Skoda Australia has hand up for hybrid Camry rival

Skoda Australia is keen to get its hands on upcoming hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the Octavia, both of which are currently in development.

"Yes... we're investigating both options," Skoda Australia director Lucie Kuhn told CarExpert in Queenstown, New Zealand.

However, Australian launch timing for either electrified Octavia has yet to be confirmed.

The Volkswagen Group's new hybrid powertrain was revealed for the Volkswagen Golf and T-Roc this year, and will find its way into the Octavia at a later date.

Skoda's mid-size liftback and wagon range is also set to gain the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 'eHybrid' PHEV powertrain found in models such as the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid, Tayron eHybrid, and Cupra Terramar VZe.

Both represent a further step up in electrification from the mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrain made available for the Australian-market Octavia earlier this year.

"The mild-hybrid version is there for customers who are looking for some very reasonable TCO (total cost of ownership). The car is reasonably priced and the TCO is not bad," said Ms Kuhn.

"But the more hybrid you have, the better, and this will be part of the transformation for customers coming from ICE. Many of them will move into some form of hybrid.

"Full hybrid is a real step forward."

The Octavia’s expected new ‘full’ hybrid system is Volkswagen Group’s latest turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, which uses a 1.6kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, a one-speed gearbox, an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, and two electric motors.

One electric motor functions as a generator, while the other provides drive. Depending on the situation, the latter can power the vehicle on its own – such as during low-speed urban driving – or assist the petrol engine.

Volkswagen says the new drivetrain has been engineered to combine efficiency, performance and comfort, with the electric drive motor taking over from or supporting the combustion engine whenever possible to reduce fuel use.

As with other series-parallel hybrid systems, it can operate in three modes – electric, series and parallel – depending on driving conditions. It's also claimed to allow a greater share of electric-only driving than the Group’s current mild-hybrid setups.

In the T-Roc, the new hybrid powertrain will be offered exclusively with front-wheel drive, and with outputs of 100kW or 125kW.

An Octavia Hybrid would square off against hybrid variants of the similarly sized Hyundai i30 Sedan, as well as the larger Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. An Octavia PHEV, by contrast, would compete with the BYD Seal 6.

Skoda Australia added its first plug-in hybrids this year with PHEV versions of the Kodiaq SUV and Superb large wagon, after previously ruling out the technology before the tougher New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) came into effect.

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