Goodwood debut for new Skoda Octavia RS

Skoda’s fastest ever Octavia has made its global public debut at the Goodwood festival of Speed – even before the standard new Octavia sedan and wagon go on sale here in November and well ahead of the new Octavia RS twins’ local launch in the first half of next year.

As we saw when Skoda revealed first images of the new RS last month, the high-performance models are differentiated from the regular Octavia sedan and Combi via a number of key upgrades.

Chief among them are a sports bodykit and new 17-, 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels, but there’s also a 15mm lower ride height and the addition of an XDS electronic differential lock linked to the car’s electronic stability control system.

But while the third-generation Octavia RS remains front-wheel drive, the highlight is the choice of 162kW/350Nm turbo-petrol and 135kW/380Nm turbo-diesel 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines matched with six-speed manual and DSG automatic transmissions.

Despite consuming 6.2L/100km (17 per cent or 1.3L/100km less than its predecessor, thanks to standard idle-stop and regenerative braking systems), Skoda claims the upgraded petrol engine in the new Octavia RS sedan can sprint to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds on its way to a 248km/h top speed in manual form – down 0.4 seconds and up 6km/h respectively.

The diesel Octavia RS sedan, meantime, can hit 100km/h in 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 232kmh, and is claimed to consume just 4.6L/100km – 19 per cent less than before.

The Octavia wagon is one-tenth slower to 100km/h with both engine, while automatic versions add 0.2L/100km to the fuel consumption figure in petrol guise and 0.5L/100km in diesel from.

Because it’s based on the bigger new Octavia due here in four months, the MkIII RS sedan is 88mm longer than before (4685mm -- 86mm longer for the Combi wagon), while the wheelbase is 102mm longer and the body 45mm wider.

Naturally, therefore, interior space increases, with Skoda claiming a class-leading 980mm of rear headroom and a 590-litre boot for the liftback (610 litres for the wagon), which is five litres more than before.

As with the mainstream Octavia, standard safety features will include Front Assistant with city emergency braking, Lane Assistant, Automatic Post Collision Braking, Crew Protect Assistant and Driver Fatigue sensor. Other driving aids include active cruise control, intelligent high beam headlights, road sign detection (which may not come to Australia) and an Automatic Parking Assistant.

Australia specifications are yet to be decided, but should include bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, a high-end infotainment system with touch-screen, keyless entry/start and an electric sunroof.

The MkIII Octavia will play a key role in the Czech Volkswagen brand’s goal to sell at least 1.5 million vehicles per year globally by 2018 – up from a record 939,200 in 2012.

Skoda says it will launch eight new or revised cars this year, including revised versions of its entire range and additional models for “for important segments by the end of 2015”.

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