Skoda Octavia 2.0T vRS
Brand equity may not be strictly tangible but its something that you can pin a firm price tag onto. Take Skodas Octavia 2.0T vRS for example. Strip away the window dressing and its the same car underneath as a Volkswagen Golf GTI or an Audi A4 2.
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Whilst we wouldnt pretend that this was solely down to badge engineering, the lions share of those price discrepancies cant really be attributed to softer touch fascia materials, more sophisticated electronics functions or pricier pot plants in the respective dealerships. If you want to escape the inescapable conclusion that youre paying over the odds to bolster your ego, the Skoda is the logical choice. The trouble is that logical doesnt always figure high on the buying priorities of customers looking for an aspirational fast car. There are those who will always hunt down the best deal, but for the majority of customers, buying a car in this price bracket is as much about how the car makes them feel as what it actually does.
Thats where Skoda have struggled in the past when launching high end models. Skodas executive level car, the Superb, has sold in extremely modest numbers and the old Octavia vRS was outsold by its mechanically similar SEAT cousin, the Leon Cupra, by seven to one. It still seems that the more you charge for a Skoda, the less competitive it becomes. Take a look at the latest Skoda Octava vRS, however, and you have to surmise that if this model were to fall on its face, it would be something of an indictment of the car buying public.
With the same 197bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged FSI engine as the Golf GTI, its a real entertainer. The bigger bodyshell shaves a fraction off the cars sprint to 60mph but slippery aerodynamics restore balance by giving the Octavia a higher top end than its lauded Volkswagen relative. The figures for the Octavia hatch are 60mph in 7 seconds flat and a maximum speed of 149mph.
With an average fuel return of 35.8mpg and emissions pegged at 190g/km, the vRS even manages to factor in sensible running costs. The estate version adds another string to the Skodas bow and this is only a smidgeon slower to 60mph but adds the practicality for which Octavia estates have long been renowned. The estate version retails at £18,575 and fills an interesting niche amongst budget performance estates.
Skoda also offer a 2.0-litre TDI diesel vRS derivative packing 170bhp.
"Few cars can do so much, so well, so affordably as the Octavia vRS"
With deeper bumpers, a boot spoiler and 17-inch Zenith alloy wheels, the Octavis vRS looks purposeful without appearing as if its returning from Max Power Live with a teenage driver whos just maxed his dads credit card. Other details include red brake calipers, Cats Eyes reflectors in the rear bumper and vRS badging on the tailgate. The interior also benefits from some subtle upgrades with deeply bolstered sports seats, a three spoke steering wheel and aluminium-effect trim to lift the somewhat sombre Octavia fascia. Black rooflining and a leather-trimmed gearknob complete the interior package.
Compared to its predecessor, the rear overhang has been extended a little further to give the Octavia more of a three box profile. Like the old vRS, the latest car boasts a practical hatchback rather than the boot its stub-tailed lines may suggest. The old Octavia was renowned for possessing one of the biggest payloads in class but the latest car comprehensively trumps it, available capacity going up by 36 litres to 560 litres with the rear seats in place. Bear in mind that this dwarfs whats on offer from a BMW 5 Series, a Jaguar S-TYPE, a Mercedes E Class or a Volvo S80 and youll get some idea how huge it is back there.
The Golf doesnt even compare. Fold the rear seats flat and youll then get a yawning 1,350 litres of available room. Not a car for the agoraphobic in other words and if you opt for the estate, that seats folded capacity increases to 1,620 litres. Passenger room is similarly generous and thats important since the prodigious luggage space of the original Octavia required rear seat passengers to pay in kind.
The wheelbase of the latest model has been teased out by another 66mm, endowing it with admirable rear legroom even when the front seats are occupied by long limbed adults. Rear headroom is better than the swooping roofline would suggest, helped in no small part by a slightly more generous seat back recline than in many such cars. The latest Octavia vRS benefits from Volkswagens quest to endow the Golf chassis with Ford Focus-style driving manners. Even with the wick turned down a good few notches, it cant help but feel extremely capable when stitching a series of bends together.
The suspension has been dropped by 12mm and the rear end has been braced to offer increased torsional stiffness. Ventilated brake discs are fitted as is ESP stability control and TPM tyre pressure monitoring. Beefed up shock absorbers and springs give better road feel and flatter cornering. The steering feels like a good hydraulically assisted set-up but is in fact electro-mechanically assisted.
Many of the early versions of this steering set-up felt unacceptably artificial but the Octavias helm feels meaty and rewarding at speed, reverting to fingertip light at parking speeds. Impressive stuff. The gearchange is light and positive and the multi-liink rear suspension keeps the sort of bump and thump that often afflicts cars wiith more rudimentary torsion beam setups at bay. One has to ask just how cheap or how good Skoda need to make the Octavia vRS before people buy it.
There has to be a tipping point where customers can no longer remain sniffy about any perceived social stigma regarding driving a Skoda. Much comes down to your own self confidence. On the rare occasion that I spot an Octavia 2.0T vRS coming the other way, I usually clock the driver and make a quick mental note.
Smart cookie.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Skoda Octavia 2.0T vRS range
PRICES: £17,725-£18,575 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 190g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 149mph / 0-60mph 7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 35.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Front and side airbags, ABS, ASR, MBA, MSR, ESP, TPM.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4572/1769/1462mm
