FINAL REPORT MILEAGE 5336
WHY WE RAN IT
To explore the breadth of the Octavia range and see how it fares as a family car
It’s been 20 years since Skoda’s vRS performance line was launched, after which it quickly gained cult status in the UK. Even those who find Skoda’s mainstream range lacking a certain je ne sais quoi – and I’m not one of them, incidentally – can be won round by vRS models, which typically stand for fast, fun and relatively affordable driving.
The Octavia vRS launched the performance range in 2001 and our fourth-generation car is based on the same principles two decades later. Back then, the only way was petrol – a 1.8-litre four-cylinder, specifically – but the world is a different place now. Today, the vRS line is limited to the Octavia and Kodiaq (although the first electric vRS model, the Enyaq, will come soon), but the Octavia offers a choice of vRS powertrains: there are petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid options this time round.
So, after more than six months with the diesel Octavia estate (including a brief sojourn to the iV plug-in hybrid variant), does it live up to expectations?
Diesel doesn’t excite me in the way that petrol does for performance cars – and that’s true for most fans of warm and hot hatches – but observing the excellent fuel economy our diesel vRS has consistently delivered makes it entirely understandable why this fuel still takes a fifth of new sales, mostly to business drivers.
Bu hikaye Autocar UK dergisinin September 22, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Autocar UK dergisinin September 22, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models
