The approximately 90-minute livestream will include a 30-minute vehicle presentation with statements from Bernhard Maier (ŠKODA AUTO CEO), Christian Strube (ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Technical Development) and Oliver Stefani (Head of ŠKODA AUTO Design) as well as four technical workshops on the topics of the OCTAVIA RS, OCTAVIA SCOUT, drivetrain strategy and connectivity.
Mladá Boleslav, 3 July 2020 – The ŠKODA OCTAVIA is the heart of the Czech brand and tops the bestseller lists in numerous European countries. A rugged SCOUT and two further sporty RS variants have now been added to the fourth-generation OCTAVIA portfolio. By electrifying the powertrain with new mild hybrid technology and two OCTAVIA iV plug-in hybrids, ŠKODA has reduced the OCTAVIA’s CO2 emissions even further. The iV variants of the bestseller can travel up to 60 km in the WLTP cycle without producing any emissions; the combustion engines have also continuously been optimised. They are now even more efficient. Furthermore, ŠKODA has lowered nitrogen oxide emissions from the new EVO generation of diesel engines by about 80 per cent using the ‘twin dosing’ process. With a choice of two body variants, front- or all-wheel drive, manual or DSG transmission as well as five drive systems – petrol, diesel, CNG, mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid – every ŠKODA OCTAVIA customer will find their perfect match. The centrepiece of the OCTAVIA’s all-wheel drive system is a sixth-generation electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, which – among other things – is significantly lighter than its predecessor following a comprehensive technical update.
Bernhard Maier, ŠKODA AUTO CEO, said, “The new generation of the OCTAVIA is one of the most important model updates for ŠKODA this year and is a key part of what is currently the biggest product campaign in our company’s history. We have refined our icon’s core virtues even further and have also taken another major step forward in terms of design, connectivity and safety. I am convinced that we will win the hearts of our customers once again with this great overall package.”
The success story of the ŠKODA OCTAVIA began in 1959. As the brand’s eighth model since the Second World War and the eighth to feature ultra-modern independent suspension for all wheels, it was given a name meaning ‘the eighth’ in Latin, a name which has since become synonymous with the entire brand. Next came the first OCTAVIA COMBI estate variant in 1961, which was produced until 1971. A total of 360,000 OCTAVIAs were built, including more than 54,000 units of the OCTAVIA COMBI. The first generation of the modern-day edition made its debut in April 1996. The unmistakable hatchback with a large tailgate was followed in March 1998 by the even more spacious OCTAVIA COMBI, which was particularly successful in Europe. By November 2010, 970,000 hatchbacks and more than 470,000 COMBIs had been sold. In 2004, the second modern day generation was launched. Of this, 1.7 million hatchbacks and 870,000 estates had rolled off the assembly line by 2013. The third generation introduced in November 2012 was also a huge success – a total of more than 2.5 million customers had opted for this OCTAVIA by spring 2020. Since 1959, ŠKODA has produced more than seven million OCTAVIAs.
Bestseller in many markets and produced in five different countries
Up to 400,000 OCTAVIAs are now produced per year and it tops the list of bestsellers in numerous markets. The ŠKODA icon has already been the chart-topping vehicle in its homeland of the Czech Republic 30 times and it has also been listed at the top in seven other countries, including Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Finland. In Germany, the OCTAVIA’s second-largest sales market in the world, it has been the number-one import vehicle for many years. The OCTAVIA COMBI, which is the bestselling estate car in Europe, plays a major part in this. The chartbuster is the brand’s only vehicle to be produced in five different countries: in addition to the Czech Republic and China, it also rolls off the lines in Russia, Kazakhstan and India.
A successful big family
Just like in previous generations, the almost coupé-like hatchback, featuring a large tailgate, and the COMBI, now with an even larger boot (640 l), are key members of the fourth generation of the OCTAVIA family too. With a drag coefficient (cd) from 0.24 for the hatchback and 0.26 for the COMBI, both OCTAVIA body variants are amongst the most aerodynamic cars in the world in their respective segments. The OCTAVIA SCOUT is exclusively available as an estate, offering rugged body enhancements and a Rough-Road package with raised ground clearance as standard. The two OCTAVIA plug-in hybrids bear the abbreviation ‘iV’: the OCTAVIA iV has a total power output of 150 kW (204 PS) and the OCTAVIA RS iV delivers 180 kW (245 PS). Including the 180-kW (245 PS) 2.0 TSI and the 147-kW (200-PS) 2.0 TDI, there are now three powertrains available for the fourth generation of the sporty, top-of-the-range RS model. The two OCTAVIA variants with mild hybrid technology bear the e-TEC designation, while the OCTAVIA G-TEC is specifically designed to run on eco-friendly natural gas (CNG).
