vRS Plus marks 30 years of Skoda Octavia
Almost eight million cars later, the Octavia hits the big 3-0 - time for the anniversary special
There must be an argument to say that the modern Octavia is probably the most significant car in the brand’s history. Pre-1997 (the first gen was debuted in November 1996), Skoda was under VW control but still not taken very seriously in the UK. The bad old days were too recent a memory, and while superminis like the Felicia and Favorit were good, they didn’t transform the image. That all began with the Octavia: great value again, but also solid, fantastically practical, durable - and quite stylish with it.
Fast, too, after a few years, and that really helped with changing Skoda’s rep; the vRS offered all the good bits of a Golf GTI for less money - and with an estate option - and proved popular with everyone from police to parents. It’s been a fixture of the range ever since, with petrol, diesel and plug-in powertrains since 2001. Now, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Octavia - and it is 25 years of the performance version, handily enough - there’s a new vRS Plus for the UK Octavia lineup.
It keeps the same 265hp/seven-speed DSG powertrain of the standard car, but comes with the Canton sound system as standard as well as two brand new colours to choose from: Tangerine Orange or Cosmic Green. Both are appropriately colourful for a performance sub-brand that’s been known for jazzy paint over the years. vRS Plus buyers can also opt for Royal Green or Dragon Skin. Additional kit includes LED matrix lights and the vRS Design Selection interior with heated front seats and a sportier wheel.
With the vRS Plus on sale later in the month, prices haven’t been announced yet - expect a small uplift from the £40,895 of a standard vRS. But deals do appear to be out there: this 500-mile wagon is less than £35k, so those happy to wait (and not make the original choice on Cosmic Green or Tangerine Orange) should see a Plus down there soon enough. Or there are older vRS Octavias around for a tenth of that - there’s choice aplenty if you’re in the same celebratory mood as Skoda…
Something like a 320bhp 4x4 estate one would float the boat ... and squish the dog
Before you laugh, let me explain -
There was a time when this car was enough for most people. The format of the car, its family credentials, its miles per gallon, packaging, reliability, and attractive cost.
And yet now people want to sit in Enyaqs, Qashqais, Sportages, and similarly ludicrously monikered cars. Or actually they want to sit in a Jaecoo or a BYD that looks like 70% of an F-Pace, or 70% of an Evoque.
The world is changing, and I just hope this segment, and this car, can continue to stay prominent against the wave of people saying "but... but I want to sit "high up"
In all that, I couldn’t fathom how you would change your perfectly good and decent car with an older one just for the sake of the badge… proof that sometime less is more
It's an impressive car in a quiet, unassuming, non-shouty way. It covers ground rapidly, handles tidily without being outlandish, the boot is huge and it cruises comfortably, and relatively economically. The DSG is responsive yet settles in the background nicely, just getting on unobtrusively with the business of changing gears.
Probably not a car you'd take out on a sunny Sunday morning just for the hell of it, but as an all rounder, it was hugely competent.
Not that I ever felt the Octavia VRS really needed more power. Admittedly, I only have experience of the mk2 which is an old car now, but it always felt like a brisk, comfortable family car rather than a hot hatch; it certainly wasn't a car which encouraged you to finds its limits. One of those cars which does nothing badly rather than doing anything particularly well.
Octavia vRS with Golf R AWD, engine and tune would be a fantastic car
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