Skoda Octavia 2009 News

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.  

And this time, it is determined not to be a laughing stock.

However, the Australian debut of Skoda at the Australian International Motor Show in October has done just that. The fast-growing Czech carmaker is taking up residence in Hall 6 of the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre, along with parent company Volkswagen and its ultra-luxury Bentley brand. "We are looking forward to having a significantly enhanced presence at the Sydney show," said the managing director of the VW Group in Australia, Jutta Dierks. "Our group display is an appropriate reflection of our recent rapid growth in Australia and signals our ambitions to grow further," she said. "We are excited about having our own dedicated hall and we're making a big display effort." Hall 6 has been re-christened The Pavilion in honour of the transformation it will undergo at the hands of the three brands' highly creative stand designers. Skoda has built a reputation in Europe for quality and innovation and its display in The Pavilion will reflect those brand values. "The Sydney show will mark the public debut of Skoda on the Australian market, so we are doing what we can to make sure consumers notice and remember our new cars," said the head of Skoda Australia, Matthew Wiesner. "Skoda will bring European design and quality to market segments traditionally the preserve of the Japanese and Korean brands. We think that's a combination that will appeal to a broad range of Australian consumers." Skoda will launch two production models at the show: the mid-sized Octavia sedan and hatch and the Roomster, a small crossover wagon. Underlining its design-forward credentials, Skoda will also display its Yeti concept car - a small Sports Utility Vehicle which strongly hints at the brand's future direction. "One of the key values of the Skoda brand is additional interior space and ergonomic design, and the Yeti and Roomster are great examples of that," Mr Wiesner said. The establishment of The Pavilion by Volkswagen, Skoda and Bentley means the 2007 Australian International Motor Show expands to become the biggest ever. "The expansion of the auto brands into The Pavilion has allowed us to change and improve floor arrangements, making the show look and feel substantially different from past years," said FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar. "Visitors walking the floor of the show will find more variety and greater interactivity amongst the displays. "The Volkswagen Group, including Bentley and Skoda, are to be commended for the vision and entrepreneurial spirit they have displayed in establishing The Pavilion," Mr McKellar said. CARSguide.com.au provides the official website for the 2007 Australian International Motorshow - www.australianmotorshow.com.  

The Czech Republic's Skoda brand will return to Australia in October.But you can forget those clunky yet sturdy Eastern European Skodas of the Cold War period.The new Skoda is owned by Volkswagen and with the disciplined German parent comes Teutonic know-how, engineering and quality standards.In Australia, the new-look brand will be distributed by Volkswagen Group Australia, after its debut at the Sydney Motor Show.Sales will kick off with the mid-size front-wheel-drive Octavia sedan and wagon and a funky-looking five-door wagon-cum-people mover called the Roomster, both built at a modern plant at Mlada Boleslav near Prague.Topping the range will be the high-performance 147kW, 2-litre FSI turbocharged Octavia RS.The line-up will be fleshed out next year with the VW Polo-sized Fabia, which has just been revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.By early 2009, the next-generation version of its long-wheelbase Superb sedan should be available.Skoda's key selling point will be prices, expected to start from about $16,000 for the Fabia, up to the mid-$40,000s for the Superb.Though it uses VW engines and components, being built in low-cost Eastern Europe means Skodas are 5 to 8 per cent cheaper, yet bigger, than their equivalent Volkswagen models.Volkswagen Group Australia executives believe this makes them particularly appealing for cost-conscious Australian buyers who hanker for a European car.Originally, Skoda chairman and chief executive officer Detlef Wittig had hoped to get the brand into Australia last year, but pricing and local identity issues delayed the plans.Now these hurdles have been cleared, the company is moving ahead quickly.Volkswagen Group Australia general manager, press and public relations, Matthew Wiesner has been appointed head of Skoda Australia and it's his job to relaunch the brand.At first the Octavia and Roomster will be sold through 15 existing VW dealerships.Wiesner emphasised that Skoda and VW would be distinct, even more so than BMW, which sells its Mini brand through associated dealers."You won't see shared Volkswagen-Skoda showrooms. We've got to give them more separation," he says."Obviously we need to protect what we've done with Volkswagen, but at the same time grow the Skoda branding."Eventually up to half of VW's 56 dealers nationally could sell Skodas."By the end of 2008 we'd like to have about 25 dealers," he says."The regional-rural side of the business will be very important, particularly with Skoda's turbo-diesel line-up."With VW's well-developed network and highly trained technicians, servicing and logistics should not be a problem.Wiesner is mindful that the company's lack of profile will need to be addressed. Skodas have not been sold here for almost 25 years."We've got to be creative about how we sell the Skoda message. We need to reasonably clever in how we go about it," he says."It's a pretty congested market, so we have to come up with a reasonable answer to the question of why you would consider a Skoda."He is not about to spill the beans about just what he has in mind, at least until the cars go on sale in October.He is also aware of other brands such as Renault, which has struggled to regain ground in our market when re-launching in 2001 after being popular here in the 1970s.The French company has poured millions into Australia over the past six years trying to get traction for its products.Australia is one of the most congested new car markets in the world, a fact that Wiesner is acutely aware of.He describes himself as "cautious but optimistic" about Skoda.Today there are 41 different passenger car brands seeking a slice of the sales pie and Skoda must find its place in an ultra-competitive market.Ultimately, too, if the Czech is a success it could cannibalise VW sales.`Yes, we have to be mindful of that," Wiesner says. "That's why it has taken such a long time to put this together."We need to be very careful how we approach both marques, because there's no point robbing Peter to pay Paul."You get one opportunity to do it properly."Wiesner conceded that positioning Skoda and not sacrificing VW sales was one of the hardest aspects of developing the new business.Ultimately, the spin doctors, through print and television advertising, will be working overtime to tell consumers that each brand is distinct."We're hoping the Skoda buyer will be an aspirational European buyer who might not have been able to stretch themselves before," Wiesner says."They might always have been Japanese buyers who have aspired to Europe and hopefully we'll give them that opportunity."Last year VW Group Australia had a stellar year, selling more than 20,000 vehicles, so the arrival of Skoda presents a real threat to VW's continuing local growth.Apart from Skoda, Fiat and Dodge are recent returns and the prospect of China-sourced cars arriving soon courtesy of Ateco Automotive will add further sales congestion.Nor is the Skoda boss prepared to predict sales forecasts, saying only that the Skodas would be good value."Volume is important, of course, but we're here for the long haul, so that's something we see as a long-term challenge," he says."We don't want to place any unwarranted expectations on the brand."But we do have to make sure it is accepted in the market place."Skoda's rise in Europe is a result of the crumbling of the old Eastern bloc countries.I N 1991 it came in from the cold when Volkswagen AG bought 30 per cent of shares in a newly established joint-venture company.Later, it increased its holding to 70 per cent and in 2000, bought the remaining shares to assume 100 per cent ownership.Today Skoda sells cars in more than 90 countries, has plants in seven countries and employs more than 27,000 people.Last year it sold 549,667 vehicles, an increase of more than 11 per cent over the previous year, a sales record for the brand.The Octavia was the highest-selling model worldwide at 270,274, outselling the Fabia's 243,982.From its humble origins, the Czech carmaker has embraced the capitalist West and will soon embrace Australia. HERE IS THE COMING LINE-UPFABIATHIS VW Polo-sized light car borrows visual cues from the Mini Cooper and Suzuki Swift.Launched at last year's Paris Motor Show, it offers ultra-frugal, three-cylinder, High Torque Performance (HTP) petrol and TDI engines, as well as a 16-valve, 63kW, 1.4-litre and 77kW, 1.6-litre petrol models. The 1.6-litre is offered with a six-speed tiptronic automatic. The 1.4 and 1.6 petrol units are likely to come to Australia.At 3992mm long and with a wheelbase of 2462mm, the Fabia is just 76mm longer overall and sits on a 3mm longer wheelbase than the Polo. It also has 300 litres of luggage space.Among the car's features in Europe are six airbags, climate control airconditioning and active headlights. But Australia is unlikely to see this level of equipment.PRICE: From about $16,000 OCTAVIAPEOPLE familiar with the VW Passat recognise the Octavia.Like the Passat, this mid-size offering is available as a front-wheel-drive sedan and wagon and will be aimed squarely at the premium-priced Japanese models such as the Mazda6, Honda Accord Euro, Subaru Liberty and soon-to-be Ford Mondeo.In Europe, an all-wheel-drive wagon using a Haldex system is also available.The three-model line-up consists of the entry Classic, mid-range Ambiente and luxury Elegance. A high-performance RS model is also sold.The Octavia is powered by a range of petrol and turbo-diesel engines ranging in size from a 110kW, 2-litre FSI up to a 125kW, 2-litre TDI and a 147kW, 2-litre FSI four-cylinder in the RS. In Europe a 1.9-litre TDi is also sold, alongside a 55kW, 1.4-litre and 75kW, 1.6-litre four-cylinder.There is even a 1.4-litre model available.Five and six-speed manual transmissions are available along with a six-speed VW-sourced DSG manual.PRICE: From about $30,000 SUPERBTHE Superb is essentially a long-wheelbase version of the Octavia pitched into the higher end of the market.Offering extra legroom in the back and plenty of leather and luxury, the Superb uses the Passat's older 142kW, 2.8-litre V6 petrol and 120kW, 2.5-litre six-cylinder TDI engines, both available with a tiptronic five-speed automatic.Apart from the sixes, the long-wheelbase sedan is also available in Europe with a 110kW, turbocharged 1.8-litre and a naturally aspirated 85kW, 2-litre four.Apart from the petrol engines, European models also offer 1.2 to 1.6-litre petrol and 1.4 and 1.9-litre diesels, though these are unlikely for Australia.PRICE: About $45,000 ROOMSTERTHE Roomster started out as a funky concept car at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and a production version was unveiled last year.Distinguished by its high-set, van-like styling, it is a versatile, five-door mini people mover similar in concept to the VW Caddy that can easily be converted from a five-seater into a load-lugging two-seater.The Roomster Scout adds plastic-cladding around the body to give it an off-road look, though the car remains front-wheel drive.As with the Fabia, there is a choice of petrol and turbo-diesel engines from 1.2-litre, 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines, as well as frugal 1.4 and 1.9 TDI engines.PRICE: From about $27,000