Skoda keeps working to improve the Octavia RS. Now it has revealed yet another new version of its solitary performance model, and it’s billed as the most powerful yet.
Based on the revised Octavia revealed mere weeks ago, the latest RS model offers a choice of 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The gasoline version now comes standard with 230 horsepower, while the diesel carries over at 184 hp. The former is quoted for a 0-62 time of 6.7 seconds, while the latter – though torquier and more economical – takes 7.9 seconds.
The new RS (or vRS in the UK) also benefits from all the upgrades made to the base Octavia, including the new front-end styling with adaptive LED headlights. But the performance model takes things further with a sportier appearance.
Inside it’s all black, with well-bolstered sport seats upholstered in either a combination of leather and fabric or Alcantara. Compared to the previous Octavia RS, the new model also sits 15 millimeters closer to the ground on a 30-mm wider rear track and an array of wheel options ranging from 17 to 19 inches.
That’s not the only choice that prospective buyers will have to make, though. In addition to engine and wheel choices, Skoda is once again offering the Octavia RS in sedan or wagon form and with a six-speed manual or a dual-clutch DSG. Go for the automatic diesel and you can even get it with all-wheel drive.
That makes for a staggering array of choices in one serious sleeper. Combined with the VW Golf GTI and GTD and the Seat Leon Cupra, it gives the Volkswagen Group a heck of an array of entries in one of the hottest market segments – and we’d be hard-pressed to choose between them.
Photo Gallery
