The new Skoda Octavia range has landed in Australia, and as ever,
its headlined by the sporty RS variant. Now on paper, it reads like the perfect
antidote to the modern SUV. Let's see how it translates to reality.
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The Octavia range has been completely revamped for 2021, presenting a fresh face, new technology
and a big jump in price, to the order of $5,000 on the entry 110TSI ambition. In this review,
we're focusing on the performance-oriented RS, which sits at the top of the six model
Octavia line-up. Available in a choice of liftback or wagon body styles, the latter adding a $1,300
premium, our model tested here starts at just under $50,000. Inside, the RS features these nice
deep bolstered sport seats up front, a nice mix of fabric and leather upholstery and these faux
carbon fibre inlets throughout, which are actually quite tastefully done. There's a really minimalist
theme to the cabin layout, and while it does present a little bit bare to begin with, I can
say after a couple of hundred kilometres at the wheel, that you soon adjust to its layout. I'm a
big fan of the digital screens and as ever, being a Skoda, there's practicality and space in spades.
Packaging is now better resolved, thanks to an electronic park brake and shift-by-wire
transmission. Look a bit closer, and there are some fantastic Skoda-risms at play too.
Like these sleep-friendly rear headrests, door pocket rubbish bins,
and the rear cargo floor liner. Standard equipment on the RS includes 5 USB-C ports,
wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, electric tailgate and much more.
Meanwhile, the RS's safety suite includes 10 airbags and the latest driver acronyms.
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So much of the fourth generation Octavia RS is new and yet from behind the wheel,
it feels really familiar, and that's no bad thing. There's a sporting premise towards key controls,
great levels of feeling and feedback and an inherent level of refinement,
especially when it comes to its on-road poise. Pairing the RS is a familiar
2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine shared with the new Volkswagen Golf GTI.
It sends drive to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission,
and an electronically locking sports front differential. A 6.7-second naught to 100
time is claimed for both sedan and wagon bodies, onwards to a top speed of 250 kilometres an hour.
At 6.7 seconds, the Octavia RS is at risk of being classified as warm, especially
in this new found era of the hyper hatch, but I have to say, performance is pleasing. There is
a signature hesitation from the E8AAA drive train upon taking off, but beyond that point, power is
both tractable and punchy. And I have to say it's a relatively efficient drivetrain in reality as
well. We've had very little trouble matching the 6.8-litre per 100K claim. In a performance sense,
there is a really rousing response from the 2-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder. Peak
torque materialises at just 1600 rpm, segueing into a really meaty mid-range before arriving
at a six-and-a-half thousand rpm power peak. So in short, power across the dial. And whether you like
it or not, the digital synthesised note inside the cabin does lend the RS a little bit of theater for
the driver as well. Straight line speed isn't the RS's only party trick. Riding on 15-millimetre
lower sport suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels shod with ample Bridgestone Potenza rubber, there
is more than enough athleticism on show to justify the sports body kit and requisite RS badging.
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There is pace and grace aplenty here. On smooth roads, the Octavia RS controls its circa 1.6-ton
mass quite admirably. Turning is fairly sharp and predictable, and once mass is shifted to
the outside wheels, it grips up quite well on that Bridgestone rubber. The RS also feels quite well
acquitted in terms of heavy braking scenarios and plying its power down via those front wheels. It's
pretty consistent across most scenarios, except for the occasional bit of torque steer upon heavy
acceleration and out of tighter mountain pass corners. On a B-grade road, however it is easier
to arrive at the RS's limitations. The cabin is prone to a little bit of thudding especially if
there is an extended section of rough bitumen. There is ever-present tyre noise and road noise
once you're on B-grade touring roads, and you notice the grip levels are unseated a little
bit if you throw some mid-corner bumps into the equation. But all in all, in a touring capacity,
the Octavia RS does really well. It's an enjoyable driver's car and the fact that it manages to
achieve all of this without any huge compromise in comfort is a massively redeeming feature.
Although the driving experience is familiar, the level of interior polish, presentation and
technology is a step above. It means the fourth generation update helps make Skoda's best-selling
Australian model just a little bit smarter. A five-year warranty is standard and the Octavia
is also offered with a choice of three-year or five-year servicing packs spaced across 12-month,
15,000 kilometre intervals. The Skoda Octavia RS has long been on the shopping list of those who
didn't necessarily want an SUV, and I gotta say with those after-sales provisions, the performance
on offer and the space and practicality inside, it simply reaffirms itself for 2021.
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