Confirmed: 2017 Skoda Octavia facelift India launch on July 13, GST may bring price down

Czech automaker Skoda Auto is inching closer to the launch of the facelifted Octavia sedan. The Indian subsidiary has announced that it will launch the 2017 Octavia on July 13 and bookings are open in dealerships. Skoda India has also teased an image of the upcoming model.

Also read: Skoda Karoq unveiled: New compact SUV to replace ageing, yet desirable Yeti crossover

Being a mid-life facelift, new Octavia comes with a nip and tuck focused on its face. The best-selling sedan of the company now comes with a split headlight design. The model also restyled front bumper and the fog lamps. Whether the split headlight of new Octavia will go down well with the customer remains to be seen.

While the side profile remains untouched, the tail lamps get new inlays inside the cluster and it complements the changes upfront. The interior will be spruced up with a larger touchscreen system supporting WLAN hotspot and smartphone integration. Other major additions will include ambient lighting with adjustable colours, a rear-view camera and a hands-free parking system. New Octavia will also get larger 17-inch alloy wheels.

No changes under the hood are expected. The 1.4-litre petrol mill will produce 48bhp and 250Nm of torque and mated six-speed manual transmission. The 1.8-litre petrol unit will belt out 180bhp and 250Nm of torque and mated to a seven-speed DSG. On the other hand, the diesel option is a 2.0-litre engine developing 143bhp and 320Nm of torque and mated to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed DSG.

The interesting bit of information is that the prices of the Octavia may come down, thanks to GST. As per the new tax regime, rates of cars with more than 4-metre length and, 1.2L petrol and 1.5L diesel engine capacity will bear 43 percent tax under GST. It is a significant drop from the 51.6 percent. If Skoda decides to pass on the benefits of the new tax rate to customers, the prices may go down. The price of the current model has ranges between Rs 19.28 lakh and Rs 23.35 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.