Skoda Octavia RS 230 2016 Review

Skoda Octavia RS 230
Local Launch Review
Sydney, NSW

Edgy designs, quirky names and unique storage solutions have been Czech car-maker Skoda's calling cards. But it's never really pushed the performance envelope – until now. Delivering more grip, more go and a funky look that screams "Subaru Blitzen lovechild" the Skoda Octavia RS 230 is a hoot to drive. Just 70 vehicles are earmarked for Australia, all of them manual, and the car commands a $3600 premium over the standard Octavia RS. But for savvy buyers it will be money well spent.

Earlier in the year we tested the Skoda Octavia RS 230 on European roads and were suitably impressed, scoring the car 83/100. But this test is a little different.

We're testing it on local highways in Australia, where it proved an excellent tourer thanks in large part to radar cruise control and acceptable ride comfort, and also on a closed circuit.

No speed limits, no traffic, no worries!

Some of the extra goodies you get for your extra $3600 include an electro-mechanical front diff, larger wheels and tyres, a bump in power from 162 to 169kW, new-look mufflers, rear spoiler, wing mirrors and front grille.

Inside there's electrically adjustable ribbed leather-appointed sports seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel and lots of red stitching. Stainless steel foot pedals and RS scuff plates are also in evidence, adding a sporty ambience.

The unique Skoda certainly looks and feels the part and it's always an edifying experience pushing a performance car to its limit. But in the case of the RS 230, the hard-core driving also highlights a few of its shortcomings.

Don't get me wrong, this is still an excellent all-rounder with impressive levels of performance and practicality, but with an amateur driver at the wheel, the car begins to feel a little ragged when slogged hard.

Diving into a tightening, technical right-hander at full noise, the RS 230 feels lively but understeer is prevalent. After a little guidance from race driving ace Luke Youlden – softly off the brakes works wonders – my lines are tighter, the front-end ploughs less and my lap times increase.

And yes, the RS 230 has a lap timer, so let's assume it is designed for track work.

Despite all the updates, the suspension is unchanged and the car feels like it needs firmer suspension and a more proactive front differential to really shine on the track. This wasn't evident when testing the car on public roads at 80 per cent intensity, rather than 95 per cent as is the case here.

The athletic Octavia is surprisingly fast point to point and always involving, the addition of an electronically controlled mechanical front differential – the car's biggest drawcard – allowing the Skoda to dial in power earlier regular Octavia RS cars.

But the diff is not perfect. In fact it's average. Compared to a mechanical Torsen differential it simply lags behind, but this is also an indictment of the ferocious power delivery from the rev-happy turbo-petrol engine, which channels its 169kW and 350Nm with devastating effect through the big front hoops.

The RS 230 gets big 19-inch alloy wheels with 225/35 R19 rubber which deliver plenty of grip, and the steering provides a clear conduit to the cars' trajectory. Indeed, the steering is on point, delivering plenty of feedback to the driver.

But where some of rivals punch out of corners with a ferocity matched only by a hungry Tasmanian devil, the RS 230 often spins the front wheel or bogs down under stability control when punching out of corners.

This is rarely encountered on the road where speeds aren't as high, corners not as tight, and certainly isn't a deal-breaker. Compared to some of the latest, greatest Volkswagen Golf GTI models, with which this car shares its platform and powertrain, it's well off the pace however.

In a straight line the story is different. The Skoda's EA888 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine creates potent but linear power -- 169kW at 6200rpm. The 0-100km/h sprint take 6.7 seconds in the sedan and 6.8 seconds in the wagon, which isn't slow by any stretch of the imagination.

Top speed? Bang on 250km/h, your honour.

That the torque output is unchanged at 350Nm isn't an issue because the twist hits the front wheels earlier in the rev range and stays at the party longer (1500-4600rpm), meaning a second gear corner can be navigated in third gear, no drama.

And although this is a manual-only vehicle for Australia (the Europeans get a DSG), the shift mechanism is great. The clutch is well-weighted and shifts have a touch of softness that helps the lever slot into the gate easily. It's a rare thing to snag the wrong gear in this Skoda, which is nice when you're going at it hammer and tong.

The brakes are excellent, one of the highlights of the chassis, with strong initial bite that's easy to modulate with a soft, supple easing of the pedal. Indeed, stroke the anchors softly after overcooking a corner turns a "holy sh*t" moment into an "I meant that" mild slide that draws wild cheers from the imaginary crowd.

Despite its tendency to understeer at the limit, 'predictable' is a good way to describe the car, because even at silly speeds the vehicle never feels flustered. It's easy to catch and correct.

What it lacks in finesse it more than makes up for with pragmatism, and ultimately buyers will appreciate its daily driver practicality than an inability to shave two seconds off their lap time.

Skoda says it has ordered more wagons than sedan, the latter slightly more affordable, yet both afford a massive amount of boot space. The wagon has 588 litres of space (568 for the sedan) and both interiors expand further when the 60:40-split rear seat backs are folded down, to 1718 and 1558 litres respectively.

Realistically, the wagon has more than enough room for a mountain bike without its front wheel removed.

Except for the small cup holders, incidental storage is very good with enough cubbies, nooks and crannies to store everything from your mobile phone to a bag of piping-hot take-away food. The rubbish bin in the door panel is cool too.

The seating position is good, the touch-screen infotainment set-up and sat-nav are effective, with native Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality. And the rear seats provide ample room for adults too.

Standard equipment is top-notch, especially now that all Octavia models come standard with radar-cruise control and autonomous emergency braking as standard. There's dual-zone automatic climate-control, adaptive Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, electric everything and USB charge ports.

There's a tech pack that'll add $1700, which brings auto parking, lane assist steering, push button engine start and a Canton premium sound system.

Because the car is so well equipped, there's only a handful of standalone options, such as metallic/pearl effect paint ($500), a sunroof ($1500 sedan, $1700 wagon), heated front and rear seats ($500) and a powered tailgate for the wagon ($490).

Seven airbags, including curtain airbags for front and rear occupants, two ISOFIX child seat anchorage points, not to mention a reversing camera, stability control, tyre pressure monitoring and fatigue detection system ensure the Octavia RS 230 is a very safe car.

Consider that nine out of 10 new cars sold today are automatics and it becomes clear the RS 230's appeal will be limited. Residual values are still not great for the Czech brand in Australia (a different story overseas) but this striking Skoda still represents great value for money.

A year ago this car was competitive and while the RS 230 is a very capable car the segment has moved forward, and it's left Skoda's hero car behind in some ways.

It's unlikely the Czech budget brand will ever be truly set free to develop a world-beating, fire-breathing, dare-devil RS performance car with drift mode, since the Volkswagen Group keeps the heavy artillery for its VW and Audi brands.

But the Skoda Octavia RS 230 still delivers excellent bang for your bucks without sacrificing comfort, convenience or practicality.

2016 Skoda Octavia RS 230 pricing and specifications:
Price: $41,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 169kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 145g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Subaru Levorg (from $42,990 plus ORCs)
>> Kia Optima GT (from $43,990 plus ORCs)
>> Ford Mondeo Titanium (from $47,490 plus ORCs)