2020 Skoda Octavia RS previewed

Drawings of the next-generation 2020 Skoda Octavia RS have been released ahead of its Geneva motor show unveiling in March.

The sketches posted overnight suggest the fast Octavia RS will feature a sharper evolution of the current car's styling, including a large single-frame grille and a pair of big side air intakes.

At the rear of the car, the hatch version gets more rakish rear styling – but we're willing to bet that's because the sketcher has been granted some artistic license. Expect the real car to feature more of a toned-down design with far smaller wheels.

The new LED rear tail lamps and reprofiled rear bumper that features wheel-well extractors are expected to carry over, as well as the new full-width reflector bar and twin exhausts.

As well as the more aggressive styling, the next-gen Octavia RS iV is set to lift its complete plug-in hybrid powertrain from the recently launched Mark 8 Golf-based GTE.

That means the RS Vi derivative will combine a small turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol with an electric motor, a lithium-ion battery and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The result is a quick hatch that should produce about 180kW and 400Nm of torque while offering 60km of pure-electric range.

Set to join the updated Octavia RS alongside the petrol and diesel versions, the plug-in hot hatch should hit 100km/h in less than seven seconds – 0.5 seconds slower than the petrol version – on account of the extra weight of the hybrid gubbins.

Speaking of the petrol, the current car's EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder carries over and should produce about the same 180kW as the plug-in version.

The RS TDI 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, meanwhile, should push out about 147kW.

Both the petrol and diesel versions will be offered with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with the option of four-wheel drive.

Inside, the Skoda Octavia RS will benefit, like the rest of the range, from the introduction of Volkswagen Group's latest touchscreen infotainment system with natural speak voice control, plus a full customizable digital instrument panel.

Set to go on sale shortly after its unveiling at the Geneva motor show in March it's thought the full Octavia range could launch in Australia before the end of 2020.