ŠKODA’s OCTAVIA range now has a plug-in hybrid option available to UK customers. These models use the same petrol/electric drivetrain as the OCTAVIA vRS and SUPERB iV. Customers can choose between hatch or estate variants.
This is the most fuel-efficient OCTAVIA model ever, with a WLTP fuel consumption of 282.5-188.3mpg. Its CO2 output is 22-33g/km on a combined cycle.
The low fuel consumption is attributed to the petrol/electric plug-in hybrid system, which combines a 1.4 TFSI petrol engine and 85kW electric motor. Together, the total output is 204PS with torque at a remarkable 350Nm.
Battery pack
The electric motor gets its power from a 13kWh battery pack, located in the floor just ahead of the rear axle. It has an all-electric range of 43 miles, plus a number of driving modes to suit the driver’s needs.
In E-mode, the vehicle will stay in electric drive and is great for driving on urban routes or short commutes.
In Hybrid mode, the electronic control unit will continually assess the driving situation - with interaction between the petrol engine and electric motor being automatically regulated, either to complement each other or to activate only one of these. You can also opt to charge the battery in this mode by using either recuperation or the engine when the vehicle is moving, so the driver can set their own desired battery level. The car can then top up the battery until that point, or the energy is used until that level.
Recovered energy
In Hybrid Auto mode, the control unit decides when to use power from the battery or recharge it from recovered energy based on the current driving situation. AN output of 150PS is available at all times in Hybrid mode, or boosted to 204PS in kickdown by pressing the accelerator or using Sport mode.
The plug-in system can be charged using a Type 2 connection. The OCTAVIA iV’s on-board charger is rated at 3.6kW - meaning it can be charged from empty to full in 3.5 hours with a standard domestic or workplace 16A supply. As well as the 16A AC charge cable for wallbox and charge points, the OCTAVIA iV also comes with a 10A UK three-pin charge cable as standard.