Did you know that the very first Skoda Octavia came off the production line in 1959? With that fact in place, some might wonder how is what we have here only the fourth-gen model? The reason behind it is that Skoda had put the Octavia badge out of production and it only came back in 1996. With more than 6.5 million units produced, it is Skoda’s bestselling global model. Is it getting a bit too boring? Okay then. Let’s unravel what the all-new Octavia (sedan, although Europeans call it a hatchback) brings to the party.

First up, the dimensions. Predictably, it is longer and wider than its predecessor and gets a wheelbase stretching 2,686mm. With more real estate, there’s more room for both living and non-living things. The boot, for instance, can gulp ten extra litres of stuff. For math lovers, the luggage compartment has a 600-litre capacity. Options for the alloy wheels go up to 19 inches in diameter. That’s enough of the dry stuff.

As far as the design goes, the new Octavia gets a heavily reworked front and rear fascias. Part of the standard kit LED-powered headlamps, taillamps, fog lamps and DRLs. The Matrix LED headlamps, however, are part of the options list. With the new Octavia, Skoda has injected three new paint options – Crystal Black, Lava Blue and Titanium Blue. The carmaker will also offer Chrome and Dynamic design packages for Ambition and Style trim levels.

Even indoors, the ambience is refreshing. The sedan gets a new two-spoke multifunction steering wheel with optional heating functionality. If you don’t like the look of it, Skoda will fit a three-spoke sports steering wheel for an additional amount. Also, depending on the variant, the Octavia will feature a fully-digital, 10.25-inch instrument cluster and an infotainment system with up to 10 inches of screen real estate. Features part of the standard kit include push-button start/stop, a 4.2-inch MID and an electromechanical parking brake (first on a Skoda). Optional equipment list will cover a panoramic sunroof, Canton sound system, heated windscreen, powered seats with massage function, head-up display (first on a Skoda) and three-zone climate control.

Skoda has also packed the new Octavia with a plethora of assistance systems. Try and keep up with this shortened list – Traffic Warning; Exit Warning, Area View (360-degree cameras); Predictive Cruise Control; Traffic Sign Recognition; Lane Assist; Crew Protect Assist; and Hands-on Detect. Even though some of those features will not be part of all variants, the standard kit will still keep several happy.

There are a couple of firsts for Skoda in the powertrain department as well. First, the DSG-equipped variants feature fly-by-wire technology. And second, the new Octavia becomes the first model from the Czech carmaker to boast mild-hybrid technology. Apart from those, the Octavia also gets a plug-in hybrid variant for the first time. That’s not all, Skoda will offer the car in some markets with a factory-fitted CNG kit as well. Skoda claims that the 2.0-litre TDI engine, which is available in three power outputs from 114bhp/250Nm to 197bhp/400Nm, produces 80 per cent less nitrogen oxide in emissions. The petrol engines, on the other hand, vary from 1.0 litre to 2.0-litres in cubic capacity and offer up to 201bhp/350Nm (plug-in hybrid).

Will it come to India? It will. When? Sometime in the second half of next year, hopefully. We are likely to get two engine options – the 1.5-litre petrol with mild-hybrid tech, and the 2.0-litre diesel in its intermediate form (147bhp/340Nm). Once launched, the new Octavia will renew its rivalry with the Honda Civic and the Hyundai Elantra. In all probability, Toyota would have pulled the plug on the Corolla Altis by then.