The carmaker Škoda Auto belongs to the pillars of the Czech industry, its long-selling model being the Octavia. The Škoda Octavia is also the brand’s longest-produced car. It was introduced 25 years ago, on September 1, 1996, and so far about seven million of these cars have been produced. Currently, the fourth generation of the model is being produced, which the carmaker presented in its world premiere on November 11, 2019.
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Octavia is the first model of the brand to use the strategy of shared common modules of the VW Group. This lower-middle-class car, for the production of which a new assembly plant was built in Mladá Boleslav, was a great success right after its launch.
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Škoda Octavia RS in four generations
Photo: Škoda Auto
He was able to compete with the more famous brands of the VW Group and other renowned manufacturers in terms of quality, emphasis on safety and a number of modern solutions, as well as, especially in Western European markets, price. The success of the car significantly helped the development of the carmaker, which has been the largest industrial manufacturing company in the Czech Republic and the largest exporter for many years.
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The Octavia was already called the carmaker’s successful model from 1959 to 1964. Work on the development of the new model began in 1992, a year later it was decided that the car would be built on a new corporate platform for the fourth generation Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3. The first prototypes of the Octavia began to be tested in 1994. Belgian designer Luc Donckerwolke was behind the design of the car, who later, for example, signed himself to the design of the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo supersports.
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The launch of the Škoda Octavia on September 1, 1996 in Prague
Photo: Tomáš Turek, ČTK
The new model of the Mladá Boleslav carmaker was first presented to the public on September 1, 1996 on Prague’s Old Town Square. With a length of 4.51 meters, it has become roughly among the Volkswagen Vento and Passat types within the VW Group. The price of the model started from CZK 335,700 (then about 34 average monthly salaries in the Czech Republic). The first octaves were created in the body version of the liftback, and since 1998 also as a station wagon.
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Škoda Octavia Combi after modernization in 2021
Photo: Škoda
Both body versions also appealed to customers in terms of the volume of luggage space, which put them at the top of Europe in their class. Drivers also praised the car’s driving characteristics and fuel-efficient diesel engines, but were criticized for limited space in the rear seats.
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Škoda Octavia first generation before modernization
Photo: Škoda
The first generation of the Octavia was the brand’s largest model at the time of its introduction. Thanks to this, the company was able to reach a wider group of customers. It was manufactured until November 2010, and in the 2001 model year it was modified. In 14 years, over 1.4 million pieces of the first generation car were assembled, of which more than 470 thousand in the station wagon version.
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Skoda Octavia Combi second generation
Photo: Škoda
In 2004, the second generation of the car was launched on the market, which was modernized at the end of 2008. After the introduction of its successor, the first generation continued to be produced under the name Octavia Tour. The second generation, which excelled in more modern technology, more extensive safety features and a more robust body, produced about 2.6 million units (of which 900,000 station wagons) and Škoda also managed to expand into the Asian market.
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Škoda Octavia second generation after modernization
Photo: Škoda
Production of the third generation began in December 2012, its appearance was designed by Slovak designer Jozef Kabaň. In the autumn of 2016, the car was modernized, and the division of the headlights into a pair on each side caused controversy among the motoring public. The price of the car started from CZK 450,900 (about 13 average monthly salaries in the Czech Republic) and diesel and petrol engines had an output from 85 to 180 kW. In total, over 2.6 million pieces were created.
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Škoda Octavia third generation
Photo: Škoda
The current fourth generation is larger than its predecessor and has a larger suitcase. The car received supercharged petrol and diesel engines with a capacity of 1.0 to 2.0 liters and an output of up to 204 hp. The offer is complemented by a variant with natural gas (CNG) drive, a version with a plug-in hybrid drive and also the so-called mild hybrid. It also has new assistance systems. The price starts at 494,900 crowns, the station wagon 40,000 higher.
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In total, about seven million units have been sold in a quarter of a century since the introduction of the first Octavia, making it the best-selling Škoda model. Roughly 70 percent of customers are companies, said Škoda Auto spokesman Zbyněk Straškraba and Kamila Biddle. “The largest part of sales, approximately 70 percent, are made up of fleet customers. However, there are also countries, such as Italy, where the private segment predominates over the fleet, “said Straškraba.
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Skoda Octavia Combi fourth generation
Photo: Petr Horník, Právo
In general, the combi variant is sold more with octavia. “For the second generation, which started in 2004, sales were first balanced, but at the end of the life cycle, the combi version prevailed over the liftback version, and since then the combi variant has clearly dominated sales,” said Straškraba.
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The Octavia was also used in car competitions in the Kit Car and WRC specifications. The Škoda Octavia Cup race is held on racing circuits in the Czech Republic and other countries.
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Skoda Octavia WRC
Photo: Škoda
In addition to Czech plants, octavia also travels from production lines in Russia, China, Kazakhstan, India, Ukraine and Algeria. This car has long been the best-selling car on the Czech market.
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Last year, it also held the lead of the best-selling car in Estonia, Poland and Switzerland. Last year, the Octavia was the best-selling model of the Škoda Auto. It delivered 257,400 of them, which is a year-on-year decrease of 29.2%. However, due to the limitations associated with the fight against coronavirus, the company did not produce 39 days in domestic plants and its sales network also had limited operation. In the first half of this year, the company delivered 121,000 octaves to customers, up 9.3% year-on-year.
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