Hi everyone. I've just ordered a new MK III Octavia RS here in Australia. Delivery is September 2014 and build date week 22 or after.... No stress on time, I'm not in a rush but cannot wait!

It'll be the Combi in the dark grey metallic. Tech Pack, all the bells and whistles except the only thing I didn't order was leather! Sunroof, keyless start, auto book open/close etc.

My question is: the Australian market is too small to opt for stitching color selection. European options I believe are Red and Grey. Australia only gets Red. On seats and stitching on steering wheel/gear box.

I enquired about the grey inserts and stitching with my dealer/sales woman and was advised it's not possible, explanation above about the market being small for such an option and there wouldn't be a demand...

I was curious to know if I could contact the factory closer to the date of build. I know all Australian spec cars will be build around the same date, then shipped. I want the grey stitching as well as the Skoda Green brake calipers!

Has anyone ever contacted the workshop/factory with success, given the build number or customer details and go some extras added into their cars?

I'm seriously considering ordering a RS but would also prefer the grey trim inserts/stitching instead of red. Bizarrely I would consider red paintwork if offered as otherwise it will be battleship grey if I am feeling brave, with the default option of white...

What driveline ? Probably going petrol manual myself but would consider diesel manual if it was available - sigh...

Petrol DSG 2.0ltr

I did back in late 2010 when I ordered a Yeti, as here in the UK you could only get 17" rims and I preferred 16" as available in the rest of Europe. Skoda UK likewise said no but I was lucky enough to get the factory to agree to my request.

 

However I noted that Skoda Auto withdrew the e-mail contact details from their web site a year or two back now, so not sure if it's still possible to contact them directly.

 

Oh and green callipers are no longer an option anywhere anyway.

 

 

TP

I wonder how they (SkodaAus) made the decision to go for red over grey. It's not exactly your typical hoon's car, and nor are the paint colours... it's an understated "sleeper". Grey looks much better IMO, and to you guys too. Do they do market research for something so seemingly minor yet apparently divisive? But I suppose it's hardly going to make anyone decide against the car.

It's not as bizarre as some of the choices Skoda UK have made.

But surely they will have range of specs, various seats etc and it is just a case of selecting the appropriate build code. The Australia market may be small but what about the rest of the world that drives on the correct side of the road? They can have grey stitching, so like TP did with his wheels I can't see a reason why you can't have grey on your seats.

Seems that the importer has the final say on what will be available in any given country, I presume they have there ways of working out what would be the correct choices (however Skoda UK make some awful choices and don't allow us to have certain things too) but having noted the Australian spec it seems your cars are a higher spec as standard, so presumably they are aiming to get better discounts etc buying certain options in bulk to secure build slots, better discounts to themselves, trying to be able to buy looks in a similar spec to try and stockpile or something to allow for quicker deliveres etc etc

 

I am sure there are a number of reasons as to why, and don't worry I was struggling hard to decide between the silver and red interior, in the end I went for the red as a nice contrast to the white paint colour and to match the red brake callipers, I was worried until the car was delivered and despite having reservations I needn't of worried, whilst it can be seen as garish, it really isn't as bad in real life, its only a red strip on the seats and some red stitching around the car, it works as a contrast against the white, probably works against other colours, for me it works really well.

 

Anyway, don't get put off by the red stitching it really is a great car, a vast improvement over the Mk2 and overall its a very good car.

Given the distance and shipping times they probably have a high standard spec so more people will be happy with a vanilla car that's been put through without a customer.

I'm in NZ and as far as I know we only get the gray option. It's interesting to compare the NZ and AU specs. They've packaged the options quite differently.

I wonder how they (SkodaAus) made the decision to go for red over grey. It's not exactly your typical hoon's car, and nor are the paint colours... it's an understated "sleeper". Grey looks much better IMO, and to you guys too. Do they do market research for something so seemingly minor yet apparently divisive? But I suppose it's hardly going to make anyone decide against the car.

Hey Treendale, are you in Perth or further south ?

Hey Treendale, are you in Perth or further south ?

Perth NOR, but we have family somewhere further south near a place beginning with T :-)

 

My Ambition+ wagon got off the boat at Freo yesterday, surely just days now! (a few public holidays to slow things down..)

I'm in Perth!

I'm in Perth!

Look out for a race blue wagon any time now :-)

 

(I've yet to see a new octavia around here - I reckon you could count them on two hands)

Probably count them on one hand after a month!

We should catch up so I can see yours! When when!

It's at the dock now. What I don't know is how long it will take Barbagallo to get it and sort out the paperwork etc. They claimed that it's quite an involved process, prepping a car for delivery (a lot of plastic wrap to remove?). Anyway I am hoping it will be ready by end of month or 2 May at the latest because we need it for a  trip down south with the newborn!

 

Did you go with Barbagallo, Koolio?

 

EDIT: there's one other guy in Perth, Ozoccy, who is on this forum that I now of. And a couple of Whirlpudlians. They all got ex-demos I think, first custom builds are just arriving - I ordered in early December.

Edited 20 April, 201412 yr by treendale

Yes I walked in last week on Monday and got a good deal. Sales woman was perfect and I signed the contract before I even test drove the car. But I already know so much about the car and specs!

It'll be built week 22 or after and I get it in September! Really want white, silver is boring in that shape and already have a Silver Polo GTI (2yrs old) and wanted something else so opted for that dark grey....

Wow you ordered last year! I just wanted the mode button, and flat bottom steering wheel but only getting one of those two... Plus Tech Pack and everything else except leather! We must do a catch up with the cars... Even if they're the MKII Octavia's!

I'm in Perth!

 

OK, well I am in Bunbury, so close to Treendale !

Seems that the importer has the final say on what will be available in any given country, I presume they have there ways of working out what would be the correct choices (however Skoda UK make some awful choices and don't allow us to have certain things too) but having noted the Australian spec it seems your cars are a higher spec as standard, so presumably they are aiming to get better discounts etc buying certain options in bulk to secure build slots, better discounts to themselves, trying to be able to buy looks in a similar spec to try and stockpile or something to allow for quicker deliveres etc etc

 

I am sure there are a number of reasons as to why, and don't worry I was struggling hard to decide between the silver and red interior, in the end I went for the red as a nice contrast to the white paint colour and to match the red brake callipers, I was worried until the car was delivered and despite having reservations I needn't of worried, whilst it can be seen as garish, it really isn't as bad in real life, its only a red strip on the seats and some red stitching around the car, it works as a contrast against the white, probably works against other colours, for me it works really well.

 

Anyway, don't get put off by the red stitching it really is a great car, a vast improvement over the Mk2 and overall its a very good car.

 

Yes, the red probably won't stop me buying one but (if anyone at Skoda is reading), it certainly wouldn't be my preferred option.  With all the options that are available, almost every buyer (I guess) will want to order their own so they may as well allow us to pick the trim colour inserts.  On that subject, bizarre why a few extra paint colours aren't available, like the green and red - after all, it doesn't require any extra stock but would bring up visibility a bit IMHO ?   Sigh...

Edited 20 April, 201412 yr by softsand

I did back in late 2010 when I ordered a Yeti, as here in the UK you could only get 17" rims and I preferred 16" as available in the rest of Europe. Skoda UK likewise said no but I was lucky enough to get the factory to agree to my request.

 

However I noted that Skoda Auto withdrew the e-mail contact details from their web site a year or two back now, so not sure if it's still possible to contact them directly.

 

Oh and green callipers are no longer an option anywhere anyway.

 

 

TP

Hi TP - just tried messaging you but it says you're not receiving messages - have you disabled it or is your inbox full?

I was just being a little cheeky anyway - trying to track-down contact details for Mlada Boleslav to ask them to amend a couple of my order details as the supplying dealer and Skoda UK are being all "computer says no".

 

Cheers,

 

Martin.

However I noted that Skoda Auto withdrew the e-mail contact details from their web site a year or two back now, so not sure if it's still possible to contact them directly.

 

 

I'm not suprised they removed the contact details.

 

They make 1200 cars a day there. Imagine if only one in ten customer were calling in to change their orders... that's 120 calls a day, every day:

 

Easily a 20 minute call to:

- Find the order.

- Confirm that the person calling is actually the person ordering the vehicle.

- Listen to the changes requested.

- Check that the changes requested are actually legal or available in the customer's country. Do all the options requested have service support (i.e. I doubt all technicians in all countries are trained on all vehicle features, nor are parts stocked for every option in every country)

- Check that the new combination of options are actually all possible to build on the same vehicle.

- If the option combination is not possible, wait a few minutes whilst the customer thumbs through his brochure to see what he might change instead.

- If the build date is close, then they'll need to check if the supply chain can actually source the additional parts of the supplier.

- And how to handle those change requests that affect pricing.

 

120 calls a day x 20 minutes is about 7 people, just employed to take calls from customers who want to change their orders. Plus a whole load of disruption to the supply chain (another team of people needing to be employed just to handle the additional complexity).

 

So a lot of extra work and cost, and that's without the dimwit who's car is scheduled for build the next day, but still doesn't understand we he can't change his order from an Octavia to a Yeti. :p