2009 Skoda Octavia RS First Drive Review
ALLOWING MOTORING SCRIBES to mercilessly flog your new model for more than three hours at a track is a display of serious confidence in your product.
To launch the new look Octavia RS, Skoda Australia assembled the motoring press at Top Gear Australia’s test track at Camden Airport and let us loose.
There were no real rules, we weren’t asked to take it easy, or “only do a few laps”; it was more a case of “please ring the Octavia’s neck and let us know how you get on”.
So we did, and the Octavia RSs took what we dished out lap after lap, never faltering.
The new Octavia RS has proven that it can handle a beating, but is it really any different to the old Octavia RS?
Let’s take a look at what has changed.
STYLING
The more things change, the more they stay the same?
The new Octavia RS has felt the sting of the surgeon’s scalpel, and what is best described as a conservative restyle is the result.
There is a new grille adorned with the RS logo, new headlamps - which can be equipped optionally with xenon lights and dynamic angle control - and the integrated headlight washers are now larger.
The front bumper has been redesigned and features a wider and more prominent air intake. The automotive fashion elite will be pleased to note that LED daytime running lights are now standard fitment, while cornering fog lamps can be optioned.
Standard wheels are 18inch Neptune alloys, although buyers can choose from a number of alloy wheel designs. You can also choose between seven paint colours when ordering your new RS.
THE INTERIOR
Is Skoda building a better Volkswagen?
Skoda is known for its conservatively pleasing exterior design. Less well known is the outstanding level of quality seen in every Skoda we have driven, and where you notice it most is on the inside.
The interior is simple, attractive, well executed and beautifully put together. It is very difficult to find fault. The quality of the materials used and the fit and finish are more than you would normally expect from a car in the Octavia RS’s price range.
Setting the new RS apart from the old is a new style of interior trim specific to the RS, or for those who prefer leather, it can be optioned.
The dual-zone climate control air conditioning has also been tweaked and is now equipped with AQS (Air Quality Sensor). AQS constantly measures the quality of the air drawn into the vehicle and, if necessary, automatically switches to recirculating the interior air.
Essentially the new RS has been brought into line with the rest of the Octavia range and benefits from the many detail changes introduced earlier this year.
EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES
Like the Octavia on which it is based the RS features a comprehensive array of active (crash avoidance) and passive (crash mitigation) safety features.
Six airbags, front whiplash optimised head restraints, the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), advanced Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) and Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD) are all standard in the Octavia RS range.
On the track we found that the ESP was calibrated to allow a little leeway before taking the reins, but ensured that all scribblers in attendance kept the RSs on the blacktop.
In addition to the comprehensive RS standard equipment, the list of options includes numerous possibilities to customise the Octavia RS, including an electric glass sunroof, front parking sensors and the Columbus Satellite Navigation system with 30GB hard drive. Wagon’s can be optioned with ‘privacy glass’ from the ‘B’ pillar back.
MECHANICAL PACKAGE
Under the bonnet has seen the least change, with the Octavia RS retaining the same 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder petrol and 2.0 TDI four-cylinder diesel engines. Both are fantastic units and the fact that they remain unchanged is testament to just how good they are.
The 2.0 TFSI in-line four-cylinder petrol engine features computer-controlled high-pressure direct injection, turbocharging and intercooling. Power peaks at an impressive 147kW, which occurs across a 900rpm range from 5100rpm to 6000rpm. Torque peaks at 280Nm and is available from 1800rpm right through to 5000rpm.
The Octavia RS TSI manual liftback accelerates from 0 - 100km/h in 7.3 seconds (manual wagon in 7.5 seconds), lives happily on a diet of 95 RON unleaded, and emits 179 g/km of CO2 (manual liftback and wagon, according to ADR81/02).
The 2.0 TDI is a common rail direct injection engine that produces 125kW and 350Nm of torque (available between 1,750 and 2,500rpm), making it the most powerful diesel engine in the Skoda range.
It is also astonishingly quiet thanks to its relatively low compression ratio and very precise injector control. The 2.0 TDI is capable of taking the Octavia RS manual liftback from 0 to 100km in 8.4 seconds (manual wagon in 8.5 seconds).
Efficiency is the diesel’s forte with the TDI returning a miserly 5.9 litres/100kms (manual liftback and wagon, according to ADR81/02) on the combined cycle and outputs 155 g/km of CO2 (manual liftback and wagon, according to ADR81/02).
Both the TFSI and TDI engines are available with the standard six-speed manual or optional six-speed DSG gearboxes.
The new Octavia RS (like the old) has a reinforced rear body section. Skoda has braced the rear section of the RS sedan and wagon and used laser welding to join the roof to the side of the car. The result is a significant increase in torsional body rigidity.
Suspension has been lowered and features revised dampers and springs. MacPherson struts underpin the front end while the rear suspension is a multi-link design.
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Before reading the article:
=O
After reading the article:
=D
Skoda has brilliant resale in Europe, mainly due to it’s high level of quality, I don’t see why Australia should be any different!!
http://videos.streetfire.net/video/389-Fifth-Gear-New-Skoda_634704.htm
Do you guys (TMR) have any more real pics (not just Skoda’s)? I’m just inquisitive as to the real Australian specification (the ones I sat in tuesday week ago didn’t have electric folding-mirrors whereas the Skoda Aus brochure says they do…).
Thanks
Oh Jake02…. I went and checked out the Skoda vRS at Perth’s dealership… they didn’t have the updated version as seen in this article…. but the dealerman insisted that yes, the new shape vRS will have folding mirrors as do the standard Elegance models etc have them and says the new one will too as the electronic brochure he sent me a week ago says it does….
Hi Matt J and Jake02 - We have someone playing games with the comments. This thread is fixed now and we’ll keep an eye on it. If you have any concerns about comments that you haven’t made then get in touch via the ‘Contact Us’ page and we will jump on it straight away.
Cheers,
Jake02 - We have a few pics from the day but none that will give you what you are looking for unfortunately, although it seems Matt J has answered your question.
is very god cars favorit 2009 skoda rs
If they were just a tad lighter sub 1400kg. Or same weight but with a proper AWD drivetrain (not VW’s haldex rubish) and at the same price I would buy one without even thinking about it.
@MattJ - The Perth dealer also told me that the Xenon’s are standard…which they’re not, so I would take what they say with a fairly large grain of salt.
Are the dark wheels on the black sedan available through a dealer or have they been specifcally painted for Skoda Australia’s show car?
MattJ and Steane - thanks for the help(Y)
Jarrett - black wheels/black sedan??? If you mean the RS-P then yes I think they maybe available through Skoda dealers, if not I’m sure it could be a DIY job!
Thanks Jake,
I actually rang the dealer since I’m waiting on one to arrive.
They can supply the wheels for me to DIY but the black ones were specially done for the launch. the photo I was referring to was the black sedan in front of the red helicopter in the gallery section.
I too would like to know if those RS-P will be available as an option? It’s not just the black colour but they are of a slightly different design and look much better. Does anyone know if they are available?
Also the previous RS had a 4 star ANCAP rating, is this model the same or 5 star?
I also noticed the manual times claimed are faster than the DSG (opposite to what VW claims for their GTI). IS this because there is no launch control on the Octavia RS DSG? Without launch control these DSG’s are slugs off the line even EVO’s with a twin clutch when not engaging launch control are total slugs off the line.
Jess,
The black wheels are from the pre-facelift RS (of which I own) and apparently they maybe available from dealers. The safefty rating is officially 4 stars, but since the 2004 testing there have been a few updates, so the rating is likely to be 5 stars. And on the manual/DSG issue I wouldn’t know as I own a manual sorry! I always thought that VW lied abit when it came to the DSG vs manual 0-100km/h times (I’ve been in a friends’ DSG GTI many times and always thought that the shifts were fast, but not thaaat fast!) and maybe its Skoda whose to unweave their basket of lies?
Sorry I couldn’t help directly.
Thanks Jake. Yeh I looked at a few pictures of the pre-facelift Octavia RS and relaised the rims “Zenith” I think they’re called are off that car. I much prefer the style of the Zenith over the new “Neptune” design. I wonder if anyone knows the exact colour they powder coated the rims on the RS-P. Looks like anthracite in a matt finish, but I’m not sure. Really like them though.
I’m looking at picking up an RS wagon in white. Not sure whether to go manual (been a manual driver all my life) or go DSG. Sydney peak hour traffic is really bad these days, but I still enjoy quite a few drive getaways up the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley, so I still want to enjoy a sporting drive.
I’m still blown away by the size of the storage space on these cars. An FG Falcon is around 535L, a VE Commodore around 500L but the RS liftback and wagon are 560L and 580L respectively with the seats up, amazing.
Yeh VW always claim the DSG’s are quicket from a standing start. But Im yet to drive a DSG style car that didn’t hesitate or bog off the start without some form of launch control being evoked, that includes the EVO X. Bit of a hassle if you want to get away quicky from a set of lights or something (having to hit swiches, bells, lights and whatever).
Jess,
Well in that case (of you considering buying one) I would strongly reccomend it. I also live in Sydney, and the manual tranny is fine (not that I considered the DSG in the first place - its manual or nothing for me). I have the Zenith wheels, and while they’re a bitch to clean, they do look good (equally as good as the Neptune wheels in my opinion)! I own the Liftback, but the luggage space is huge! Four adults + their luggage on a weekend trip to Turon Gates (near Mudgee) and my RS did without complaint. Th boot for all our rubbish wasn’t even full so I can imagine how great the wagon would be!
Oh and my RS Liftback is White, and I can tell you that White is the best colour available. Clean, crisp - you get to look at it, whereas other colours disguise the car somewhat. http://www.convinceyourbetterhalf.com.au is Skoda Aus’ new website (of which my family features). Take a look - its worth it!
I was contemplating buying it in white also. Is the white a flat colour? metalic? or pearl?
Jake did you get any option with it? The only options I would be looking at is Xenon lights, bluetooth and iPod integration (if available). I know you can specify Xenon’s but not sure about the others.
Also with the new model there is a “Front foglights with ‘Corner’ function” option. Do yo know what this is exactly? Worth it?
I just think the white with some legal tints and Zenith rims in the same shade or black as on the RS-P would look just right.
Thanks for the link.
Jess,
My RS is completely standard (although I did get tinted windows about a month after I bought it). I originally ordered an Octavia Elegance 2.0TDI wagon, but my RS was just sitting there and I got it for only $1k more - a good deal I thought.
If I wanted any options, I would’ve gotten the Xenon headlamps. Not that the standard projector headlamps are weak (they’re not - they’re amazing, especially at high beam!) its just I find the Xenons to be cooler! iPod intergration is available, but I wouldn’t bother because an Aux-port is standard and does a just-as-good job. The White is a standard colour (it looks good, doesn’t show dirt - so my car looked relatively clean in the Dust Storm - and doesn’t cost anything! :D) and I thought I had the ‘Corner’ foglamps but apparently not. If I were buying, I would get them - they look cool and apparently do help you in low-speed driving.
The Black wheels/tint/White Combi combo would be good I reckon. In fact, it’d be stunning! Good luck, any more questions I’m happy to help (just click the ‘Notify me of followup comments via e-mail’ and I shall see!).
Hello,
I too would like to know if the mirrors electrically fold in on the new facelift RS??
The brochure is absent for this feature yet the 1.8TSI has this as standard.
Have e-mailed Skoda.com.au now 4 times - no answer - dealer had no idea!
Anybody know if the RS has this or not?
Thanks
John
Just bought mine today! White RS wagon. Options include, DSG, sunroof, full leather and tow bar. I just sold my black golf R32 and I reckon the RS is nicer in the cockpit. Really beautifully put together. The tow bar is a bloody expensive option, almost $2000, and no after market….bummer!
Only prob now is I have to wait until Feb 2010 for delivery
Slats/John,
It wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for me, but it seems that the RS doesn’t get the electric-folding mirrors. I’m a fan of this feature (especially considering that I fold mine in manually everytime my RS is parked apart from in my driveway), and it shocks me somewhat that the Aus-spec RS doesn’t get it (especially as it’s at the top of the Octavia tree too!). But as I said, its an omission that isn’t a deal-breaker for me (if it is, go for an Octavia 1.8TSI and option it with the bigger wheels, leather, parking sensors and bodykit to be on par with the RS specs).
Backdoc,
Congrats. You won’t regret it!
No automatic folding mirrors wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me either, but it is such a nice option to have. If it’s offered on other Octavia’s in the line-up and offered overseas why does Skoda Australia delete this from the RS here?
I hate to say this but dealers in Australia are very greedy. I was reading an article recently on how VW want to send the Sirocco here but VW Australia (aka VW dealers) don’t want it because the price at which VW corporate want the car to sell here would eat into Golf sales. Reading the whole article (i think it was in SMH) I got the distinct impression that VW Aus was ripping us off when it came to Golf pricing and looking at overseas prices they definitely are. It’s one thing to make a profit and another to rip your customers off. You notice when trying to negotiate a good price on a VW dealers don’t budge, are arrogant and rude about it also, like they were selling a Lambo or something. I don’t get it. I guess as long as the wannabe yuppies keep accepting it they will keep giving VW Aus plenty of business.
Back on topic yes folding mirrors are not a deal breaker by any means. Also I’m not sure if the car offers this function at the moment (I think it should be standard on every new car) but dipping mirrors while engaging reverse would be a great feature to have. With all these low profile bigger rimmed cars it just saves you from scratching your rims and allows to park much quicker I believe. It’s just such a great feature.
I’ve seen a pre-facelift wagon petrol manual with under 600K on the clock I believe for $33K drive away. Not a bad price, only problem for me is it’s yellow. Just not into yellow at all.
Hi
I got a new Skoda Octavia fantasia 2010 from 1 week . i have agreat problem with the mobile bluetooth system, how can i contact the Skoda Octavia warld wide office or e-mail .
if you can helpe , pls. i need it
best regards
walid onsi
Hi,
I have my RS lift back (Manual, Blue) over a year. Probably, I bought the first RS in WA. It was fully option at that time with Sat. and back & front parking sensor.
It has been fantastic. I have installed reverse camera connected to the factory Sat and Parrot Blue tooth for hand free and music streaming from my mobile phone. The reverse camera will help for parking. If you have a factory Sat, you need an adapter for it to connect to reverse camera (I got it in Ebay from a seller in Holland).
The sport sits are too hard, in summer when not wear much clothes, you likely have some pain in your back and ars. Go for leather if you can afford for it.
Other minor problem with the manual RS is the Clutch pedal is too small and is too much further away from you foot compared with the brake pedal. When your shoe is wet in raining day, you will find the clutch pedal very slippery and as if your left foot is shorter than your right foot. I solved this problem simply by fitting a sport car pedal cover (from Supercheap) on the clutch pedal.
Further more, the gear handle is terrible ( the gear is OK ), the guy reviewed this car must wear gloves when he tested drive this car. The shape of the gear handle is hard plastic and not smooth, which sure will cause pain in your hand after a long drive with frequent change of gear (Wear a glove !). I have not find out how to deal with this yet. Perhaps, change to an after market or WV one.