Skoda Ocatavia
Skoda, one of India’s top automakers, has discontinued the production of the Octavia sedan in India. The decision was made due to the new BS6 Phase 2 emission norms that came into effect on April 1, 2023. The Octavia sedan, powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine that developed 188bhp and 320Nm of peak torque, did not comply with the new regulations.
Replacing the Octavia’s drivetrain with evo4 was not financially viable, so Skoda decided to discontinue the model. The Superb sedan, which employs the same powertrain, is also expected to be phased out.
Skoda’s portfolio in India now includes the Slavia midsize sedan, the Kushaq midsize SUV, and the Kodiaq premium SUV. The Slavia is powered by 1.5-litre petrol engines with manual and automatic gearboxes, while the Kushaq is powered by 1.0-litre petrol engines with manual and automatic gearboxes. The Kodiaq, on the other hand, is powered by the EA888 evo4 DQ381-7A drivetrain, which was developed by Audi AG.
Skoda Kushaq and Slavia have been updated to meet the new Real Driving Emissions (RDE) norms, and as a result, the prices of these models have been hiked. The Kodiaq and VW Tiguan are also expected to be upgraded to comply with the RDE norms.
The low demand for the Octavia sedan can be attributed to the overall shift in the market to SUVs, as there is a smaller base of car buyers looking to buy sedans. Mahindra has also taken the KUV100 NXT mini SUV off of its official website, while Hyundai has not totally stopped producing any models. The vehicle’s powertrain has undergone some major modifications that keep it moving.
The BS6 Phase 2 emission norms were introduced to measure the pollutants, and many major automakers began making changes to their vehicles to conform with the government’s new regulations. Some automakers stopped producing certain models that did not meet the new rule requirements.
Skoda’s feature-packed cars were discontinued, and the Octavia sedan was one of the most prestigious sedans made by the automaker in India. The company’s decision to discontinue the Octavia model was due to the stringent new regulations, which have resulted in a significant shift in the Indian automotive industry.