Skoda Octavia 2007 News

Czech brand Skoda and British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have revealed which models will be recalled as part of the wide-spread mandatory Takata airbag call back.

...but not the RS car being tweaked now at the Nurburgring for local deliveries next year. It will be packed with more than 160 kiloWatts of turbo power and the usual go-faster dress-up gear including a rear spoiler and four fat exhaust pipes. It's for Golf GTi fans who want something a bit bigger with a boot. Here early in 2014 for less than $40,000.  

...but Skoda Australia engineers, in a world coup, have produced a one-off RS Octavia that shows the car has much more to offer. The team of engineers were given a free hand to tinker with the RS. The RS-P (P for project) had its first on-track outing at Camden airport near Sydney on Tuesday, with engineers evaluating its ride and handling. The RS was given massive brakes, a 14-way adjustable suspension so engineers could adjust the ride height, dampening and rebound rates, a larger exhaust system and substantial bracing. No changes were made to the engine - that comes next - although a new air filter and the changes to the exhaust have already lifted power from the 2-litre TSI petrol engine from 147Kw in the standard RS to 154kW. Motoring journalists were given track rides and the verdict from the passenger seat: there are still some understeer issues but the car's handling and braking is awesome. Skoda plans to develop the RS-P further but is keeping tight lipped as to its future.

Fresh-faced and with stronger engines, the new car arrives here in September along with a new-look Scout wagon. The RS gets a contemporary look based on other models in the recently-released Octavia range. But it hits harder with a different valance, fog lights, body-coloured trim and LED tail lights. The punch is the choice of a 147kW direct petrol injection 2-litre turbo mated to either a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch or a six-speed manual transmission as Skoda moves closer to align drivetrains with parent Volkswagen. Optional is a 125kW 2-litre turbo-diesel with the same transmission choices. Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner says the company's range in Australia is being tightened and adjusted to maximise appeal. Speaking from the Czech Republic, he admits there are gaps in the range. The Scout, which arrives in its new form in September, still has no automatic option. "But its coming," says Wiesner. "It's only available as a manual from the factory _ it is not sold anywhere as an automatic _ but we've been fighting for an auto on the basis that Australia is a special market that needs this option. "Finally, there's clarity in the issue and I'd expect a DSG version perhaps within 12 months." Modifying the Skoda line up has seen the workhorse 1.9-litre turbo-diesel dropped from the Octavia range. The replacement as the entry-level model is the 1.6-litre petrol-engined sedan at $26,990 _ a price Weisner says gives entry into a price segment usually occupied by small cars. Octavia models now come as a 1.6 and 1.8-litre petrol and the 2-litre 103kW turbo-diesel. The Roomster will be retained despite having a practically invisible road presence. "We're looking at some ideas with Roomster," Wiesner says. "It gets a face lift in mid-2010 and were prepared to persist because we see potential in this product. "It is possible that sales will increase when we get Yeti because they would complement each other," he says of the Skoda small SUV that's earmarked for Australia. Yeti will join the upmarket Superb saloon as new entrants. "Roomster is being bought by young people and retired people. It's very difficult to pinpoint it because its market is broad." Wiesner says the Yeti wasn't being considered as just another product line. Rather, it will give Skoda entry into a younger demographic of buyers. That would be assisted by the Yeti's two-wheel drive option _ it will come standard as an on-demand all-wheel drive _ that would offer the SUV package but at a reduced price. However, the 2WD could be seen as a future replacement for Roomster. Wiesner says the Volkswagen Group was holding up well on global markets and Skoda was part of that modest success. "Skoda has been helped in Europe because of the scrappage system which has helped new car sales, and also because of presence in China," he says. "We're in a better position than some because we are under exposed in places like the US and Japan." In Australia he says sales are steady, up 12 per cent for the year compared with the corresponding period in 2008. "Hopefully we're growing on a wave," he says.

The Czech branch of the Volkswagen group is still struggling to get established in Australia and the value-added strategy is part of a plan to create more showroom traffic and cut-through in one of the world's most competitive marketplaces. Skoda has also changed the engine direction on its starter car, trading a turbodiesel for a high-tech petrol-powered Octavia as it cuts the entry level from $29,990 to $26,990. The new hero for the brand is a 1.8-litre TSI with turbocharging and direct fuel injection. It will also be available with a seven-speed DSG manu-matic gearbox. "It's simple, it's honest, it drives well," the head of Skoda in Australia, Matthew Weisner, says. "The Octavia is still a medium-sized car, but with this price we're driving down into the top end of the small-car market. We're pushing down, not driving up." Weisner admits Skoda has done better with its higher-priced niche cars, particularly the Octavia RS, but needs to convert more customers to create the critical mass essential to success. He believes the facel-ifted Octavia, which is revealed to the Australian press this week, is the car for the job and sets the direction for the upcoming Superb prestige model. "The focus is on refinement. The old car wasn't that bad, no it was good, but this is better," Weisner says. "It's in line with how we're evolving. We're premium, with value. And this lifts us to the next level." Skoda is actually running against the sales trend after two months of 2009, improving its year-over-year results by about 7.5 per cent when the overall market is down by 15 points. Even so, Weisner is not about to get into predictions. "We don't mention targets. You look at volume, yes, but also how the brand is evolving," he says. "Would we have liked to sell more cars last year? Yes. Definitely. But we had to try a few things, we had to test the market." "Now we are moving to the next level."  

The arrival next year of an updated Skoda Octavia is more than just a cosmetic tickle for the Czech brand. There will be new engines, more DSG manu-matic models and a new dollar deal for the family-focused car that is leading Skoda sales. Final plans are still secret and the head of Skoda in Australia says there will be a couple of surprises. “We've had time to have a think about how Octavia works from an entry point of view in Australia,” Matthew Wiesner says. “Without giving anything away, that's where we've put a lot of focus.” The updated Octavia was previewed at this month's Paris Motor Show, with a freshen-up that starts at a bolder grille and runs to a simpler tail-end treatment, along with a lot of work on the dashboard and cabin quality. The seats are also new. “The facelift brings a new level of refinement and quality,” Wiesner says. “It also sits well with the Superb model. Put them together and you can see the family resemblance, including some touches that have come across from Superb.” The 2.0-litre petrol engine now in the Octavia will be dumped in favour of a 1.8 with seven-speed DSG. The launch plan will see the sedan and wagon rolled out first, then the RS and Scout all-wheel drive. “The plan is to launch the car towards the end of March. European production is really just starting, so it's the typical roll-through for the various markets,” Wiesner says. But he denies any delay to clear stocks as Skoda struggles through its start-up year in Australia. “Even if we wanted to push it forward . . . there is no point in trying this year,” he says. “We have to run-out current models and make sure that is done cleanly.”  

Škoda has broadened its existing two-model line with two additions to the Octavia model, the 4x4 Scout soft-roader and the sports diesel version of the Octavia RS.

The Czech brand's flagship model is set to join the Octavia and Roomster in the return of the brand to Australia. Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner said they had the “full intention of launching the successor here”. The new Superb successor will be launched at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March and available here next year. “If we wanted to we could get it here this year, but it is probably more sensible to wait to target next January,” Wiesner said. Like the new Mondeo, the Skoda sedan is actually a hatchback, or a liftback with a large rear door and cargo area. Liftbacks were fashionable in the 1970s and now seem to be making a comeback. The striking Skoda features an imposing grille and aggressive wraparound headlights. Inside, there will be plenty of kit, including a touch screen multi-media interface with a hard drive to store music and an iPod-compatible connection. It has a choice of six VW-sourced engines — three petrol and three diesel. Wiesner said they would probably go with a similar mix to what they have chosen for the Octavia which is a 1.9 and 2.0 turbo diesel, 2.0 petrol and 1.8 and 2.0 turbo petrol. “Diesel will be very important for us,” Wiesner said. “There are some new engines which we are looking at such as the big new V6 which would be under consideration so long as it fits in our price and product position. “But we may not consider some of the smaller engines.” Among the petrol engine options are the 1.4-litre TSI engine from the Golf GT, 2-litre turbo and the 3.6-litre V6, while there will also be 2-litre four-cylinder and 2.7-litre V6 diesels. The standard line-up of five and six-speed manuals will be joined by the quick-shifting DSG semi-auto. The cars appear to be quite large, with a tall ride height and significant overhangs and will come in front-wheel drive and VW's Haldex all-wheel drive. However, Skoda highlighted the Superb's bi-xenon headlights with adaptive front light system (AFS), retractable integrated headlight washer units with an automatic rain sensor and Maxi Dot display. AFS changes the geometry of the light beam to suit different driving conditions. There are four modes — Intercity, City, Highway and Rain — each with varying beam widths and penetration and actuated at varying speeds. They also feature rotating headlights that turn with the steering to light up corners. Skoda sold 115 Octavia medium-sized cars and 34 Roomster small people movers in the three months since launch. Wiesner said “the numbers are the numbers”. “The point is what we are hearing back from the dealers and the market,” he said. “We're on track and I'm happy.” Wiesner said at the launch in early October that he expected Roomster would represent about 20 per cent of sales, but it is running slightly higher. At launch, Wiesner said they had 10 dealers nationwide with one each in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, plus two in Sydney, two in Melbourne and one each in Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. “We're now looking at five or six new dealers by April and on target for 20 to 23 by the end of the year,” he said. “That's important to raise the level of awareness of the brand.” Wisener said a Skoda dealer in Townsville would be in the target 20 and should be added by the middle of the year.  

One million things on four wheels were sold for the first time in a calendar year during 2007, proving that, despite the worst efforts of the RTA

The Czech carmaker has just begun sales here with its Octavia and Roomster. Skoda believes there are many similarities between the two countries and their car consumers, making Australia — with close to 50 car brands competing for one million sales — an ideal launch pad for a global approach by the value brand in the giant Volkswagen empire.“Here is tough,” Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks says. “It is competitive. If they can have success here, they can try the American market.”Dierks worked for more than two years on the plan to put Skoda back into local showrooms for the first time since the 1970s and says the company is happy to take chances with its model line-up and marketing work.“Skoda is prepared to be adventurous here, and even to make mistakes,” she says.However, Dierks stresses the effort in Australia is not just an experiment and Skoda is aiming for a profitable long-term operation. She adds: “This is not just a pilot program — Skoda is still here for a long-term commitment. They are not after big volume. But they want to build the brand, test what works and what doesn't work. At the end of the day, of course they would like volume, too.”Dierks says there are plans for extra models in coming years and believes the large Superb luxury car would be perfect for Australia.“We still like big cars here,” she says. “But first we want to establish Roomster and Octavia.”Skoda is in the early stages of cementing its dealer network, which will be kept small with probably one or two dealers less than needed, to ensure a good response, Dierks says.However, Skoda franchises will not be handed just to existing Volkswagen dealers.“Of those we have already chosen, two are not Volkswagen dealers,” Skoda boss Matthew Weisner says. “We are looking for particular qualities, not necessarily the Volkswagen link.”The brand will emphasise its European heritage in a selective way, but will emphasise the Volkswagen DNA to boost consumer confidence.