2009 Skoda Octavia facelift revealed

By George Skentzos | October 01st, 2008

The first official images of Skoda’s face lifted Octavia range have appeared on the web despite being scheduled for release to coincide with its live reveal at the Paris Auto Show.

While official details are yet to be released, the full extent of the design changes which can be discerned from these initial images.

The front-end styling of the 2009 model Ocatvia has been modernised to resemble the new Fabia and Superb, while the rear boasts an evolutionary design change of the current model.

Inside, the new Octavia receives a new four-spoke steering wheel as well as refined controls for the air-conditioning, radio and navigation system.

Expect a similar engine line-up for the new range with the notable addition of the Volkswagen Group’s turbocharged 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine.

Source: Autoblog.nl

Twilight

they’ve ruined it!!!

now it has the ugly steering wheel of the ‘superb’ and the front lights have ruined its overall character…

i’d take the older model…
Tim

Too little, too late. Why would I buy this, when I could have an Accord Euro/6/Liberty/Mondeo….
Hendrik

looks like an epica at the front.

EPIC FAIL
Yianni

Great car to drive with everything VW has to offer under the sheet metal but it seems Skoda cannot get the styling right.

It’s a pity as its a very good car but will most likely be overlooked for other alternatives because of its looks and the badge it wears.

Cheers
Fan Forced

Sven and the Face Lift team must be still living in the early nineties with the Golden Girls on repeat to think that they have done a better job on this model?
It looks like a cross between a Hyundai sonata and a mid nineties Nissan Pulsar. The only way you could make a more plainer car is to add them together and what you would end up with is the 2009 Skoda Oktavia.
Sorry to be so blunt!! It’s Just not my pureed steak! ( cup of tea )
Better luck next time Skoda
Golfschwein

Well, I quite like it. My benchmark ugly car in the last few years is the previous model Camry, and I bet you’d all rather one of these.
http://skyline The Salesman

Looks like the Holdenwoo Epica crashed into a Ssangyong.
Still, i bet the drive is great.
o

its sad becuae i think it looks good. Nice insignia style headlamps. But then all of you said that the insignia was ugly.As Golfschwein said would you rather be seeing the previous gen camry or this
Reckless1

Tim Says:
October 1st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Too little, too late. Why would I buy this, when I could have an Accord Euro/6/Liberty/Mondeo….

You would buy this because it’s a better drive than all of the above.

I think the facelift looks better. I’d change my interior away from beige, though, it would look much better in a darker shade.
Jimbo

I think it looks ok. A discount Jetta, Not bad at all.
greenroom

I’m really hoping the RS Octavia will look better. You’d hope they’d get the RS interior right. It really is a gem to drive and I’d hate to see them soften it down more.

I’m waiting to drive the TDI RS Octavia with DSG, possibly due in November? Does anybody have any info on its arrival yet?
Carl

Shocking……a real backward step, the current model is OK just a little boring but NOW it’s ugly!
http://deleted Alex

I like it. It has a very relaxed look about it that the new golf has as well. Tim, this isnt a contender with those cars. Its smaller and in competition with the Golf, C4, 308… But less desirable.
o

Alex have you seen the size of the octavias boot it is massive.Octavia is a big car though it looks very compact
http://honda mick

Glad i bought my RS wagon 6 weeks a go , and that was called bland , but it was different , and quirky.

This looks a little too look alike jap/korea , bland and beige .

still the drive is bloody good , with a ton of space and great economy .

Reckless 1 is right never buy a beige interior , bugger to keep clean , conjures up thoughts of cardigans and bowling clubs .
http://deleted Alex

Yes O I have seen the boot and it is massive but its still technically a medium sized car unlike the 6, accord euro, mondeo etc.
Tim

The 6 and Accord Euro are definately mid-size. This is a direct competitor to them – similar size, similar money and equipment. Definately not a Golf – it’s a rebadged Jetta.

So yes, it is a competitor to the cars I mentioned…and the Accord Euro/6 is a better drive than this. This is a far too old model to compare with the latest Japanese variants.
http://honda mick

Tim your right it does compete with euro / 6 , i drove both , they dont hold a candle to the octavia RS for grunt and handling .

both cars have got FAT , the old euro was a better drive .

the rs blitzed them on B roads almost as good as a golf gti , which craps on euro and 6 for handling and power .
http://www.caradvice.com.au/17090/2009-skoda-octavia-facelift-revealed/#comment-95536 Hans

Tim Says:
October 1st, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Too little, too late. Why would I buy this, when I could have an Accord Euro/6/Liberty/Mondeo….

They may (or may not) be a better drive than the Octavia but you can’t get the same combination in the above mentioned cars as you can in the Octavia. For example, the Accord Euro is sedan only. The 6 doesn’t have a diesel option yet… coming very soon I believe. The Liberty is petrol only and the Mondeo does not have a wagon option in Australia. Who wants a wagon you ask? Judging by how well the Holden Commodore sportswagon is selling at the moment – PLENTY!
Cupid Stunt aka No Name

What are Skoda doing to their styling. Frankly Awfull
Alex the Mondeo is only a few mm smaller than the Falcon which is considered a large car. Indeed it is wider and taller has a wider track etc etc. Think you’re talking nonsense.
http://honda mick

Hans you hit the nail on the head , holden got it right , funny how in profile the octavia wagon looks awfully like a smaller sportswagon.

The wagon is back ,fuel economy , large suv ,no sir.

Cupid stutter check out the boot on the octavia bigger than both the ford mondeo and the falcon.
Golfschwein

Tim, I’m going to challenge a number of assertions you made in your post.

The Octavia shares its 2578 mm wheelbase with the Jetta and Golf. Yes, the Jetta really is a Golf with a boot. Always has been. The Golf Mk5 saw light of day in 2004, so a 4 year old car isn’t old. It’s just not as fresh as, well, this year’s cars.

The Mondeo’s wheelbase is 278 mm longer, a massive difference, and the 6′s is longer by 147 mm. Lengthwise, your garage needs to be 272 mm longer to house a Mondeo than an Octavia and 163 mm longer for a 6.

The Octavia is 117 mm narrower than a Mondeo and 24 mm wider than a 6, the only dimension apart from boot space where it is appreciably bigger.

My source was WHEELS, which recently compared them directly. The Octavia was pricier, but better equipped than its competitors, and very clearly smaller. Thank the Golf underpinnings for that.
http://deleted Alex

You know that feeling when ypu know your right about something and there is actually no way you are wrong? Well this is one of those for me. I think one of the things thats a bit confusing here is that this is an Australian website and im thinking of the 6, Mondeo and Accord as large cars. In the UK, this is a medium sized car and I dont care what people say, this is a golf competitor. The only reason why it doesnt really look like a conventional hatchback is because the VW group already had the Golf and the Altea so they probably wanted to make they’re third hatchback a bit different looking. To all the people that keep bringing the Jetta up, the Golf and Jetta are basically in the same group. The Jetta just has a much bigger boot and for a car to go up in size class, it has to be bigger in more ways than the boot. This car is a competitor for the Golf, Jetta, Megane, 308, C4, i30, Astra, Altea, Focus, Impreza, Corolla etc. The Mondeo, 6, Accord etc. are competitors for the Passat, Avensis, Vectra, C5, Laguna, 407 and of course, the car that everybody seems to be forgetting here when they’re talking about the Mondeo and the 6, the SKODA SUPERB! It isnt a limousine, its a Mondeo contender. I think all these cars are a bit confusing in Australia because the prices are all so different. Not the case in the UK. So you can sight measurements at me all you want but this a Golf sized hatchback with a bigger than normal boot, not a (much larger) Mondeo contender. I think its better to compare the wagons here. The Octavia wagon isnt Mondeo sized, its Golf, Astra and Focus wagon sized. Works the same way with the hatches.
Stevo the Devo

Would look better if they did away with the Skoda brand – VW make some decent cars – better to use their own designs than to keep this old nameplate going.
Reckless1

Yeah, Stevo – VW are stupid. They should do what you say and drop this name, which is growing in sales annually and making profits for the company.

Perhaps you should ring them and suggest it?
http://caradvice.com.au OSU811

just recently drove a turbo 6speed man rs sedan, and was quite surprised, brilliant engine!! same as in golf gti, and nice gearbox , very smooth and quiet, But the torque steer in first and second and handling very average…
ScottB

A disappointing update. The original was simple and clean, if boring, but this just doesn’t work. Doesn’t do justice to what is a fine car.
Iz

Well, the Octavia facelift works with the rest of the Skoda family; but we only have two models locally here in Aus. And since the facelift has made it look completely anonymous (looks like an Epica; how’s that for an insult) probably gonna have even less sales than they do now.

Which is a shame, because the Octavia is a decent car.
Zhuo

I agree that it is a disappointing update. Now more look like an Epica. They will not sale well unless drop the price more than A$5,000 lower than their competitors(eg. Honda Euro, Mazda-6. Other options are source their cars from Shanhai, PR China, and drop the price heavily.
If they insist to sale an unsalable car in Australian market, Skoda may need to withdraw from Australian Market.
Pedro

I have just ordered an Octavia Ambiente wagon auto (DSG) after test driving Mazda6 wagon, Liberty 2.5i wagon and a Forester X. The Liberty went because of price, the Forester because of fuel consumption (and little discount because of good sales) plus the interior design was a bit funny to me, and the 6 because it was just that bit too large for my needs and I could not wait for the diesel. All of the above were good cars and seemed well screwed together but the daily costs of driving are now very important to me (retired) so a diesel seems the way to go. Interesting reading all the comments above, I agree with Alex regarding the position of the Octavia in the market, it is in the Focus/Astra area, not Mondeo or Mazda6. Not too sure about the slight redesign – as a few have commented, looks a bit like an Epica around the lights.
Adel

I am waiting for 2009 model for more than 2 years. I thing this is a midsized car and very suitable to my needs, inside city driving and a lot of high way driving. The running cost of the car is reasonable, important nowdays. This car is very popular now in Egypt, as it is durable, its re selling value is good. The look of the car not so impressive but it is ok, the inside is more important.
Chris

I sell Volkswagens for a living and have just recently purchased a Skoda RS EX Factory wagon and ihave to say that i am blown away. I drove it for the comical factor of saying i drive a bright yellow Skoda and ended up becoming a huge fan of what the product has to offer. I felt after a few minutes in the cabin the Skoda was a better made car in relation to plastic quality and ergonomics. I normally drive the GTi DSG and for the better part FLAT OUT, it is a front wheel drive car and has ………..wait for it………torque steer and so does the RS. It didn’t have more or less it actually seemed the sam. As for the handling i was taking corners as hard as i did in the GTi pushing to almost understeer and yet i id’nt notice a massive difference.
I think people have to stop bagging very good value for money cars, 7 years ago when i started with Volkswagen no one really wanted the car and it was an overpriced, underwhelming piece of metal now it;s the ‘second coming’. 7 years ago Volkswagen didn’t have anything close to what Skoda are offering in value for money and take it from someone who knows better than the average punter Skoda is a Volkswagen full stop in fact this new so called ‘hedious’ Skoda shares the same dash set up and engineering (shell wiring system, suspension etc) as the Mark 6 which you would pay more for because of the badge. Great for me as a salesman in VW but it wreaks of the arrogance i deal with daily when i have Merc and BMW owners turn the nose up at our product becuase of the BADGE!!!!!
JohnT

Previous model was bland and inoffensive. Current model reminicent of the old (ugly) Camry. Most of the VW (and family)range are if not stunning at least moderately attractive. Surprising that ugly cars are still produced. Shame that the facade doesn’t match the beauty underneath…
Rob

Its a HUGE improvement.
Its lost a lot of the staid, ultra conservative, totally unimaginative, looks that the older model had.
A BIG “Well done” to the designers.
yang bo@China

Now i have a old octavia
I like this new one, esp the new foglamp cornering function and the new headlamp, before it is a little boring, to be honest.
Since lots of people not like it, plz, bring it to China early…
PJ

I have just purchased a new scout today and searched the East coast for the previous style and have been lucky to find one with the new interior but previous front end style which I much prefer.
I traded a VW bora v5 125kw version which I have owned for nearly eight years and loved the car, had no faults in the 160,000 kms I drove it and still looked new.
I went Skoda because I preferred the style against the Golf type competition and was blown away with equipment levels in comparison. If it is half as good as the Bora it is based on I will be very happy indeed.
As the only negative comment I have heard against Skoda is the resale value I am wondering if anyone out there has traded any brand of car lately as resale value means the profit the dealer makes from the trade in not the poor car owner.