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Think Volkswagen has given up on diesel engines? Think again, as the small-displacement TDI we believed to be dead is being resurrected as a 1.5 unit, going under the hood of the next Octavia.
The Czech car has had three very successful generations and will enter its forth some time next year. Along with the SEAT Leon and VW Golf, it will go back to the drawing board with a refreshed MQB platform, new tech, and design.
We honestly believed small diesels were dead. There was the 1.4 TDI, which was discontinued, and the 1.6 TDI which stopped being offered in the Audi A1. In its place, VW seems to want a mild-hybrid 1.5 TSI unit. Of course, there was also a 1.5 TDI project, but that was supposed to be canceled about a year ago.
Yet Auto Express magazine's new report claims a 1.5 TDI will be the base engine for the 2020 Octavia. Perhaps with energy recuperation and AdBlue, this unit might be able to meet future emissions regulations.
Of course, the range will also have a plug-in hybrid version, as Skoda has steadily been warming up to the technology. And let's not forget that besides the 227,200 Octavias sold last year in Europe, plenty more are assembled in China.
“We see a long future for the Octavia – the new model will be state-of-the-art,” Skoda’s sales and marketing boss Alan Favey said. “The new Octavia will continue the theme of looking like a saloon but actually being a hatch.”
Even the regular models will have modest power bumps. The 1.8 TSI should be replaced by a 190 HP (+10) 2-liter unit, while both 2.0 TDI versions will increase their output.
Of course, we don't want an Octavia 1.5 TDI; the vRS flagship is a weird sweet spot in the range, preferred by about a quarter of Octavia buyers. And while we suspect it will take until 2021 to arrive, the hot car should finally get the TSI+AWD combo. But with a total of three crossovers in the range and more on their way to markets like China and India, will the Octavia Scout survive?
We honestly believed small diesels were dead. There was the 1.4 TDI, which was discontinued, and the 1.6 TDI which stopped being offered in the Audi A1. In its place, VW seems to want a mild-hybrid 1.5 TSI unit. Of course, there was also a 1.5 TDI project, but that was supposed to be canceled about a year ago.
Yet Auto Express magazine's new report claims a 1.5 TDI will be the base engine for the 2020 Octavia. Perhaps with energy recuperation and AdBlue, this unit might be able to meet future emissions regulations.
Of course, the range will also have a plug-in hybrid version, as Skoda has steadily been warming up to the technology. And let's not forget that besides the 227,200 Octavias sold last year in Europe, plenty more are assembled in China.
“We see a long future for the Octavia – the new model will be state-of-the-art,” Skoda’s sales and marketing boss Alan Favey said. “The new Octavia will continue the theme of looking like a saloon but actually being a hatch.”
Even the regular models will have modest power bumps. The 1.8 TSI should be replaced by a 190 HP (+10) 2-liter unit, while both 2.0 TDI versions will increase their output.
Of course, we don't want an Octavia 1.5 TDI; the vRS flagship is a weird sweet spot in the range, preferred by about a quarter of Octavia buyers. And while we suspect it will take until 2021 to arrive, the hot car should finally get the TSI+AWD combo. But with a total of three crossovers in the range and more on their way to markets like China and India, will the Octavia Scout survive?
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