Photo: Skoda
The Octavia is arguably the most popular car Skoda has ever made, probably the most profitable as well. The numbers speak for themselves, as the third-generation model has reached one million units built since the Czech factory started making them in 2013.
The Octavia arrived slightly later than the Golf with which it shares its MQB platform. Sales are also slightly below those of the German counterpart, but we can't hold that against it since the first Octavia arrived in 1996. Since then, Skoda has made a total of over 5 million units.
It's hard to imagine this, but before the Czech automaker was bought by Volkswagen 25 years ago, it was a small company. In that time, sales have grown six times over. The Octavia had a lot to gain from having access to the VW parts bin, as it's received new versions every year.
The most recent updates were 4x4 added to the Octavia RS equipped with a 2.0 TDI engine and the RS 230, which uses the same engine as the GTI performance pack.
Last year, Skoda shifted a total of 432,300 Octavias to customers around the world, which is around 11% more Octavia models than the previous year. Production takes place not only in the Czech Republic but also in China, which is the largest market overall.
We don't want to repeat everything Skoda said in its press release. So instead, we'll try to explain what makes this an appealing car. First of all, the sedan version is actually a hatchback, as the tailgate and glass open as one piece. A wagon version is also available in many configurations, including RS and 4x4, making it the preferred Octavia in Germany. A Scout version with rugged looks and a G-TEC that runs on natural gas are also available.
Even though it's supposed to be a compact car, the Skoda model is much larger and can compete with models from the European D-segment, such as the Citroen C5 and Ford Mondeo, regarding interior space. Some of the components are cheaper than the ones used for the Golf (such as the suspension), and there is no major use of aluminum (like in the A3). But all the engines are the same. In fact, Skoda is responsible for making some of the smaller ones that are used by VW and Audi.
It's hard to imagine this, but before the Czech automaker was bought by Volkswagen 25 years ago, it was a small company. In that time, sales have grown six times over. The Octavia had a lot to gain from having access to the VW parts bin, as it's received new versions every year.
The most recent updates were 4x4 added to the Octavia RS equipped with a 2.0 TDI engine and the RS 230, which uses the same engine as the GTI performance pack.
Last year, Skoda shifted a total of 432,300 Octavias to customers around the world, which is around 11% more Octavia models than the previous year. Production takes place not only in the Czech Republic but also in China, which is the largest market overall.
We don't want to repeat everything Skoda said in its press release. So instead, we'll try to explain what makes this an appealing car. First of all, the sedan version is actually a hatchback, as the tailgate and glass open as one piece. A wagon version is also available in many configurations, including RS and 4x4, making it the preferred Octavia in Germany. A Scout version with rugged looks and a G-TEC that runs on natural gas are also available.
Even though it's supposed to be a compact car, the Skoda model is much larger and can compete with models from the European D-segment, such as the Citroen C5 and Ford Mondeo, regarding interior space. Some of the components are cheaper than the ones used for the Golf (such as the suspension), and there is no major use of aluminum (like in the A3). But all the engines are the same. In fact, Skoda is responsible for making some of the smaller ones that are used by VW and Audi.
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