Scout and RS get new Octavia tweak

The modernised looks of Skoda's small/medium flagbearer will flow through to the Octavia RS and the Scout from September

Skoda has concluded its facelift program for the Octavia range. Most of the upgraded Octavia models were launched in Australia back in March, but now the Scout softroader and the RS roadburner are joining the rest of the gang.

According to Volkswagen Australia's General Manager Press and PR, Karl Gehling, the two remaining facelifted models will reach our shores in September, with the Octavia RS first in the queue and the Scout following within a few weeks. Pricing won't be decided until closer to the local launch.

Gehling tells us that the facelift variants are slightly more aerodynamic than the models they replace, although the figures (0.30Cd for the liftback and 0.31Cd for the Combi wagon) don't reflect that.

Inside the car, the steering wheel and centre fascia have been revised. For the latter, the HVAC and audio system interface (plus the satellite navigation system, where fitted) have been upgraded with new controls featuring different graphics. A satin-finish plastic bezel around these units is new.
Press material from Skoda reveals that the climate control in the Octavia RS is upgraded with the addition of a sensor that monitors air quality in the cabin and will automatically set the air to recirculate, when necessary.

A new colour, Anthracite, is added to the colour palette and is described by Skoda as a grey metallic shade.

The company claims that weight reduction measures for the entire Octavia range have also had some bearing on the weights of the RS and Scout. While precise specifications for Australia are yet to be announced, the Euro-spec kerb mass for the DSG-equipped liftback upgrade model is 1470kg, whereas the Aussie-spec TARE mass for the same car, pre-facelift, is 1465kg.

The Carsales Network drove both the upgraded Scout and the Octavia RS in Hungary this week. We can say that it's very much business as usual for these two models, although there's now a 1.8-litre TFSI variant of the Scout which could come to Australia. This new variant's more accessible driving characteristics could expand the Scout's sales potential in Australia, but Gehling cannot yet confirm whether the petrol engined variant will arrive here.

Power and torque figures for the petrol Scout are 118kW between 4500 and 6200rpm, and 250Nm between 1500-4500rpm. Fuel consumption is 7.8L/100km in combined-cycle results and the CO2 emissions amount to 182g/km.

In Australia, the Octavia RS accounts for up to 20 per cent of all Octavia sales, says Gehling -- with a roughly 50/50 split between the liftback (sedan) and Combi (wagon) models. Elsewhere in the world, the high-performance Octavia's sales constitute just 12 per cent of the total -- so the facelift is an important progression for Skoda in Australia.

Watch out for our international launch review soon.

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