2014 Skoda Octavia RS Review - The new Škoda Octavia Combi is a new highlight in the world of compact cars. Like no other vehicle in this segment, the newest Škoda combines high levels of functionality with dynamic elegance, featuring clear lines, perfect proportions and highest precision down to the smallest detail. The Škoda Octavia Combi is a new, commanding statement by the designer team lead by Škoda design chief Jozef Kabaň.
The new Škoda design is also conveyed in the new Octavia Combi. "This car is cast in one piece," says Frank Welsch, Škoda board member for technical development. "Its clear, dynamic appearance helps it stand out from the masses and is also more practical than ever before. The new Škoda Octavia Combi is the perfect interplay of form and function. A Combi that shows that even a large car can be beautiful," explains Welsch.
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| 2014 Skoda Octavia RS Review |
You're just so cool. Maybe it's the fact that it's a brand that we don't get in these United States, but Skoda's rebadged Volkswagens, in particular the new Octavia vRS shown here, are just different enough from the hum-drum VWs on our shores that the Czech brand seems strangely desirable. Maybe we're just craving forbidden fruit.
Are you tired of looking at the same set of studio shots of the brand-new 2014 Skoda Octavia RS (vRS for Britain)? We were, so when Skoda came out with a fresh batch of images along with the first videos of the performance models (there's a liftback and a station wagon version) we jumped on the opportunity to share them with you.
"The new Škoda Octavia RS is a racy and a clever compact sports car in one. Both, as a saloon and as an estate, the Octavia RS sets new standards in the class and will continue the success story of the Škoda RS models," says Škoda CEO Winfried Vahland. The third Octavia RS generation is a sporty and at the same time an extremely practical vehicle. As the fastest production Octavia of all time, the RS is the top model of the Octavia series and represents 112 years of motorsports history. "The new Octavia RS offers all the outstanding features of the production model: plenty of room, high functionality, quality, precision in workmanship, innovative safety and comfort assistance systems, low fuel consumption, dynamic design, and excellent value," says Vahland.
This short, minute-long spot covers the new vRS in a world of excess, where strollers ride on 26-inch wheels, lawnmowers feature V8 engines and ice cream cones are the size of toddlers. As things often go in these ads, the Octavia vRS draws the eyes of passerby that are seemingly use to things far more ridiculous than a reasonably priced Czech sedan. In reality, the Octavia should be fairly familiar to American buyers. It uses the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-pot found in the Volkswagen GTI and Jetta GLI, with 217 horsepower, and sits on the same platform as the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf.
2014 Skoda Octavia RS Review.
The petrol Octavia RS sports a 217bhp (220PS) 2.0-liter turbocharged four accelerating the car to 62mph (100km/h) in 6.8 seconds, before topping out at 154mph (248 km/h). The new petrol engine with manual transmission is 17 percent or 1.3 l/100 km more economical than its predecessor with a combined 6.2 l/100 km (37.9 mpg US or 45.6 mpg UK), while CO2 emissions have dropped by 33 g to 142 g/km.
With the 181bhp (184PS) 2.0-liter diesel, the RS sprints to 62mph (100km/h) in 8.1 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 145 mph (232 km/h). The diesel saloon with manual 6sp transmission averages a combined 4.6 l/100 km (51.1 mpg US or 61.4 mpg UK) and emits 119 g CO2 per kilometre – a 19 percent improvement over the older model, says Skoda.
The Škoda Octavia RS's new alloy wheels provide a very sporty touch. The designers created a total of four classy 17", 18", and 19" bi-colour RS wheel designs that are visually striking, optically light with sharp edges and precise craftsmanship down to the last detail. The standard Octavia RS comes with silver 17" Dorado alloy wheels and 225/45 size tyres. Customers have a choice between the Gemini and Pictoris 18" alloy wheels, both of which are suitable for 225/40 tyres. The Gemini wheels are available in two colours: silver and anthracite. Customers preferring extremely sporty rims can choose the 19" Xtrem aluminium alloy rim in black, available through Škoda Accessories.
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| 2014 Skoda Octavia RS Review |
