Newly launched Skoda Octavia to compete with Volkswagen Jetta

Over the past few months, the Indian car market has witnessed the launch of various vehicles in different segments. Talking about the executive sedan segment, the competition mainly exists between Hyundai, Toyota and Volkswagen. Now with the launch of Skoda Octavia, the rivalry is expected to stiffen as the previous generations of this sedan performed extremely well. Since all companies are vying to make a mark, the recently launched Octavia model will pose a serious threat to other cars in the segment. While for Volkswagen, its Jetta model is faring respectably in its segment but with launch of the new Octavia, the car might lose out on some of its market share. So in order to assess the rivalry between both the cars a comparison has been carried out by experts.

As far as specifications are concerned, Skoda Octavia is available in petrol and diesel engine options. In case of petrol version, Skoda has given two engine options, namely 1.4-litre TSI and 1.8-litre TSI. On the other hand, the diesel variant is fitted with a 2.0-litre TDI CR engine. As far as the outputs of the petrol units are concerned, the 1.4-litre one gives 138 bhp of power and 250 Nm of torque whereas the 1.8-litre powertrain produces a peak output of 178 bhp along with the 250 Nm of torque. In case of the 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, the maximum power stands at 141 bhp and the car can generate a torque of 320 Nm. As far as the transmission of all these variants are concerned, the 1.4-litre TSI and 2.0-litre TDI CR Active/Ambition trim levels are offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox. For the 1.8-litre TSI, it is available in 7-speed automatic DSG transmission system while the 2.0-litre TDI CR Ambition/Elegance trims are equipped with 6-speed automatic DSG.

Like the new Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Jetta is offered in both petrol and diesel versions. The 1.4-litre TSI petrol powertrain of Jetta has a displacement of 1390 cc. It can generate a maximum power of 120 bhp while the torque level stands at 200 Nm. In case of the diesel version, 2.0-litre CR TDI gives away a displacement of 1968 cc. The figures of power and torque stand at 138 bhp and 320 Nm, respectively, for the diesel version. The petrol variant is only offered in 5-speed manual transmission system while the diesel version available with a 6-speed automatic DSG gearbox.

In terms of fuel economy, the average of different variants of Octavia varies with their engine type. As claimed By Skoda, the 1.4-litre engine of Octavia gives 16.8 kmpl while the powerful 1.8-litre one returns 14.7 kmpl. The manual diesel version is capable of giving a fuel economy of 20.6 whereas the figures for automatic one stands at 19.3 kmpl. As far mileage statistics of Volkswagen Jetta are concerned, the petrol unit has a fuel economy of 14.6 kmpl whereas the numbers for petrol and automatic variants stand at 19.33 kmpl and 16.96 kmpl, respectively.

Talking about the price of both cars, Skoda Octavia is offered in a range of Rs. 13.95 lakh to Rs. 19.45 lakh (ex-showroom) whereas Volkswagen Jetta is available from Rs. 13.6 lakh, which further goes up till Rs. 18.96 lakh for the top-spec trim. So with a minimal difference in price, it becomes hard to choose one car between the two.

Owing to the fact that Skoda Octavia is provided with a new advanced functionalities and features, it scores a notch above Volkswagen Jetta. However, it would be not fair to underestimate Volkswagen Jetta as the car too boasts of several premium features. In terms of exteriors, the sedan from Skoda definitely wins the competition but Jetta has a slight edge if one takes interiors into consideration. Furthermore, Jetta ranks much higher in terms of providing comfort and convenience to the passengers.

After assessing the overall qualities of the newly launched Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Jetta, it becomes difficult to predict a clear winner as both the cars have their pros and cons. However, in the most important aspect, the engine performance, the car from Skoda definitely maintains a lead over its Volkswagen counterpart.