In January this year, Skoda Auto India introduced the Superb Corporate Edition. It brought an attractive package at an enticing price. But there was and still is a catch. It is available only for existing Skoda Auto customers. Now, we have another such product – the Skoda Octavia Corporate Edition. And yes, if you don’t own a Skoda model currently, you are not eligible to buy the newly launched trim.

The Skoda Octavia Corporate Edition is available with two engine-transmission combinations – a petrol-manual and a diesel-manual. While the former wears a price tag of Rs 15.49 lakh, the latter is priced at Rs 16.99 lakh (ex-showroom India). Compared to the Ambition trims, the petrol and diesel Corporate Editions are Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh less expensive, respectively.

Let’s run over the engine specs first. Choosing the petrol variant will get you a 1.4-litre TSI engine which is good for 150PS/250Nm. If you want a diesel engine, the Octavia Corporate Edition will come with a 2.0-litre TDI mill that pumps out 143PS/320Nm. No matter which engine you choose, the only transmission option available is a 6-speed manual. While the petrol engine can return a mileage of 16.7kmpl, hit 100kmph from nought in 8.1 seconds and claim a top speed of 219kmph, the same figures for the diesel stand at 21kmpl, 8.4 seconds and 218kmph.

As far as the list of features goes, the Skoda Octavia Corporate Edition comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED DRLs, dual-zone climate control, a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cooled and illuminated glovebox and 60:40 split rear seats. On the safety front, the D-segment sedan gets gizmos such as ABS with EBD, hydraulic brake assistant, electronic differential lock, electronic stability control, multi-collision braking and motor speed regulation. The Octavia scores high on practicality with a 590-litre boot, which can be expanded to 1,580 litres by folding the rear backrest down.

The Corporate Edition is up for grabs from all authorised Skoda dealerships across the country. The only colour option for the exterior is Candy White. In India, the Skoda Octavia competes with the likes of the Toyota Corolla Altis, Hyundai Elantra and the recently launched Honda Civic.