2025 Skoda Octavia RS assessment: Fast drive

The Skoda Octavia RS has all the time supplied an awesome mixture of on a regular basis usability and practicality, together with an honest flip of tempo and clean dealing with, so the arrival of a closely upgraded model is an enormous deal.

For the newest model, a midlife makeover for the fourth-generation mannequin that launched in 2020, the seems have been tweaked, the infotainment has been improved, and the height energy has been elevated by 15kW.

We took the revised RS in wagon kind for an excellent thrash throughout the Isle of Man, on massive sections of the world-famous Snaefell Mountain Course that kinds the route of the annual TT occasion, to search out out if it’s nonetheless close to the highest of its class.

How does the Skoda Octavia evaluate?

View an in depth breakdown of the Skoda Octavia towards equally sized autos.

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Octavia

How a lot does the Skoda Octavia price?

Pricing for the revised 2025 Skoda Octavia vary was introduced in October, however just for the entry-level Choose liftback and wagon, which arrive in Australia this month. Whereas pricing for the latter stays unchanged at below $44,000 drive-way, the previous really will get a $1000 value lower in comparison with the bottom Fashion liftback it replaces.

Costs for the up to date 2025 Skoda Octavia RS vary haven’t been introduced forward of its arrival subsequent March. The outgoing Octavia RS with 180kW and a smaller infotainment system is priced at $56,990 drive-away as a liftback and $58,490 drive-away in wagon kind.

We’re hopeful the brand new RS gained’t include a sticker-price hike, however we’ll wait to see whether or not Skoda Australia maintains its place as a sub-$60,000 mid-sized efficiency automotive discount.

To see how the Skoda Octavia strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument

What’s the Skoda Octavia like on the within?

Fantastic, with a beautiful mix of sporty-looking textures and supplies, a neat integration of tech, some actual visible curiosity to the dashboard fascia, and extra practicality than you might shake a (very large) stick at. 

Chief weapon within the armoury of the brand new RS is the 13-inch infotainment system. This can be a huge enchancment on what went earlier than, with intuitive menu layouts, swift responses to finger prods and swipe inputs, and a common graphical orderliness that’s straightforward on the attention.

In fact, should you don’t prefer it, then each Android Auto and Apple CarPlay may be configured to the principle display wirelessly.

Higher nonetheless, Skoda insists on retaining bodily buttons, so whereas we are able to’t say your whole dealings with the settings onboard the Octavia RS can be carried out in a touchscreen-free style, it’s moderately intuitive to make use of on the transfer due to the financial institution of shortcut switches above the central air vents, one in every of which is the drive-mode selector.

For this up to date automotive, there’s additionally a helpful 15-Watt wi-fi smartphone charging pad within the cubby space of the transmission tunnel, whereas the look of the ten.25-inch digital instrument panel has been sharpened.

Elsewhere, materials high quality all through the Octavia’s passenger compartment is simply sensible, whereas the racier styling cues of the RS – the distinction purple stitching on the sculpted bucket seats and swish door playing cards, the carbon-look end to the centre of the sprint, and using Darkish Chrome for all of the metallic surfaces – set the cabin off a deal with.

After which there’s the area inside. There may be whole hectares of the stuff.

Rear-seat passenger room is beneficiant virtually to a fault, whether or not you’re within the liftback or the wagon, and even taller company gained’t wrestle with knee- or headroom.

Past this, the boot of the common Octavia RS is a colossal 600 litres with all seats in use, rising to 1555 litres with the second row folded away (the backrests are cut up 60:40), however the wagon is supplied with nothing wanting a cave for a cargo bay – 640 litres with all seats occupied, 1700 litres at its most.

What’s below the bonnet?

There’s simply the one selection: the acquainted 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

This, in a wide range of guises, has powered many merchandise within the Volkswagen Group for a few years now, and continues to take action with distinction right now.

On this Skoda software, it has an identical set of numbers to the newest Volkswagen Golf GTI: 195kW and 370Nm, delivered to the entrance wheels through a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch computerized transmission and an electronically managed limited-slip differential.

Elevating the output of the two.0-litre engine within the Octavia RS from 180kW beforehand to a brand new peak of 195kW has trimmed the 0-100km/h occasions of each physique variants by two-tenths of a second. In consequence, the liftback can do the dash in 6.4 seconds and the wagon is simply behind at 6.5 seconds.

To see how the Skoda Octavia strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument

How does the Skoda Octavia drive?

So long as you keep in mind that the Octavia RS has all the time been positioned as a fast but snug and approachable automotive, somewhat than an out-and-out terrier of a sizzling hatch with inflexible suspension and a critical perspective downside, then you’ll adore this large Skoda.

Extra pertinently, that further 15kW of energy has actually liberated an additional dimension to the Octavia RS.

We’ll get the negatives out of the best way initially. To start with, there isn’t any guide possibility any longer, though that’s lengthy been the case in Australia.

This 2.0-litre drivetrain is solely geared up with the seven-speed DSG and that does rob a small diploma of driver-car intimacy from the expertise in the case of hurling the RS alongside a twisting, abandoned highway – particularly because the paddle shifts on the otherwise-splendid three-spoke steering wheel are of the sometimes stunted and malnourished Volkswagen Group plastic stub sort.

See Alfa Romeo’s automobiles for a way you do correct paddle shifts in an inexpensive efficiency automotive.

And should you completely push the Skoda to its limits, then you’re in the end going to search out its chassis isn’t as honed and polished as one thing like a Honda Civic Sort R’s or Hyundai i30 N’s.

Although the RS has 15mm-lower, sports-tuned suspension when in comparison with some other Octavia, it’s nonetheless a set-up with a level extra comfort-promoting squidge in it than you’d discover on many comparable sizzling hatchbacks.

Maybe one key manifestation of that is that with the extra energy of the upgraded four-cylinder turbo engine, we had one or two events – leathering out of a junction, as an illustration, or accelerating exhausting from 50km/h whereas on a lumpy ascent – the place the entrance wheels had been scrabbling desperately for traction, even with all of the digital aids switched on.

There have been beforehand 4×4 variations of the Octavia RS, and this one can be even higher with the rear wheels dealing with a number of the grunt in addition to the fronts.

Typically, nevertheless, it’s a super-sweet factor to get on with. It won’t be essentially the most thrilling efficiency automotive you’ll ever drive, however the Skoda continues to be significantly succesful within the bends, conserving admirable management of its physique and its 19-inch wheels, and maximising what grip it has to incredible impact.

The steering is fantastically judged too, with sufficient really feel, weighting and pure response to make minutely adjusting the Octavia’s stance in corners an involving affair.

That differential makes a distinction to traction out of bends, too, and there’s even an attractive noise to the RS due to a sports activities exhaust with a bit extra bark than beforehand.

On the flipside, as an on a regular basis proposition, the RS works in addition to some other Skoda Octavia. Or, in different phrases, it’s one of the snug and stress-free sporty automobiles you’ll be able to drive, whenever you’re not within the temper for a thrash.

There’s an possibility to suit Dynamic Chassis Management (DCC) adjustable dampers, which our take a look at wagon had, however truthfully the usual suspension presents up a wonderful stability of pliancy and management, and as DCC is more likely to be a four-figure possibility it’s simply not value it.

However when it comes to the cosseting nature of the journey, the best way the automotive isolates its occupants from wind and tyre noise, and the final discretion of the drivetrain whenever you’re not on it, the Octavia RS is genuinely first-rate.

What do you get?

Australian specs for the 2025 Skoda Octavia RS ‘Mk4.5’ hasn’t been set in stone but, however the pre-facelift automotive was generously geared up – if nonetheless able to being fitted with some costly and fascinating choices – and we might anticipate the identical of the up to date mannequin.

One of many highlights would be the Matrix LED headlights with the ‘Crystallinium’ detailing, which suggests these new daytime working lamps up entrance, that includes signatures that jag sharply down to border the form of the radiator grille.

This one characteristic goes to be the simplest means for an fanatic to instantly spot they’re trying on the 195kW RS and never the outdated mannequin. Our European-spec take a look at automobile was fitted with a wealth of stuff as customary, which we’ve outlined beneath.

Skoda Octavia RS highlights:

• 13-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation 
• Wi-fi Smartlink for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 19-inch ‘Elias’ anthracite alloy wheels 
• Aluminium pedals 
• Black headlining 
• Black vRS sports activities upholstery with purple stitching 
• Twin-zone air-conditioning 
• Electrical sliding parcel shelf (wagon) 
• Electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors
• Entrance and rear parking sensors with manoeuvre help 
• Entrance heated seats 
• Full LED Matrix headlights with AFS (adaptive entrance mild system) 
• Keyless entry and idle begin/cease
• LED ambient lighting
• LED taillights with animated indicators
• Gentle and rain sensor
• Progressive dynamic steering
• Rear privateness glass
• Sports activities suspension (15mm decrease than customary Octavia)
• Three-spoke leather-based sports activities multifunction steering wheel with paddles for DSG 
• VAQ electronically managed limited-slip differential
• Digital Pedal

To see how the Skoda Octavia strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument

Is the Skoda Octavia protected?

This era of Skoda Octavia picked up a full five-star ANCAP security score when assessed for the 2021 mannequin 12 months, and we’d anticipate the up to date RS to be no much less safe than that.

Robust scores for grownup occupant safety (92 per cent) and baby occupant safety (87 per cent) had been bolstered by strong performances in each security help (79 per cent) and susceptible highway person safety (73 per cent).

Once more, the listing beneath is what was fitted to our European-spec Octavia RS, and we’d hope for one thing broadly related in automobiles for Australia.

Customary security gear contains:

• Blind spot detection
• Curtain and front-side airbags
• Driver-knee airbag
• e-Name and pro-active providers
• Entrance help (autonomous emergency braking)
• Three Isofix positions (entrance passenger seat, outer two rear seats)
• Lane help plus with slim lane help and concrete evasive steering assist
• Predictive cruise management with visitors jam help
• Tyre-pressure monitoring

How a lot does the Skoda Octavia price to run?

Skoda Australia’s wonderful seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee is dropped at bear on the Octavia RS, as it’s on each different mannequin the corporate sells.

Skoda’s servicing package deal is linked to roadside help. When you go for the capped-price seven-year, 105,000km package deal along with your new Octavia, then each time you’re taking it in for service you get one other 12 months of roadside help.

One fast word relating to our on-test gasoline consumption of 13.1L/100km. That was below some excessive and extended duress, the likes of which you’re unlikely to have the ability to replicate wherever in Australia exterior a racetrack. A extra consultant and sedate drive the following day within the RS liftback returned a much more acceptable 8.9L/100km.

To see how the Skoda Octavia strains up towards the competitors, try our comparability instrument

CarExpert’s Tackle the Skoda Octavia

Now we have a number of minor reservations concerning the 195kW Skoda Octavia RS, however only some. There are extra outright thrilling sizzling hatches out there; there are some front-drive traction points on the ragged edge; the top of a guide transmission possibility globally is a disgrace; and it might in all probability do with the ‘Good Dials’ from its greater Excellent and Kodiaq siblings.

Nevertheless, none of those ‘points’ are in any means dealbreakers, and past that we’re unsure what extra you might need from an on a regular basis efficiency automotive than what the newest Octavia RS delivers.

It’s quick, assured, snug, sensible, good to have a look at, pretty to sit down in, and simply usually incredible in all regards. The 2025 updates have merely polished what was already a glittering, fast highway automotive within the first place.

Taken with shopping for a Skoda Octavia? Get in contact with one in every of CarExpert’s trusted sellers right here

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