The best spy shots so far of the new Skoda Octavia sedan for the China car market. The third generation Skoda Octavia will debut on the Beijing Auto Show in April and will be launched on the Chinese auto market in May. The Octavia MK3 was launched on European markets early last year, but China still has to do with the second generation Skoda Octavia.

The current second generation Skoda Octavia, made in China by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture that will also make the new car. Price starts at 122.000 yuan and ends at 182.000 yuan. Engines: 1.4 turbo, 1.6, 2.0, and the range-topping 1.8 TSI. The 2.0 will not return in the new Skoda Octavia and will not be replaced. Price range of the new Octavia will be about the same.

Chinese media also report that the Octavia will get a new Chinese name that sounds more like ‘Octavia’. The current name is Mingrui (明锐) and the new name will be Ouya (欧雅). Interestingly, the above photo shows that Skoda’s Chinese name (Sikeda, 斯柯达) has disappeared from the back, replaced by SKODA in capitals. Badge on the left is Shanghai-Volkswagen (上海大众).

Top spec variants come with a big sunroof, now let there be some sun in China’s cities…