive steering (variable-ratio steering), sports chassis, electronic differential lock (XDS) and so-called ‘Performance Sound Generator‘, that enhances sporty sound of the engine. The source of sound vibrations is the electromagnetic pulse generator placed in the area under/in front of the windshield. The sound vibrations are spreading into the car’s cabin through the body and the windshield. The frequency and intensity of the sound is dependent not only on the profile chosen, but also the engine revolutions, driving speed and engine load (the throttle pedal position). The generated sound is directed inside the cabin, especially to the front seat area. Skoda used the 2015 Geneva motor show to shine the spotlight on its new and more powerful Octavia RS 230. The car has 230 PS (10 PS more than stock) and this helps it shave a tenth off its benchmark sprint time and adds 2 km/h to the car’s top speed which increases to 250 km/h (155 mph); it also gets a standard electronic differential in this version and lower, stiffer springs.

In early 2014, Škoda revealed the Scout, it has raised suspension, plastic cladding and four-wheel-drive.

In early 2017 the first third generation Octavias with a facelift should arrive in showrooms.

Engines

Overview of engines available for the 3rd-generation Octavia (A7, Typ 5E) with front-wheel drive, incl. vRS version.

Petrol engines

Diesel engines

(*)CNG consumption in m3/100 km. Consumption of 1 m3 of CNG is adequate to 1 l of petrol.

Overview of engines available for the 3rd-generation Octavia Combi 4x4 (A7, Typ 5E) with all-wheel drive, incl. the Scout version.

Petrol engines

Diesel engines

Facelift

Škoda on 10 January 2017 in Vienna presented the third generation Octavia with facelift, the main changes brought mainly split front headlights and a new system for predictive pedestrian protection. The first cars should be delivered to customers at the end of the spring.