What's all this about?
Skoda has updated its Octavia. This is an important model for the Czech company. It's the firm's biggest seller - more than five million have been shifted since it first appeared in 1996. So it has to get this midlife model facelift right.
And let me guess - it has barely changed the look of the car in the update?
Umm, hardly. Have a look at the pictures. Fair play to Skoda for not holding back, but this is a, er... brave facelift of what was a handsome car. Instead of the one-piece, hawkish headlamps of old, we've now got two-piece items and a revised radiator grille. Whether or not it's a successful update is clearly in the eye of the beholder, but at least you can say it's distinctive.
Agreed. What else has Skoda changed?
There are capacitive touchscreen infotainment systems within, the most upmarket of which - the Columbus version - now benefitting from a 9.2-inch screen and a WiFi hotspot. Simply Clever additions include a customisable key (allowing multiple users to save their preferred vehicle settings), a heated steering wheel, bottle holders which help with the opening of bottles, and a removable torch in the Estate model's boot. There are also some additional driver assist systems, like a trailer-reversing assistant, predictive pedestrian protection, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Traffic Alert.
How about the engines?
Two each of petrols (TSI) and diesels (TDI) at launch: there's a 1.0-litre 115hp three-cylinder TSI; a 150hp 1.4-litre four-pot TSI; a 115hp 1.6-litre TDI; and a 150hp 2.0-litre TDI. No word yet on the vRS models, which use the 220hp TSI or 184hp TDI lumps, although they surely can't be far behind these four 2017MY launch cars.
And when can I get my hands on one of these twin-headlighted Octavias?
The revised Skoda Octavia hatch and Estate will be available from the end of the year. Deliveries will begin in early 2017.
Matt Robinson - 27 Oct 2016