Skoda Octavia Scout heads for the hills

Skoda is delighted to announce a new addition to the highly-acclaimed Octavia estate range – the four-wheel drive Scout.

Scout features a robust, muscular appearance combined with a sure-footed 4x4 system that allows it tackle a multitude of different surfaces. It will be offered with two powerful engines, the 2.0-litre FSI 150bhp petrol and the 2.0-litre TDI PD 140bhp diesel. Both come with the second generation of the Haldex clutch that allows up to 98% of power to be transferred between the front and rear wheels.

Pricing for the Skoda Octavia Scout starts at £17,585 for the 2.0-litre FSI 150bhp and increases to £19,490 for the 2.0-litre TDI PD 140bhp. Standard equipment includes twin chrome exhausts, 17 inch ‘Proteus’ alloy wheels, a net programme in the boot, sunset glass, dual zone air con, ESP, headlight washers, rear acoustic parking sensors, cruise control and aluminium pedals.

The Scout’s rugged personality is accentuated by increased ground clearance (17mm higher than the existing 4x4 model), aluminium protective under trays front and rear, chunky protective body mouldings and ESP with Hill Hold Control.

Customers can place their orders for the new Skoda Octavia Scout from the middle of March, with the first deliveries expected at the start of April.

The launch of Scout this year will doubtless help the Octavia repeat the sales success it experienced in 2006. Nearly 17,900 were sold in the UK last year – a figure that contributed greatly to Skoda’s overall record-breaking UK sales of 39,000 vehicles.
This bonanza saw our UK market share increase to 1.7%. Overall sales were up 8% on the previous year, despite the wider British new car market seeing a downturn of 5%. International production rocketed to over 500,000 units. This is an incredible achievement given that in 1995 Skoda built around 208,000 cars – meaning in little more than a decade output has risen by 140%.

The current-generation Octavia model was launched in July 2004 in hatchback guise. Estate, 4x4 and performance vRS models followed shortly afterwards. UK sales for all Octavia models have totalled over 107,000 since the first-generation model hit these shores back in 1998.