Skoda has been quietly working on a facelifted version of the Octavia, which will become available to order by the end of the year.

On the visual front, the brand’s best-seller now sets itself apart from the current models with dual headlights, which can be fitted with the full-LED technology on request, a reworked grille, slightly tweaked bumpers on both ends, and new patterns for the light alloy wheels that range from 16 to 18 inches.

The revisions have brought new infotainment systems to the 2017 Skoda Octavia, with a 9.2-inch display on higher grades, WLAN hotspot, and SIM card module, joined by the safety assistance systems that include Predictive Pedestrian Protection on the Front Assist, optimized Parking Assistant, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Traffic Alert, rear radar, and rearview camera.

The engine lineup remains untouched, as Skoda continues to offer the compact car with five petrol and four diesel mills, from the modest 84-horsepower 1.0-liter, to the 184 HP 2.0-liter. Almost the entire powertrain family can be had with a six-speed or seven-speed DSG automatic transmission in addition to the standard manual gearbox, while the 1.8 TSI and 2.0 TDI can be specified with an all-wheel drive. Moreover, the driver can adjust the steering and damping characteristics with the optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), by choosing between Comfort, Normal, and Sport modes.

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