The first few seconds you look at this Skoda
Octavia, you could be mistaken for thinking it is just any old Octavia carrying
a little too much luggage and putting its suspension to the test. However, Carscoops spy photographers assert that this is an early prototype
of the next-generation Skoda Octavia. Take a second look at the car and you may
be able to spot some key giveaways of it being unique.
While the same controversial, split headlights of the current Octavia
are still present, they’ve now been complemented by an entirely new lower
grille and faux air intakes. It remains to be seen how close this new front
fascia is to what the production car will have but it’s not the only element
that gives away this prototype’s true identity.
Take a look at the wheels and you’ll notice what
appear to be some kind of sensors in the hubs. Additionally, it is reasonable
to assume that the vehicle is sitting so low to the ground because of some
heavy testing equipment in the rear.
The Skoda Octavia has been produced by the Czech
company since 1996 and is currently in its third-generation. The current
Octavia we’re most familiar with arrived in early 2017 as a facelifted model
with the aforementioned split headlights and an unchanged rear end.
It remains to be seen what powertrains the 2020
Octavia will be offered with but there’s a chance the plug-in hybrid system
used by the forthcoming Superb PHEV is on Skoda’s radar. Beyond this, the usual
mix of diesel and petrol engines should be available.
If you’re concerned that the lack of significant
styling changes on this prototype indicates what the final production model
will look like, don’t be. Skoda appears to have simply grabbed a current
Octavia and commenced testing of it without fitting the new body panels.
