On the back of breaking monthly and quarterly sales records, ŠKODA AUTO India added yet another record to its cabinet when OCTAVIA number 101,111 was delivered to its customer. Along the way, the ŠKODA OCTAVIA has also hit the record of being the largest selling car in India via the Parts and Components (CKD) route. Moreover, the ŠKODA OCTAVIA now holds the distinction of being among the top longest-running nameplates in continuous sale currently in India.
Commenting on the landmark achieved by the ŠKODA OCTAVIA, Mr. Zac Hollis, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “The OCTAVIA is synonymous with ŠKODA AUTO since our entry into India. It introduced Indian consumers to a value luxury package of design, technology, comfort, versatility and driving dynamics and created its own segment when launched in 2001. It has since become the largest selling CKD of all time in India, recently crossing the 1 lakh sales mark. A big thank you to our family of fans and customers whose continued love and support to the OCTAVIA for over two decades has made this accomplishment possible.”
In an era where change is the only constant, four generations of the OCTAVIA have met, tackled, survived and succeeded in the face of constantly evolving challenges, market conditions, economic fluctuations and customer preferences. From a time when India was just about witnessing an influx of the latest cars from around the world, to a time where aspirations have moved from a hatchback to a sedan to an SUV, the OCTAVIA has stood its ground with its timeless design, quality, ability to engage the driver and its passengers and is a successful car in the C-segment in India.
The OCTAVIA name has Latin origins denoting the number 8. As it was the 8th all new model in ŠKODA’s post-war line-up and also the 8th car in ŠKODA’s modern generation of cars with independent all-wheel suspension. More importantly, in music, an octave is a perfect interval, a perfect cyclical rhythm of 8 beats and is the simplest rhythm to follow, in which nearly all music in all styles and forms is composed. And true to its name, the OCTAVIA has always been about balance, consistency, versatility and simplicity. The first time the OCTAVIA name was used was in 1959 with the OCTAVIA COMBI following in 1961. The model was in production till 1971, before being resurrected in 1996 under the VW Group. This was referred to as the OCTAVIA (OG) unofficially and the OCTAVIA (A4) by the company.
To quote Dirk van Braeckel, designer of the first-generation OCTAVIA, “When we ran our first customer tests, the unbelievable results that came back to us strongly suggested that we were really onto something. And it transpired that indeed we were. The OCTAVIA came along with this look that embodied tradition, quality and sporting ambition, and combined that with remarkable spaciousness, all at a very reasonable price. On top of that, the timeless design and the philosophy of evolution rather than revolution have been highly instrumental in lifting the OCTAVIA to its current heights.”
Besides opening up the Indian market to its first premium sedan experience, the OCTAVIA presented a unique notchback design
