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The first unit of the all-new Å koda Octavia rolled off the production facility in Aurangabad. Introduced in 2001, the Octavia marked Å koda Auto's foray into the Indian subcontinent. This is the fourth generation of Octavia and will be launched later this month.
Å koda India announced the start of production of the all-new Octavia at its production facility in Shendra, Aurangabad. The celebratory Lava Blue vehicle dons the Lauren & Klement badge that pays homage to the founders of the longstanding Czech auto manufacturer as well as its 125 years of rich history and heritage. Slated to be introduced later this month, the latest Å koda offering will build on Octavia's legacy.
Mr. Zac Hollis, Brand Director – ŠKODA AUTO India, said "The ŠKODA OCTAVIA has always offered a compelling combination of the brand's emotive design, exquisite interiors, class-leading safety, and intelligent connectivity features, and the all-new iteration pushes the yardstick further. A twenty-year run, and about a hundred thousand satisfied customers, is a testament to its strong equity among discerning car buyers in a dynamically evolving automotive market like India. With the commencement of production, we also commit to a stronger product portfolio as we look to grow our presence in India. In line with our laser-sharp focus on customer centricity, we are also rapidly growing our network presence and have introduced several initiatives to ensure an unmatched ownership experience."
Octavia Brand Legacy -
In January 1959, the very first Octavia rolled off the production facility in Mladá Boleslav. The marque derived its naming nomenclature from the Latin word 'Octavia' that meant 'the eighth'. It was the eighth vehicle in ŠKODA AUTO's product portfolio, post-second world war, as well as the eighth vehicle to feature state-of-the-art independent suspension for all the wheels. The Geneva Motor Show, the following year, saw the premiere of the sporty Škoda Octavia Touring Sport (TS). The much-powerful iteration secured a hat trick in the Monte Carlo rally with class victories in 1961, 1962, and 1963.
The nameplate resurrected, and the first generation OCTAVIA of the modern era was introduced in 1996 - after Å KODA AUTO had become part of the Volkswagen Group. In 2001, the Czech auto major made way to the INDIAN subcontinent with the OCTAVIA. It established a 'value luxury' position for the brand among the domestic audience. The OCTAVIA marked Å KODA AUTO India's foray into the sedan segment and garnered much appreciation from brand loyalists and auto enthusiasts from across the nation. (source)
The success story continued with the second generation of the Å KODA OCTAVIA, introduced in 2006. The new Octavia, a model range that had become synonymous with the brand, pushed the innovation envelope much further, more so with the introduction of direct injection technology on petrol vehicles as well as automatic dual-clutch transmission (DSG). The third generation Å KODA OCTAVIA set new benchmarks for functionality, practicality, and spaciousness in its segment, and the RS moniker combined unparalleled value proposition with pulse racing like none another.
About 6.5 million units of the Å KODA AUTO's bestseller, the OCTAVIA, have been produced the world over - across manufacturing facilities in China, India, Russia, and Kazakhstan. A proof of this car's popularity lies in the fact that 100,000 units of the Å KODA OCTAVIA have made their way into homes here in India.