The all-new Skoda Octavia is a car which wants you to take it very seriously. However, Skoda knows that for it to be truly accepted, there must be a hot version sitting at the top of the range. This is why they will debut the RS version (vRS in the UK) of the new Octavia at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, held from July 11 to 14, 2013.
Since Skoda itself admits that the Octavia is “the heart” of their brand, and factoring in the VW influence on the technical side, we expect the new RS to be a highly-competent machine.
As it has been said so many times before, it will most likely share its powertrain with the new VW Golf GTI, so around 220hp is to be expected. This coupled with the lighter construction than that of the old model, as well as more power, should make it the fastest series-production Octavia RS of all time.
Design-wise, don’t expect it to jump at you, and we say it will be very restrained when it comes to sporty touches. Sure, you get the lower bumpers and side skirts, as well as the dual exhausts and rear spoiler, but if you don’t paint it in a special color, then it will likely pass by unnoticed.
The first-gen Octavia RS’s trademark paint finish was a bright yellow, with light-green brake calipers – why not revive that?
By Andrei Nedelea
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