2024 Skoda Octavia facelift shown in new sketches

The facelifted 2024 Skoda Octavia will be revealed in full on 14 February. But if you can’t wait that long the Czech brand has decided to give us one final sneak peek in the form of a few design sketches.

Clearly previewing the new Octavia’s aesthetic, its changes look to be subtle and in keeping with the brand’s existing underlying design language. Key changes include a new set of LED headlights that bleed into the black surround framing a subtly reshaped grille. These sit above a reshaped bumper with vertical ducts at their outer edges, which will likely help clean the air as it flows around the front wheels.

 A hot vRS model will also debut alongside the mid-life refresh, likely featuring unique alloy wheels, body styling and red accents throughout. 

The new Octavia is part of a major update to all MQB-based models across the wider VW Group, including the recently revealed Volkswagen Golf Mk8.5. We expect the two cars to use much of the same interior technology, although Skoda’s focus on retaining physical switches for the climate controls and a number of other functions will likely stand – something Volkswagen has reverted to with the latest Golf.

The Octavia’s 10-inch central touchscreen, could be replaced by a 10.4-inch touchscreen or even a 12.9-inch unit in higher-spec versions - should it borrow the same set up from the facelifted Golf. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity will remain, but we expect tweaks to the infotainment display, albeit limited to new graphics or menus.

As for the powertrains, given that the Octavia sits on the same MQB platform as the VW Golf, there’s no chance of an all-electric Octavia just yet. The cheapest versions will most likely stick with the 108bhp, 1.0-litre petrol three-cylinder unit, while those with the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox will also benefit from fuel-saving mild-hybrid technology. A more powerful 148bhp 1.5-litre TSI four-cylinder will also be offered.

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Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology has featured on the current Octavia since 2020. The new Skoda Superb PHEV has a larger 25.7kWh battery, but it’s unlikely we’ll see this carried over to Octavia, although modest increases in range and efficiency aren’t out of the question. The Golf plug-in hybrid models recently received a battery expansion from 10.6kWh to 19.7kWh and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see this unit used for the Octavia PHEV to increase its range from 35-40 miles up to around 60 miles. 

As we’ve seen with the new Superb and Kodiaq, Skoda hasn’t forgotten about diesels. With the Octavia we expect to see the same selection of 2.0-litre turbocharged diesels with either 114bhp, 148bhp or 197bhp. The mix of petrol, diesel and PHEV vRS models should also be carried over.

Precise UK specs will be revealed after the Feb 14 reveal  but there will probably be a small increase over the current Octavia’s starting figure of just less than £26,000. Estate models will continue to command a premium of around £1,000.

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