- Will break cover on 11 November
- The first glimpse of the interior reveals a modern cabin
Ahead of the official debut, Skoda has teased the cabin of the upcoming new-gen Octavia. This is the first time we are getting a glimpse of the new Octavia’s interior and things are looking pretty interesting. For the starters, the new Octavia will debut a multi-level instrument panel for Skoda and it also gets a newly designed steering wheel with just two spokes.
Another highlight of the fairly geometric and well-laid cabin is the floating infotainment system which is not only bigger than the one in the current car but also placed higher on the dashboard. The all-digital instrument binnacle is more advance and customisable with four different layouts – Basic, Navigation, Classic and Driver Assistance system. Also hinted here is the heads-up display which will be a first for Skoda.
Moving to the centre console, there’s no manual handbrake but an electronic one. The centre console has limited buttons to keep things clutter-free with AC vents sitting below the control bar. Also debuting in Octavia is Climatronic three-zone air conditioning system. What’s more, this sketch being the DSG-equipped variant, there’s no gear lever either. Since the new Skoda DSG makes use of shift-by-wire technology, there’s practically no need for a mechanical gear lever, so instead there’s something like a flickable switch in its place. Skoda claims that the new interior is more spacious than the outgoing model, however, exact dimensions aren’t divulged at the moment. Nevertheless, the seats do look very supportive and sporty at the same time.
We know now that the new Octavia will sit on the new Golf platform with increased dimensions. The boot space measures 600litres and the new Octi sits on the optional 19-inch wheels in the standard guise. Powertrain-wise there are three engine options which can be had mostly with a DSG, except for a diesel which gets a six-speed manual and optional AWD. Also debuting is the hybrid variant under the iV sub-brand. Meanwhile, the Scout and vRS models will arrive at a later date. India-debut of the new-gen Octavia is expected to take place either late next year or it might be delayed until the ‘India 2.0’ plan kicks in.
