New entry car and simplified range for Octavia relaunch

 Skoda has launched and upgraded its Octavia small/medium car with a simplified range. Now boasting an entry-level 1.6-litre petrol variant, in a choice of liftback and wagon body styles, Skoda's volume seller now kicks off from $26,990.

The cheapest Octavia is now a five-speed manual liftback powered by the aforementioned 75kW/148Nm fuel-injected petrol four cylinder. A six-speed auto variant is offered at a premium of $2300 ($29,290). An extra $2000 buys you the wagon version of either.

Skoda's previous entry-level engine was the Volkswagen Audi Group's (VAG) venerable 1.9-litre 77kW/250Nm turbodiesel as used in the VW Polo and Skoda's own Roomster.

As outlined in our coverage of the Octavia's local unveiling at Melbourne Motor Show last month (more here), Skoda says the fluctuating diesel/petrol price differential effectively killed the diesel entry-level model and drove the new petrol-lead strategy.

In the simplified Octavia range, the 1.6-litre model is only available in a single trim grade. And while it's aimed at positioning the close-to-medium sized car to tackle the top-end of the small hatch and wagon market, you'd be hard pressed to call the car a 'stripper'.

In addition to Skoda's impressive build quality and high-end cabin plastics and materials, the base Octavia's standard equipment list includes 15-inch alloys, aircon, power windows and locks, cruise control, trip computer, multi-adjustable front seats and eight-speaker iPod-ready single disc audio system. Seat facings are an attractive technical cloth.

A full safety pack is also standard. Stability control heads up an armoury that also includes antilock brakes with emergency brake assist, etc and six airbags, including full side curtain bags.

Two higher performance engines are offered, both matched to a higher standard specification -- unlike the launch range, Skoda has eschewed names for its new trim grades. What you see is what you get.

The top-line engines are VAG's latest turbo direct-injected (TSI) four-cylinder 1.8-litre petrol and the group's proven 103kW/350Nm pumpe duse turbodiesel. The TSI pumps out 118kW and 250Nm and is matched to a choice of six-speed manual and VAG's latest dry-clutched seven-speed DSG automated dual-clutch gearbox as also featured in the new Golf 6. The 2.0 TDI is also available matched to a choice of manual or DSG boxes -- both six speeders.

The highline Octavia range starts from $31,490 for the manual liftback 1.8 TSI, with the range-topping DSG turbodiesel wagon priced from $38,290. You'll pay $2300 to upgrade from manual to DSG on the 1.8 and TDI variants, and the petrol-diesel differential is $2500. The same $2000 premium applies across liftback and wagon.

Over and above the entry-level Octavia's specification, the highline models add 16-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, multi-function wheel, six-disc Bolero touchscreen audio system with HVAC display, heated folding mirrors, rain-sensing wipers and auto lights, fogs et al.

A simplified range doesn't mean Skoda won't offer buyers the opportunity to personalize their Octavias. Factory options offered on the new range include: leather heated seats ($2830); active Xenon lights ($1490); sunroof ($1730); park distance systems, interior trim options, satnav ($2590 1.8 and 2.0, $3090 1.6); 17-inch alloys and sports suspension $1840 and for DSG equipped cars, a steering wheel with gearshift paddles ($190).

All variants benefit from the facelift that debuted at last October's Paris Motor Show and, as noted above, has already been displayed Down Under at the Melbourne International Motor Show. The new front-end softens the car and links it more tangibly with its Roomster and Superb (more here) stablemates -- the new headlamps are quite sculptured and the grille tightly follows the Superb's styling lead.

At the rear there's a tidier styling treatment that adopts a deeper underbumper valance a la the current RS sports models. And the quirky art-deco-style 'Octavia' badge has also been brought into the Noughties. It now sits prod as punch in an up-to-date font on the boot lid and also in classy "jeweled" highlights on the outboard edge of the new headlamps.

Best of all, the cabin quality has been lifted to match the improvements wrought of late by Skoda's parent company, Volkswagen in its Golf and Polo. In short, there's a lot to like in the car.

And that, says Skoda boss Mathew Wiesner, is the feedback Australian car buyers have been proffering -- even though the brand itself, in many cases, has been a bridge too far for conservative customers. After 18 months of establishing the brand and "telling Australian car buyers we're here", Wiesner says Skoda's local message will now change to promote new product and "Skoda's blend of quality, refinement, European-ness and value".

"We want to more than ever position ourselves at the quality end of the value segment," Wiesner told the Carsales Network.

"We've gone from purely a brand focus of 'we're here' but from this point on it's very much about the products, the brand, what the brand stands for and how good the product is..."

Wiesner said the simplified Octavia range was a result of reviewing Aussie response to the initial launch range. With the arrival of the high-riding Octavia Scout late in 2008 (more here), Skoda Australia has dumped the low-ride 4x4 Octavia wagon. It will seek to offer a DSG-equipped Scout variant -- but "not this year", Wiesner says.

"It's a very small part of our volume and with Scout at a premium of just $1K the 4x4 wagon didn't make a lot of sense financially. When we introduced it [4x4 Octavia wagon] we didn't have the Scout."

Wiesner nonetheless concedes the local launch range of the Octavia was too complicated.

"We did it for a reason -- we were probably better off having a few more [models] because it gave us the opportunity to get a feeling for what's going on out there. From that point we've done what we've done now.

"The new range has a far easier mix of engines and drivetrains for dealers and customers to get their heads around," he commented.

The updated version of Skoda's top-selling RS performance versions of the Octavia will arrive Down Under mid-year in petrol and diesel versions and wagon and liftback bodystyles, says Wiesner. The Skoda Australia boss also hints that the go-fast Octavias will get a harder edge.

"RS will take an even more aggressive positioning. But we'll continue with both liftback and wagon -- and the wagon variant brings something our [hot hatch] competitors cannot bring, especially for young families who want the extra room it delivers and so on."

Wiesner says DSGs will account for up to 60 per cent of RS model sales, but the carmaker will retain the choice of manual transmission.

Skoda sold approximately 670 Octavias in its first year on sale in Oz, the late to market Scout accounted for another 40 or so registrations. In a market that's predicted to be down substantially this calendar year, Wiesner says the company "must" continue its growth.

Though Skoda has just 22 local dealers currently, he's hopeful that number will reach 30 by the end of 2009.

If there's a hard target VW Australia is aiming for with Skoda, Wiesner's not saying, however he is confident of VW's commitment to the brand Down Under:

"The market's dropped off about 20 per cent; as long as we keep well and truly in front of that [with Octavia] and then start adding models [we'll be happy]... For us we've got to keep growing -- whether the market is off 20, 30 or 50 per cent doesn't real matter to us.

"If you consider that now we are bringing these new models in, that hopefully it shows we [VAG] are working towards the future and not just putting a toe in the water.

"Starting here [with new Octavia], but also when we drop new Superb into the mix, [we're confident] that will show those out there that the brand is here to do a job in Australia... It just takes time," Wiesner stated.

Look out for our launch review of the updated Skoda 1.6, 1.8 TSI and 2.0 TDI liftback and wagon range soon.

Skoda Octavia pricing

Liftback
1.6 MPI 75kW manual $26,990
1.6 MPI 75kW automatic $29,290
1.8 TSI 118kW manual $31,490
1.8 TSI 118kW DSG  $33,790
2.0 TDI 103kW manual $33,990
2.0 TDI 103kW DSG  $36,290

Wagon
1.6 MPI 75kW manual $28,990
1.6 MPI 75kW automatic $31,290
1.8 TSI 118kW manual $33,490
1.8 TSI 118kW DSG  $35,790
2.0 TDI 103kW manual $35,990
2.0 TDI 103kW DSG  $38,290