Skoda has revealed the Octavia’s mid-life facelift, bringing expertise and sustainability upgrades for its best-selling hatchback.
The new look is distinct from the remainder of the Skoda line-up, with extra angular LED headlights nestled above a daring crease within the entrance bumper – producing a reference to the Czech flag that’s particularly pronounced on the vRS range-topper.
The most notable refinements come inside the brand new Octavia. A brand new 13.0in infotainment touchscreen (shared with the recently updated Volkswagen Golf) has been added as an optionally available additional.
Regardless of which display is fitted, ChatGPT synthetic intelligence is built-in into the infotainment software program’s voice assistant, with Skoda promising flexibility and capabilities “far beyond” its present iteration.
The choices for charging gadgets have additionally been upgraded, with the brand new ‘Phone Box’ offering as much as 15W wi-fi charging – and, crucially, air-con to assist mitigate the warmth generated within the course of. Moreover, the USB-C connections now ship 45W, triple what they supply within the outgoing Octavia.
The three ‘smart dial’ controls launched on the new Kodiaq and Superb – which give a bodily interface for varied capabilities, such because the air-con, sat-nav zoom and drive mode – haven’t been included. As such, the one approach to alter the temperature within the new Octavia is to make use of the touchscreen.
Skoda has positioned an emphasis on the usage of sustainable supplies within the new Octavia: the leather-based seats featured as a part of the Suite improve bundle are tanned utilizing espresso husks, somewhat than chemical dyes, whereas the material seats featured as a part of the Lodge and Sportline interiors are made out of recycled fibres.
The ‘Simply Clever’ ice scraper and optionally available umbrella have additionally made the swap to extra sustainable supplies, based on Skoda.
Under the pores and skin, the Octavia’s tweaks are primarily geared toward boosting effectivity. The entry-level 114bhp 1.5-litre powerplant’s turbocharger has been reworked to minimise thermal losses and enhance economic system. It’s paired with a six-speed handbook gearbox as normal, however it may be had with a seven-speed dual-clutch ’field. Going for the auto provides a 48V mild-hybrid system that doesn’t add any further energy or torque however permits the automobile to coast with the engine fully off – boosting gas effectivity.
The 1.5-litre unit will also be had with 148bhp, providing the identical mixture of handbook and auto ’packing containers, with the latter mild-hybridised.
The range-topping vRS will get the identical turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot as the brand new VW Golf GTI, sending 261bhp and 273lb ft by the entrance wheels. The lone gearbox possibility stays the seven-speed auto, after the handbook was dropped final 12 months.