Skoda Octavia 2008 News

A number of potentially hazardous faults have been identified in vehicles sold in Australia, prompting a wide range of recalls.

US owners of VW cars with diesel engines that can cheat emissions tests have already been given $500, but local owners still have no compensation.

Three weeks after the global scandal broke, Australian owners of VW diesel cars finally know if their car is affected or not.

...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.

And it wasn’t done any favours by offering unusual looks and no automatic transmission. But Skoda is not giving up on it just yet. The little people mover has sold just 66 over the whole of 2008 and is lagging behind that sales level this year. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Skoda Australia head Matthew Wiesner admits. “We didn’t give it enough attention – probably through the fact that we had to focus on (medium-size passenger) Octavia to give us best cut-through and best return on investment. “Quite frankly, Roomster has suffered a bit because of that.” However Wiesner says that situation will change next year. “There will be a facelift in the new year – and some drivetrain changes and updates — which means we will then give Roomster the focus it requires, and give it the space to be a far better contribution to what we’ve been doing. Wiesner says that the Roomster has also been hampered by not having an automatic transmission. “Having it in manual only doesn’t help in the Australian market. People want an auto. “And it is a quirky design – you either love it or you don’t. “Is there a market for it? Yes, but it’s a niche market definitely. “But do you give up on it? No. Now that we’ve had a few focus groups, we now better understand who a Roomster owner is – and what they do and how. “They are very different to an Octavia buyer. We now don’t assume they will pick up on us as a brand by what we’re doing with Octavia, so we’ll start to target them specifically.” Wiesner says Skoda missed the mark in thinking there “might been some carryover between wagons, given what Roomster represents”. “But there is quite a distance even between a wagon buyer and somebody interested in Roomster – but their intentions, their motivations and interests are very different. “They are incredibly practical … we just need to be practical about how we talk to them. And we haven’t done that well yet. No question.”  

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.”  

Skoda 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 Scout sees Škoda enter the compact SUV segment and features a high equipment levels and a state-of-the-art four-wheel-drive system. Developed for road, mud, sand or snow, the Octavia 4x4 uses a second-generation Haldex clutch mechanism, an on-demand all-wheel drive system similar to systems used on the VW Golf R32 and Passat R36. The new generation system reacts faster for increased traction on loose surfaces.The Octavia Scout 4x4 offers 180mm of ground clearance with power delivered through a Volkswagen 2.0-litre turbo diesel producing 103kW and 320Nm through a six-speed manual transmission.Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloys, heated front seats, dual zone air con, ESP, six airbags, rear parking sensors and cruise control along with unique ‘Scout’ touches throughout the cabin. Pricing starts at $39,990.While the existing Octavia RS model offers performance and styling, Skoda today added an RS TDI model, mixing sports styling with the economy of a diesel.The RS TDI features an adjustable geometry turbocharger to offer 125kW with a strong 350Nm at 1800rpm. It combines performance with economy, offering 0-100km/h in 8.6 seconds and 5.7l/1000km.A six-speed manual gearbox is standard.