On March 3, 1998, Škoda lifted the curtain on the first Octavia Combi of the modern generation at the International Motor Show in Geneva. A few weeks earlier, in February 1998, series production of the future bestseller had already started in a modern production facility in Mladá Boleslav. Over the past 25 years, the legendary model has become one of the most successful estate cars in its class in many countries. The current fourth generation also includes electrified variants: a plug-in hybrid drive in the Octavia Combi iV and mild hybrid technology in the Octavia Combi e-TEC (1.5 TSI e-TEC DSG 110 kW (150 PS): fuel consumption (combined) 6.6 - 4.9 l/100 km; CO2 emissions (combined) 150 - 112 g/km (WLTP values)). The strengths of the practical Škoda Octavia Combi traditionally include an excellent price-performance ratio, a wide range of assistance systems and the highest possible levels of active and passive safety. This was once again confirmed in December 2022 by the results of the Euro NCAP reference test, which are valid until 2028.
Committed to tradition
The Octavia has been a milestone in Škoda's more than 127-year history since 1959. The Octavia Combi, an even more practical version of the model, was launched on September 11, 1960. It was characterized by a spacious and variable 'combi body', which combined all the advantages of a passenger car with those of a light commercial vehicle. With a length of just 4,065 millimeters, a width of 1,600 millimeters and a height of 1,430 millimeters, the Škoda Octavia Combi offered space for five passengers and 690 liters of trunk space. If only two seats were needed, it was even possible to stow 1,050 liters of luggage. The model also had a sleeping device and offered numerous other practical features.
Between 1961 and 1971, 54,100 units of the Octavia Combi left the factory in Kvasiny. Škoda relied on the proven concept with a backbone chassis frame and a front-mounted four-cylinder petrol engine with rear-wheel drive. The robust design and a ground clearance of 175 millimetres subsequently proved their worth even under demanding operating conditions.
Modern career
Another, even more successful chapter began in 1992, shortly after the Czech car manufacturer was integrated into the Volkswagen Group. The newly developed Octavia was the first Škoda model to be based on the A4 Group platform. The design team headed by Dirk van Braeckel was already working with digital CAD technology at the time. Production of the Škoda Octavia with hatchback body started in September 1996 in a completely new assembly hall at the Mladá Boleslav plant, one of the most modern car plants in Europe.
From September 1997, around 200 units of the new Octavia Combi were produced as part of a pre-series. The so-called pilot series was not delivered to customers. Actual production began in February 1998, shortly before the official world premiere on Tuesday, March 3, 1998, at the Geneva Motor Show. The first deliveries to customers followed in May 1998. The four-and-a-half meter long vehicle had a wheelbase of 2,512 millimeters, and the Octavia Combi was six millimeters longer and 26 millimeters higher than the model with the hatchback body. The trunk capacity ranged from 548 to 1,512 liters, making it one of the largest in its class.
The timelessly elegant bodywork scored points with experts and customers alike. In addition to awards such as the Czech National Design Award (1999), this was reflected above all in the sales statistics. In 1998, the estate version accounted for 15 percent of sales of the Octavia series; by 2001, this figure had risen to 40.5 percent. During its 13-year production period, 470,600 units of the model were built.
A video gives an overview of materials and documents from the time of the first modern generation of the Octavia Combi.
Increasing popularity
From summer 2004, the first and second modern generation of the Octavia Combi, known internally as the A4, rolled off the production line in parallel. For six years, the two vehicles complemented each other perfectly on the market. A design team headed by Thomas Ingenlath was responsible for the modern design of the successor Octavia A5. By 2013, 881,200 customers had opted for the estate, meaning that the model accounted for 33 percent of Octavia sales worldwide.
The third Octavia Combi (A6) - launched on March 7, 2013 - was even able to surpass the success of its predecessor. The range was gradually expanded to include the Octavia Scout. The outdoor version offered innovative 4×4 drive, an automatic gearbox and many other modern features. Between 2012 and 2020, 1,195,500 units of the third-generation Octavia Combi were produced.
Fourth generation: electrification
The fourth generation was launched in November 2019 - as the first Škoda production model with mild hybrid e-TEC technology. For the first time, Škoda also offered an Octavia Combi iV with plug-in hybrid drive, which was also available as the sporty Octavia Combi RS iV. The fourth modern generation of the bestseller has already exceeded the mark of a quarter of a million units delivered. This means that the Škoda Octavia Combi has reached a total of more than 2.8 million customers in the past 25 years. From March 1 to May 17, an exhibition at the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav is dedicated to the model history of the Octavia.
