Are you amongst those who were eagerly waiting for the all-new Octavia? Well, here’s some good news. Skoda India has commenced production of the fourth-gen sedan at its plant in Shendra, Aurangabad. As for the launch, that will happen within the current month. Like the rest of the Skoda range, the Octavia too will stick with the petrol-only mantra. But, there will be multiple trim levels to choose from.

Here’s the new Octavia in Lauren & Klement form, making it the range-topping derivative. As for the colour, that’s Lava Blue. Skoda says that the shade is a celebratory one as the brand completes 125 years and pays homage to its founders.

Skoda hasn’t released any information about the engine. If we had to take a calculated guess, the new sedan would come with a 1.5-litre TSI engine, the same one that will power the Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun, and already does duty in the Volkswagen T-Roc. The powerplant pumps out 148bhp/250Nm. To widen Octavia’s portfolio, Skoda might offer the engine with manual and DSG transmission units. That latter will be a 7-speed affair.

It was in November 2019 when Skoda first unwrapped the fourth-gen Octavia. It is longer and wider than its predecessor, which translates to more room inside the cabin and the luggage area. Some of the expected features include the new two-spoke Skoda multifunction steering wheel, a 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, electric parking brake, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and push-button start/stop. Based on the images, Skoda will offer the Octavia in at least two out of the three newly introduced colours – Lava Blue and Crystal Black. Expect white, grey and silver to join that list.

When it launches, the new Skoda Octavia will compete directly with the Hyundai Elantra. The latter makes do with a 2.0-litre petrol-fed mill that produces 2bhp more and 58Nm less torque than the 1.5 TSI motor. Earlier, both those models had to lock horns with the now-axed Toyota Corolla Altis and the Honda Civic.