Ken Gratton•7 Jun 2013
NEWS
Skoda's new Octavia RS revealed
High-performance variant in new Octavia range officially sees the light of daySkoda has issued images of its new vRS Octavia variant – a month ahead of the car's global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on July 10.
Known in Australia as Octavia RS (the 'v' dropped for some reason), the hotter version of the new generation Octavia will reach 100km/h from a standing start in 6.8 seconds, Skoda claims. Two engines are available, both 2.0-litre fours, but one a petrol engine and the other a diesel.
The manufacturer claims the engines in the new model are more powerful (162kW for the petrol engine, 135kW for the diesel), but use up to 19 per cent less fuel than the predecessor does. Auto-stop/start and Brake Energy Regeneration contribute to the car's lower fuel use. Buyers will be able to choose from either a six-speed manual transmission or a DSG box – also a six-speeder.
In contrast with the other Octavia variants, the RS/vRS rides on suspension lowered 12mm and traction is enhanced with an XDS electronic differential lock, linked to the car's stability control system.
The new RS, being based on the larger new-generation Octavia, is 88mm longer than the previous model (or 86mm longer for the wagon). Wheelbase has grown even more – by 102mm – and width has also increased by 45mm. Interior dimensions are naturally larger too. Boot space has increased to 590 litres for the liftback and 610 litres for the wagon. Skoda claims that the Octavia's rear-seat headroom, at 980mm, is class-leading for hot hatches.
Standard features we can expect to see on Australian-delivered cars include bi-xenon headlights and red brake callipers. Skoda engineers have developed four new wheel designs, ranging in size from 17 to 19-inch diameter. The 17-inch Dorado alloys (with 225/45 tyres) are the standard fitment, but Skoda is also offering 18-inch Gemini and Pictoris wheels, (each with 225/40 tyres) and the 19-inch Xtrem alloys, finished in black. Gemini wheels are to be offered in either silver or anthracite finish.
Safety has been boosted with 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.
Specification for Australia is likely to extend to a high-end infotainment system with a touch screen, keyless entry/start and an electric sunroof, but that's yet to be decided, so far ahead of the car's local launch. In fact, the precise timing for the Octavia RS's launch is yet to be decided. The mainstream Octavia range is due here in the fourth quarter, we're told by Kurt McGuiness, Volkswagen's PR manager in Australia, but there's no word yet concerning the sports variants.
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Written byKen Gratton
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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