2008 Skoda Octavia RS TDI First Steer
October 31, 2008 by Paul Maric
Skoda Octavia RS TDI First Steer
- by Paul Maric
On a day with wind chill cold enough to freeze blood, a pack of apex-hungry journalists arrived to Wakefield Park Raceway just outside Canberra to put the new Skoda Octavia RS TDI through its paces.
The drive from Canberra airport was not all that interesting. Some highway, coupled with a few back roads was all that was on offer. If anything, it gave us a good chance to see how the new RS TDI fared through the hustle and bustle of the city and its outskirts.
I set off from the airport in a DSG equipped model. The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder 125kW diesel motor, which produces an impressive 350Nm of torque, always seems to be at the right revs, allowing consistent driving and easier power delivery when it’s required.
The best part about both engines is their fuel efficiency though, try 5.9-litres/100km for the RS TDI and 8.1-litres/100km for the petrol RS, while 0-100km/h is done with in 8.4-seconds for the RS TDI and 7.3-seconds for the RS.
Engine noise is surprisingly negligible in the RS TDI. Gone are the days of noisy, tractor like diesels. These high-tech diesels offer state of the art technology such as common-rail injection, which allows them to be frugal and pack bucket loads of torque.
The steering is one of the RS’s strong points. The direct feeling and perfect weighting make it a pleasure to drive in the city and also on the back roads.
Brake feel is yet another strong point. Whether you’re stomping down hard on the anchors or gently applying them, confidence is always maintained. This was amplified out on the race track where the RS TDI was seriously put through its paces, with the brakes feeling strong with each and every application.
Rear leg room is impressive, as is head room. The boot in the hatch can contain a mammoth 560-litres of cargo, while the wagon packs 580-litres.
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I think this car is an absolute bargain. Sure, its not the quickest thing around, but 8.4 seconds to the hundred with less then 6L/100km when driven leanly is incredible.
Put this with an impressive equipment level, an optional DSG and you’ve got a very competitively priced car.
If I remember correctly, the RS (with the GTI motor) was only available with a manual when Skoda relaunched. It’s good to see DSG is now available as an option for that engine, along with the diesel variant. Keep up the good work VW Aus.
One other point of interest -
Matthew Wiesner – Skoda’s CEO – told me at the launch that people are getting some pretty impressive power figures out of the turbocharged petrol RS with simple non-mechanical mods, which will more than likely be the case for the diesel too.
With the hatch’s Michelin Pilot tyres, there is plenty of grip on offer, so adding extra kWs won’t impede too much on grip levels.
Sounds like a great car for the price. Does anyone know whether Skoda have any major realiability issues?
Nick: “Sounds like a great car for the price. Does anyone know whether Skoda have any major realiability issues?”
Skodas are all modern VW underneath, so mechanically, nothing should go wrong.
If anything were to go wrong, it be the little quibbles like the horn not being connected (grr at my VW dealer for disconnecting my Golf’s horn and not putting it back on for whatever reason
Yeah Skoda reliability is pretty rock solid these days. My only gripe with the Octavia (very small gripe) is the front styling, in particular the badge placement with the raised bonnet ridge inline with it. It doesn’t look aggressive like the Ford ‘power-bulge’ it just looks fussy.
Paul, which was the most fun to drive, the petrol RS or the diesel?
I agree skodas styling is not great. In my opinion vw made a mistake importing skoda instead of SEAT, the seats look better and have much better models for the younger generation in the ibiza sports models and the new a4 audi prev generation look alike..
I agree OSU811, I believe SEAT is the much better option (bit of bias, spanish background :D)
In Europe the Octive is the equivilent of a camry in some countires. We had one as a rental in Croatia and it was nothing special.
The VW group has a lot of overlap in terms of Skoda and SEAT and VW’s own models.
If Skoda is meant to be the thinking man’s Volkswagen, and SEAT is meant to be the boy-racer Volkswagen.. whats Volkswagen meant to be?
And then Skoda have their sporty vRS models, and SEAT have their Cupra/FR models, and both also cater for everyday motorists with their normal models..
Its that overlap that causes irk for VW importers, especially for VW Aus. VW’s market share isnt strong enough to warrant in-house competition. Shame really. Would have been just as happy to have a SEAT in my drive =p
I actually think Skoda is a much better option for Australia, with SEAT I really only see the Ibiza and Leon making any impact of the market. SEAT have far too many Leon-based MPVs and the fact they are using seven year old Audis and selling them new vehicles is a bit concerning.
Does anyone know when the new facelift 2009 model Octavia will come to Australia? Its a far better looking car, especially the interior. I am waiting for this newer model in the RS guise. Perhaps the new model may even get upgraded engines….
Yep the RS is a GREAT car! My 4-month old petrol liftback has got 4000km under its belt and it hasnt put a km wrong.othing has gone wrong and hopefully nothing will!
Interestingly, my RS has Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires on it – can anyone tell me why it doesn’t have Michellin I’m abit confused!
Also, people like OSU811 or Martin, you guys don’t do your homework. You fail torealise that in Europe SEAT’s don’t sell very well and why would they bring back SEAT if it was already here and that time it was here for two years and simply left. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but Skoda is the number one selling brand in Europe under the VW Empire. Hows that?
“Paul Maric Says:
October 31st, 2008 at 10:53 am
One other point of interest -
Matthew Wiesner – Skoda’s CEO – told me at the launch that people are getting some pretty impressive power figures out of the turbocharged petrol RS with simple non-mechanical mods, which will more than likely be the case for the diesel too.”
Paul, did he also say that “chipping”, or more correctly flashing the ECU with REVO, GIAC, APR, etc, will also void the warranty. Yes, the 2.0T engine can easily be flashed to 190KW and 400NM, just like in the VWs and Audis.
Reckless1:
Yes, I did ask about that and he mentioned that as long as the modification doesn’t cause or have the potential of causing mechanical damage, it will pass.
It’s also quite possible to remove many ECU mods to bring the car back to stock level. He also said they would have no way of knowing…so as long as you’re savvy about it, it’s not hard to get around the technicalities.
Tony:
The facelifted version will be launched in March next year. It will bring with it the new RS also.
JAKEO2
YO brother ,have also joined the club , strange about the tyres mine are continentals .
I love it down those twisty b roads , best bit is the fantastic economy .
Hey there Chip,
Yep they are pretty awesome cars eh? Yeah tire issue is abit strange I agree. Anyway, I reckon that I’m the only Skoda owner in my area (Ryde in Sydney) have you more than just one? It gets really annoying the only Skoda you see is yours! What specs (type colour etc) did you buy? Hope you really enjoy it!
Paul, does the facelifted range include the Scout also?
A friend is looking to replace his BMW 318i by Feb with an SUV-ish car.
Thanks
I don’t want to sound like I am nit picking Paul but Wakefield Park is not just outside Canberra but is in fact just outside of Goulburn, about 90 kilometres from Canberra.
yo jake02
Funny iam in adelaide with the only black wagon , bought it off the floor exactly what i wanted with sunroof .
I had mk4 golf gti sold it in 05 and got a liberty 3.0r auto , nice car but a bugger for eating fuel with a dodgy auto .
Any way i got the urge for a other gti , but needed a wagon .
i love it its a fuel miser , just cruise in 4th around town ,put the foot down and away we go .
recent country trip got it down to 6.80 l cruising in victoria at that 100k limit zzzzzzzz
whats yours 5 door hatch, what colour , cheers
Great Car! and the diesel is btter for everyday driving and towing. The tuning box boys here have got 141Kw out of this. I’m guessing VW will follow BMW, Fiat and Mercedes in getting 150Kw out of a 2.0litre using twin turbos.
Does it have a light clutch?
Cheers
F-0
i have a white (yes boring colour but looks very nice) rs liftback. i originally ordered a 1.8TSI liftback but then went to a 2.0TDI wagon but there was a white RS liftback on the floor (just like yours) that i could have drive away and also only $1k more than the wagon so thats what i went for! Its a big step from the 2000 Subaru Liberty wagon I had before – and the boot is a little bit bigger even though its a sedan-type car. much better option than a golf gti because its cheaper and much bigger!
i really admire RS wagons in black – a real stealthy car and the silver roof rails look good too! hope you enjoy it Chip.
Jake02:
Good question, will find out from Skoda on Monday for you.
Spitfire:
Right you are.
“It’s also quite possible to remove many ECU mods to bring the car back to stock level. He also said they would have no way of knowing…so as long as you’re savvy about it, it’s not hard to get around the technicalities.”
Paul, I think the Skoda enthusiastic CEO Matthew might be a little off the mark here, since none of the flash companies have completely mastered removing all traces of a flash. It might be possible to clear all the mapping bytes, but when the DSG has recorded a maximum torque input of 400nm, it’s a dead give-away :)
VW has, however, tested the DSG with well over 500nm in race conditions and it hasn’t broken, and the engines are easily good for much more than 200kw with stock internals. They are a luvly engine :)
Seems strange that a CEO would advocate modifying the engine to increase performance and turn a blind eye as far as warranty claims go.
Sure his name isn’t Shulz?LOL
As Reckless 1 points out he must have reason to have faith in the quality of the engine and trans.Then again VWs have always been over engineered.
Reckon at these prices and value the house of VW is on track to eventually conquer the Big T.
Thanks Paul
Might be a reasonable car but come trade in time you will cop a caning
I have to agree SamR. I test drove an RS liftback a little while ago and they are a fantastic car. Such a strong, flexible engine along with a big, useful interior. However, I just couldn’t buy one due to my concerns with resale in the future.
Yes agreed, but some people have to buy them to make the resale go up!
Tony and Paul:
Note that the ‘facelifted’ RS versions don’t get the new grille that the rest of the range will get – they stick with the old looks but get the other (minor) upgrades
I can honestly say i’ve enjoyed my Octavia 1.9TDI DSG wagon. I’s done 2 trips to Melbourne from Brisbane and it hasn’t missed a beat. Fuel consumption wise i got it down to 5.4/per 100ks and close to 1000klms out of a tank. It was an extremely comfortable drive too.
I won’t deny that it’s a little bland on the outside, but i really do like the looks of the RS. I’ll consider a RS TDI when it comes time to upgrade.
As for SEAT, i’ve had 2 Seat’s in the past…a Cordoba and a Toledo 16V. While i would like to see SEAT back on the Australian market, wouldn’t it be a bit crowded with VW, Skoda AND Seat here? But who knows what will happen….
Cheers
To Leon70
I wouldnt hold my breath waiting for SEAT making a return to Oz anytime in the distant future. VW cut their losses with this brand leaving behind disgruntled owners and plumeting resale values.
I really hope that the few buyers who have actually purchased Skodas are not subjected to a brand withdrawel from VW Aust as they did with SEAT, Unfortunately given the slow acceptance of this unknown brand it’s probably only a metter of time until the pin is pulled. Happy motoring to all.
\”Observer – I really hope that the few buyers who have actually purchased Skodas are not subjected to a brand withdrawel from VW Aust as they did with SEAT, Unfortunately given the slow acceptance of this unknown brand it’s probably only a metter of time until the pin is pulled\”.
You can\’t be serious right? Why would someone say something that stupid? Firstly, Skodas (since thier launch) have sold over 1200 cars in a year and I\’m pretty sure SEAT didn\’t do that in thier first year here. Secondly, Skoda sales are rising each month and they\’ve only been here for a year so how could they have slow acceptance? Just look at Fiat and Dodge, they also have low sales but no-one makes fun of them or puts crap on them so why is it Skoda that has to take it? The diff between Skoda and Fiat/Dodge is Skodas are ten trillion times better than any Fiat and about as twice as nice as any Dodge. Im sick of dickheads coming on here and bagging out Skoda and yet they have NO EXPERIENCE with them what-so-ever and yet they still say crap about them. I honestly can\’t see why more Australians buy a Roomster – MUCH MUCH MUCH better than a Commodore and much more efficient too. Same amount of room etc.
How about you go back to your commodores with chevrolet badges on them (hey get this theyre still bloody commodores you idiots) and just piss off.
Happy motoring to all – what idiot says that?
I’ve had the 2.0 TDI (non-RS) for 6 months now and I must say I’m extremely happy with it. It’s done just over 8000 km. The economy is phenomenal (down to 5.2 l/100km on country drives) and it has plenty of grunt for a diesel. The only disadvantage is a significant turbo lag in heavy traffic. I know plenty of people in the Czech Republic who drive Octavias and everyone is very pleased with them. Had the TDI come in the RS version right from the outset, I would’ve been all over it in a rash-like manner, but it wasn’t meant to be. I still love mine though:)
I finally saw my first Skoda on the road today…..eerrr sort of, actualy it was stranded roadside.
“Smokin & Broken” complete with hazards flashing, flatbed truck in attendance, 2 very board kids, 1 x extremely pissed off Mum and a very disolusioned dad the driver.
Oh dear, Renaldo. Reminds me of the time when my 18 month old Camry blew its head gasket and left me stranded too!
It Appears that Jake02 has also blown a head gasket…
If Skoda only managed to sell 1200 cars a year after heavily investing in media coverage and VW support with a backdrop of approx 1 million new vehicle sales in Australia during the same period then this is a PATHETIC result.
This reinforces my view that the brand will have tough times ahead establishing itself and gaining acceptance in Aust.
I am yet to see any Skodas on the road. As for the Roomster the reality is that the average Aussie will steer away from it because it is QUIRKY and the Skoda brand has no market recognition.
Sure some people who wont spend the $$$$$ on a real European premium brand will consider a Skoda but it will always be that Eastern European commodity brand with no prestige.
Happy motoring to all….or should I say Happy DEPRECIATION for those few Skoda drivers out their!!!
Observer, I don’t know where you live, but I see a few on the road, every day!
As for them not selling, my understanding is Skoda Australia has problems even securing stock for import to Australia.
Apparently the factory stock has been allocated 13 months ahead. And this is no BS excuse, this was an issue even before the launch. That is one of the reasons behind the fabia is still not being available for sale here.
As for “Eastern European commodity brand with no prestige”, actually it’s built in central Europe, and it is one the world’s oldest automobile manufactures. Off course, when the company was communist run, the brand suffered! But that was a over relatively short period in it’s 110+ years life.
By the way, my understanding is that the skodas Australia received in the 80’s were actually built in New Zealand!!
I don’t share your pessimism, Observer. Every marque on the market was brand new at some point. Think of how many years it took Subaru to shake their odd/ugly image they had in the seventies.
Hey Guys (Tomas79 & Golfschwein)
I dont have a bone to pick with Skoda. I know that it has VW R&D underpinnings and the brand is rated well in Europe for customer satisfaction.
But if you look at what I have said objectively without any emotional connection to the brand (Wether you have recently purchased a Skoda or are associated with the brand)there are certainly tought times ahead for established car brands in Aust, let alone an unknown newie.
It may be one of the oldest car brands around but that means nothing to the Aussie consumer.
With the exeption of the German Brands & Peugeot who are growing their marketshare, most of the already established european brands in Oz have lost ground in recent years Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Volvo, Saab, Renault, Citroen etc many of these brands are also over 100 years old. They also suffer from poor resale value.
Securing stock availability, forward forecasting and stymid sales as a result in the interim tends to affect most of the Euro brands due to right hand drive production.
You do have to question the strategy behind the launch. Yes Skoda is positioned about 10% cheaper than VW, but you can be assured that cannibalisation of sales within the VW Group from Skoda sales showrooms telling customers that …well they are basically the same unpinnings, engine, gearbox etc only cheaper than a VW will be common practice.
Your right that all car brands are new to the market at some point but their seems to be mixed messages from the marketing of Skoda. The Octavia has been advertised by Skoda as a Sporty model in recent motoring advertising publications. Yet VAG in Europe position Seat as the Sporty division within the group, Audi as Luxury, VW Middle ground Prestige whilst Skoda is the sensible choice for Disconcerning buyers.
Whilst I’m sure the dealer network in Aust has been well scrutinised I have to say that the appointment of a certain dealer is questionable as far as reputation and customer satisfaction is concerned.
Actually I did see my first Octavia Wagon in Balmoral yesterday (Sydney)…conservatively styled and unnofensive probably best describes the design.
I don’t disagree with anything you wrote here, Observer. It won’t be easy, but I’m optimistic because I think this launch is being handled more professionally than Seat’s a few years back.
So yes, it’ll start from base zero. The Roomster’s ingenuity is, sadly, probably too advanced for the Oz market. Renault found that out with the Scenic.
One step forwards and two steps backwards will turn to the opposite in time.
Golfie – Yeah Subarus “Ugly” image is abit like a boomerang … they got rid of it in the late 70s and they started to make somme decent looking cars such as the SVX.. [I try to forget about the Voyrex] then in 02 after they made the “bug eyed” Impreza it started to make a comeback and unfortunately the “Ugly Stick” has hit Subaru in the Head which is why they have come out with the 08 Impreza; Tribeca; Forester… luckily the Liberty looks good [but not for long]
I’m still waiting for the Brumby Ute to make a return – but not if it will look like any of Subarus current models
Seat have some pretty awesome looking Hot hatches in their current line-up.. any word if they’re coming to OZ Golfie?
I would have to agree with you “Wheelnut” about Subaru styling going pearshaped after the bugeyed impreza was launched.
Unfortunately it got worse when that Greek head of design guy was in charge. The low point would have been the bizarre styling cues of the frontal areas of the previous Tribeca and Impreza. (Short lived production cycle)
Despite that it would appear that the current line-up is sorted. Current Forester, Tribeca and the conservatively styled Impreza certainly does not offend and appeals to a more mainstream audience. (Agree with you again about Liberty/Outback looking good from day one)
It would also appear that buyers agree both locally and abroad. (Australian sales in 2008 will finish higher again than previous year on year the 16th consecutive year of local growth (Forester will take out No 1 spot in the compact SUV segment), and record sales for the USA and Canada achieved during 08. I suspect that they will round off with sales gains in Europe as they finally have a Diesel. (From what I’ve read it’s a ripper of a Turbo Diesel boxer engine with record levels of smoothness and quitness). I can see another award coming “International Engine of the year”….will sit nicely alongside the award they received for the 2.5 Boxer Turbo.
As for Seat they do have some hot looking models but from what I’ve read the brand is underperforming across Europe in sales targets so a return to Oz is very unlikely given that VW Aust has recently launched Skoda.
A safe and festive season to all!!!!