Announced earlier this year, the new 1.5-liter TSI petrol engine is the latest addition made to the Skoda Octavia range.

The unit, which is described as “a substantially updated version of the existing 1.4 TSI”, comes straight from the facelifted Volkswagen Golf and feeds 150PS (148hp) and 250Nm (184lb-ft) of torque to the wheels.

It also features an Active Cylinder Management (ACT) system, just like in its German cousin, which works between 1,400 and 4,000 rpm, at an interval of 25-100Nm (18-74lb-ft) of torque and speeds of up to 70mph (113km/h), shutting down two of the four cylinders.

With this system, the Skoda Octavia 1.5 TSI returns 47.7 UK mpg (39.7 US mpg / 5.9 l/100 km) on the combined cycle, when equipped with either a 6-speed manual gearbox, or a 7-speed DSG, which replaces the 6-speed unit offered with the 1.4 TSI. In terms of performance, the 0-62mph (100km/h) acceleration takes as little as 8.2sec (manual hatchback version), and top speed is 136mph (219km/h).

Skoda has already opened the order books for the Octavia 1.5 TSI in the United Kingdom, where prices start from £19,830 ($25,728) for the SE Hatch, and £24,315 ($31,547) for the SE L Estate.

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