Skoda’s stock just keeps on rising with new Octavia
That Skoda growth here has exploded in the last 30 years and gone from laugh-out-loud ex-Commie rubbish to integrated European sensation, has largely been down to the Octavia as the car’s simple personality and non-extravagant price base has made it a sure-fire hit with an across-the-board audience like few others, apart from the VW Golf.
The irony in this is, of course, that the Golf has built its massive global success on being an ‘everyman’ car, purchased by business moguls and binmen alike. The Skoda — cue further irony — is based on the same platform as the Golf and, largely, the same mechanicals.
But the trick for Skoda has been that — and I’m claiming credit for this tag-line — the Czech subsidiary of VW offers more for less. The Octavia is a bigger car than the Golf or any of its derivatives and is a lot cheaper than most of Wolfsburg’s products too. Simply, there are more bangs for your buck with a car from Mlada Boleslav.
This truism also applies to performance versions of the Octavia, which have to go head-to-head with the likes of various Golf GTis, the Ford Focus RS, and the Honda Civic Type R. The thing is that Skoda usually still manages to undersell the lot of them.
I mean, during the summer we were raving about the VW GTi Club Sport ‘birthday’ edition which comes to the market at over 45 grand.
This week’s tester is the Octavia vRS with a slightly detuned version of the same two-litre turbo petrol engine — and a lot more kit than the deliberately Spartan Golf — is three grand cheaper.
The model which arrived Chez Colley was the 245 bhp version of the vRS which, obviously, is more powerful than the 230 bhp model which was the Octavia’s flag-bearer heretofore.
The new one, blessed with Skoda’s somewhat controversial ‘quad light’ headlamp treatment (personally I don’t see what the fuss is about and think all aspects of the car’s design are pretty smart, modern, and understatedly flash), is also blessed with a rake of added kit, including alcantara upholstery, beautiful 19” alloys, adaptive LED headlights, the 9.2” infotainment system — including satnav — and a whole bunch of other stuff.
Certainly, items like the panoramic sunroof (€1,214), the gorgeous alcantara steering wheel (€288), and adaptive cruise control (€648) will add to the overall bill, but that’s up to prospective owners to decide upon. I would recommend the steering wheel, though.
Whatever state of spec. you eventually arrive at, the bottom line about the Octavia is it’s a terribly practical thing — a five-seater hatchback with an enormous boot — which will comfortably double as school delivery bus and shopping trolley as well as offering a mind-blowing performance beast.
Indeed, this vRS 245 is only a few tenths slower in the 0-100km/h than the stripped out and slightly more pumped ‘birthday’ Golf clocking in at 6.4 seconds. The top speed of 250km/h is not something too many will quibble about, unless you want to do the langer with it and trick with it and do naughty chipping stuff. Neither will they cavil at the 6.3 l/100km (44.1 mpg) economy figure which is actually quite ridiculous for a car of this nature. But not if you go tricking with it, obviously.
It is the manner in which the car goes about its business that is the real heart-stealer here. We’ve consistently lauded various vRS models down the years as being exemplary additions to the hot hatch brigade. Although it has to be said that ‘hot hatch’ is not really a fitting handle for this thing, but then ‘hot family runabout’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
In terms of handling and ride — and despite the fact the vRS has to do without the optional Dynamic Chassis Control system and relies on conventional springing — the car is terribly impressive. You could be picky and point out that it is a bit nervy on rippled surfaces and slightly crashy when dealing with bad bumps, but at no point do you ever get the feeling the vRS is going to give in on you.
There is never a hint that you’ll even find the limit of the thing, even when you’re giving it jip. The traction in and out of corners is awesome and undoubtedly this is helped by the trick electronic differential which will brake any slipping wheel.
But the net effect is indicative that as each gestation of the vRS comes along, Skoda is not resting on its laurels by any stretch of the imagination.
The company is pushing the envelope wherever you examine the parameters of this car and the results are largely astonishing. And that’s only when it is ‘comfort’ mode. Up the ante into ‘Sport’ mode and it becomes incredible.
The engine note deepens (thanks largely to one of those acoustic enhancer thingies), the steering weights up, and the throttle response sharpens.
So too the reactions of the DSG seven speed ‘auto box which, when in normal mode is docile enough, but in the ‘Sport’ setting the cog changes are zippier and more forceful. Indeed, I was not full of wanton anticipation about this ‘box in this car’; I came away impressed.
As a whole, the car does not come near the super-hatch class leaders is terms of naked performance, but when you add in stuff like real-time practicality, value for money, and an ability to put a smile on your face, then you’re not going to find much else that can match this thing.
There are very many obvious reasons why the Octavia is the best-seller it is; but now that Skoda has established itself in the performance end of the game with the vRS there are obvious and compelling reasons why this car is making waves among people who like to drive really nice cars — and performance enthusiasts too. This version merely underlines that fact.
Colley’s Verdict
€42,765-€46,841 as tested
The latest upgraded 2.0 TSI petrol is a gem
Excellent as standard
A sure-fire cracker — and value too
