Just hours after we showed you our speculative take on the 2013 Skoda Octavia III through Josh Byrne’s rendering, CarScoop reader Nicholas W. emailed us this picture he shot in Santiago, the capital city of Chile, earlier today.
From what we understand, Skoda was on site to photograph both the sedan, which is seen here with only the brand’s logo on the bonnet being masked up, as well as the estate variant that can be viewed parked in the depth.
The new Octavia’s design is heavily influenced by the VisionD concept car, albeit with a much longer rear overhang that creates the illusion of a sedan body (the new model keep its predecessor’s five-door hatchback layout with a rear tailgate).
It’s not only the skin that’s fresh on the third generation Octavia but its underpinnings too, as the compact model rides on the VW Group’s brand new MQB platform (shared with vehicles such as the VW Golf 7, Audi A3 and Seat Leon) that will likely result in a weight reduction despite an increase in size.
We also expect the German group to offer their latest turbocharged engines on the new Octavia, including the 1.4-litre TSI 138hp (140PS) with Active Cylinder Technology and 1.2-litre TSI 104hp (105PS) petrols and the 1.6-litre TDI 104hp (105PS) and 2.0-litre TDI 148hp (150PS) diesels, together with a selection of manual and dual-clutch DSG transmissions.
Many thanks to Nicholas W. for sending in the scoop!
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