Skoda gets up to speed with RS

Make:

Friday, August 13, 2010

We have long lauded the Skoda RS as being one of the best sports-orientated cars on the go right now, particularly so as it offers a performance package which is second to none at the price. Now, the car has another string to its bow, with a sporty diesel version which is designated simply as the ‘RS’.

Last week, we reviewed the excellent Golf GTD, and, coincidentally, this week we’re looking at the Skoda RS Combi (that’s ‘estate’ to you and me), which is fitted with the same powerplant, and which is also a seriously good driving prospect and it too is also fantastic value.

Skoda has long since moved on from its status as the best producer of cars in what was the old Soviet bloc in eastern Europe. That claim didn’t necessarily a claim which hold much water in western Europe, but it did gave the company a small amount of credibility in the eyes of western observers.

When VW stepped in after the Iron Curtain came down and VW assumed ownership of the Czech brand, a bright future was correctly predicted for Skoda and it has turned out to be correct. Skoda now has a bright, comprehensive and, in some instances, very adventurous model range (check the Yeti, if you don’t believe me) and it is a range which is being successfully marketed as a quality product at an affordable price.

The efforts of the company in transforming its image have been much lauded and its increasing presence on our roads is testament not only to the value for money it offers, but also to the increasing awareness among the general public of what the company has to offer.

And this week’s tester is no different, in that regard. It is a quality machine, offered at a great price, and I, for one, will not be surprised if this thing turns out to be a real winner for Skoda.

The Combi RS has the 125 kW (170 bhp) turbo-diesel engine, and while it is not quite as quick as the vRS, it is rapid enough to please even the most demanding driver, while also offering significantly improved fuel consumption.
The nuts and bolts of the engine tell us that, allied as it is to a six-speed manual gearbox, it will achieve the 0-100 kph dash in 8.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 225 kph.

Fuel consumption over the combined cycle is 5.7 l/100km, which is as near as, dammit, to 50 mpg as makes no difference.

Like the Golf, last week, this is a car that benefits drivers who are prepared to adapt their driving style to the unique requirements of the diesel engine.

With its torque band providing a massive 350 Nm, between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm, most of the poke is at the lower end of the rev. range, and, to extract the maximum, you have to be aware of this fact. Even so, the potency of the engine is really pleasing and it is decently refined, as well.

On the road, the Skoda is really well sorted and the combination of excellent grip levels, pin-sharp steering, and top-drawer body control add up to what is a real driver’s car.

Skoda’s own tuning of the front and rear suspensions really has added to the appeal of this car, and, even if things have been stiffened up to allow for added dynamic, even the worst that Irish roads have to offer will not throw it off balance.

The cabin, too, is very smart, as well as practical. The Octavia, in normal guise, is a hugely family-friendly machine, but in Combi mode it just swallows up everything you’d like to throw at it.

As you might expect in a car with an ‘RS’ designation, the equipping levels are impressive and Skoda certainly has not skimped in this regard. Standard kit includes rear-parking sensors, dual zone air con., a touch-screen sound system with six-CD changer and SD and MMC card readers, LED day-time driving lights, remote central locking, all-round electric windows, electric mirrors and much, much more.

Worth noting, too, is the overall quality of the interior package, which is above average and up to a standard that should embarrass more expensive rivals.

And, when you consider that all this is on offer for under 30,000, then you realise that this is a comprehensive, quality and damned quick machine, which is also very affordable.

There are those, of course, for whom ‘badge snobbery’ will preclude them ever from buying a Skoda, but I can tell you, now, that such people are foolish in the extreme, because this car is so good it actually shames many more expensive machines on the basis of the quality it offers, and the price being asked for it.

An exceptional car.