Skoda adds electrified mild hybrid option to new Octavia line-up

Skoda has added a new mild hybrid option to its new Octavia line-up as it targets fleet customers with another low-emission electrified drivetrain.

CO2 emissions of 115g/km help the new derivation into achieve a 26% BIK tax bracket, with prices starting from £23,005 when order books open on September 22.

Skoda’s new mild hybrid is branded as a 1.0 TSI e-TEC and brings together a 110PS three-cylinder petrol engine and the Volkswagen Group brand’s eight-speed DSG duel-clutch gearbox with a 48-volt Li-ion battery and a combined belt-driven starter-alternator.

“The 48-volt system means that the new Octavia can coast with the engine completely switched off for extended periods, with the electric motor maintaining power to essential systems like the car’s power steering,” Skoda UK said.

“The mild hybrid system can also recover energy during braking and store it in the battery and support the combustion engine by providing it with an electric boost.

“A direct current converter (DC-DC) converts the voltage from the 48-volt battery to the 12 volts required for the vehicle’s electrical system.”

The 1.0 TSI e-TEC is available in SE First Edition and the fleet-focussed SE Technology trim levels, in both hatchback and estate guise.

Prices are £23,005 for the SE First Edition, £23,985 for the SE First Edition Estate, £23,255 for the SE Technology and £24,235 for the SE Technology Estate.

Skoda confirmed back in July that it would soon be adding to its electrified Octavia line-up with an iV plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, which will also be available in sporty vRS iV form.

Order books opened for the new Octavia line-up back in June.

Prices range from £22,390 for the 1.5 TSI 150PS SE First Edition hatchback to £29,515 for the two-litre TDI 150PS DSG Estate SE L First Edition.

Sales of the Octavia reached 20,703 in 2019 – 15.5% up on 2018 – according to Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) data and the new version hopes to continue that momentum with an updated design offering more space thanks to a longer and wider body.

Skoda is poised to open order books for its first full electric vehicle (EV), the Enyaq SUV, before the end of 2020.

Prices for the new model will start from £33,450 (exc grant) and customers will be able to specify higher 100kW (for 62kWh battery) and 125kW (for 82kWh battery) DC charge rates as options.

The range-topping Enyaq iV 80 uses an 82kWh battery pack and claims a zero emisisons range of up to 316 miles.