Long-wheelbase Skoda Octavia Pro debuts in China
Skoda Auto has unveiled a long-wheelbase derivative of the fourth-gen Skoda Octavia specifically for the Chinese market. Termed the Skoda Octavia Pro, this version features an extended wheelbase and more features to appeal to the rear-seat focused buyers in that country.
The Skoda Octavia Pro is 64mm longer than the standard Skoda Octavia at 4,753mm. A good 44mm of this extra length has been added to the wheelbase which has grown to 2,730mm. Width remains unchanged at 1,829 mm. Some exterior fluorishes have also been added to differentiate the Pro from the standard Octavia. These are seen in the chromed grille and the RS-derived bumper with the large honeycomb inserts. Although the chrome highlighting along the edges are unique to this version. Other enhancements are the black roof and door mirrors and the standard 18-inch alloy wheels.
On the inside, there is a larger 12-inch touchscreen that replaces the 10.1-inch unit seen on other Octavias and a three-spoke steering wheel replaces the two-spoke unit in the standard car. The cabin is finished in an all0black theme with brushed-chrome highlights and red contrast stitching. The rest of the feature list remains largely similar to the standard Octavia with highlights being three-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, the virtual-cockpit instrument cluster, connected-car tech and a HUD.
Powering the Skoda Octavia Pro is the older 1.4-litre turbo-petrol motor with 150PS and 250 Nm. This pairs with a shift-by-wire seven-speed DCT. Further, the Octavia Pro comes with a more sophisticated multi-link rear-suspension set-up.
There is no word yet on the Octavia Pro being made available in other markets, so an Indian debut seems unlikely in the near future. The fourth-gen Octavia is set to debut in India in early April, after the global unveiling of the India-specific Skoda Kushaq. The India-spec Octavia will be powered by the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol from the Superb with 190PS and 350 Nm.