SE L is next and it starts from £31,250. On top of the SE Technology kit it gets 17-inch wheels, animated indicators in the lights, ‘Lounge Design’ selection for the interior with microsuede and artificial leather or an option to fit ‘Suite Black Design’. A two-spoke heated steering wheel is added, along with a heated windscreen, adaptive cruise control, lane assist plus, keyless entry with walk-away locking and an electronic bootlid.
As before, the SportLine adds some exterior tweaks for a sportier look. Starting at £32,255 it features a bespoke ‘SportLine Design’ interior with sports seats, metallic paint, 18-inch wheels, sports suspension with a 15mm ride height drop and revised steering which Skoda claims delivers “a suitably sporting driving experience”.
Pricing is still yet to be announced for the hot vRS model, although we expect it to cost more than the £35,245 Skoda charged for the old model. It gets 19-inch alloy wheels, LED matrix headlights and a vRS Design Selection interior which is bespoke to the model. Predictive adaptive cruise control, vRS engine sound and an electronically operated bootlid are standard.
Skoda Octavia: powertrains and performance
Skoda has tweaked the Octavia’s engine line up slightly for the 2024 update. There are five options, made up of three petrol and two diesel engines. The petrol range kicks off with the 1.5-litre four-cylinder, with the old 1.0-litre three-cylinder ditched. The 114bhp 1.5 is exclusive to SE Technology. A more powerful 148bhp version of the same petrol unit comes on SE L models with both engines offered with six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed DSG with mild-hybrid technology.
The Octavia vRS now has 262bhp (up from 242bhp) so we expect a drop in its 6.8-second 0-62mph time. There’s a sports exhaust now with black pipes and the engine’s software has been tweaked to provide a ‘more powerful sound’, says Skoda.
Diesel power is retained and comes in two forms – a 2.0-litre TDI four-cylinder with 114bhp or 148bhp with the more powerful version offered with a seven-speed DSG automatic. Every powertrain option is available for both the hatchback and estate.
Skoda Octavia: exterior and interior
It might look like a rather mild facelift visually, but the new Octavia gets reshaped bumpers front and rear with SE Technology and SE L models receiving a new chrome strip. The LED headlights are a new design and they incorporate Skoda’s ‘crystalline elements’ for the first time. There’s also revised lower air intakes to complete the Octavia’s new front-end look. Overall, the Octavia is lengthened by 9mm on both the hatch and Estate.
Practicality remains the same however, with a boot capacity of 600 litres for the hatch and 640 litres for the estate. With the seats folded down these figures rise to 1,555 litres and 1,700 litres respectively.
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