Škoda reveals new Octavia vRS & Scout
April 22, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Škoda has today released the first official images of its facelifted Octavia vRS and Octavia Scout.
Following the launch of the new Octavia late last year, the vRS and Scout have now also been updated to bring them into line with the current range and family face of Škoda.
The facelifted vRS has a redesigned front grille featuring the vRS logo and bold headlamps, which for the first time can be fitted with xenon headlights combined with the adaptive front lighting system.
The car has two more completely new features: front fog lamps with optional cornering function and LED lamps for daytime lighting. The rear lights have also been redesigned to look more attractive and new 18-inch Neptune alloy wheels are available.
Other changes to the vRS include a new metallic paint, Anthracite, and a lowered (now 127mm) sports-tuned chassis. The car is also lighter – the petrol version by 20kg and the diesel by 15kg. With reduced air resistance the maximum speed of the vRS is now higher and the car’s responsiveness and acceleration have also been improved.
The vRS is available with a choice of two powerplants, a 2.0-litre TFSI 150kW (petrol) or a 2.0-litre TDI 126kW (diesel) engine both of which are available with a six-speed manual twin-clutch DSG transmission.
The new Scout has a redesigned front grille, bold headlamps and body-coloured side mouldings. The front fog lights can be fitted with the optional cornering function and the large front bumper emphasises the car’s rugged appearance. A new metallic paint, Rosso Brunello, is also available across the Octavia range.
With 179mm ground clearance and efficient chassis protection, the Octavia Scout can also handle itself off-road. The all-wheel drive system features the fourth-generation Haldex clutch, which can transfer as much as 86 per cent of the torque to a single wheel.
The Scout is available with two engine choice, a 1.8-litre TSI 119kW (petrol) and 2.0-litre TDI 104kW (diesel) combined with a six-speed mechanical transmission.
Print it: 
The upgrade looks good, helps to freshen up the look a fair bit.
Any news on when these will be in Australia?
Looks nice, would like to see some interior shots. Any idea when it’ll be coming to Australia? End of the year maybe or early 2010.
I wasn’t a fan of the update’s styling before, but its wonders what a few bonnet louvres and a new bumper can do =)
The shame is though, the facelifted model needs darker colors to pull the ‘look’ off I think. Otherwise will be nice to see when it gets here finally.
“Other changes to the vRS include a new metallic paint, Anthracite, and a lowered (now 127mm) sports-tuned chassis.”
Whoa, must have been pretty high up before.
Goran, the non-VRS models are already in dealers’ showrooms in Melbourne
This makes me pissed off, as it makes my current RS look abit old…grrrrrr maybe I’ll trade mine in…
This is a fantastic car that is further improved by the facelift, man I want one!
ScottB, yep already knew that, seen a couple in the showroom, just wanted to know when the facelifted vRS will be here, i heard UK will be getting them September of maybe early 2010 for Aus?
Jake02,
Just my opinion, I think the current Octavia (the look actually grew on me) looks much better than the new design, it is a more modest and elegant looking compare with the new one, which feels kind of cheap.
Jake02, is yours a VRS?
Jake02, you should keep yours. If you trade it in you’ll just lose money and if you keep your pre-facelift model, it’ll show that you were one of the educated early adopters of Skoda in Australia. Besides, the pre-facelift model still looked good.
Anyone that buys a VW product before seriously checking out the Skoda range has more money than sense. In the last week I have seen 3 RS Octavia wagons – and it won’t be long before I see triple that!
Great value, and good looking now.
Timmy201 was 128mm ride height , not much diff there uh .
Got to see in flesh ,looks sharp , just under gti in the power stakes .
Love the drive ,well worth a look if you like a grunty turbo with good handling , top build quality and exceptional economy , iam getting 8.5 city cycle .
Seems to me that it’s the Scout which has benefitted most from the facelift. It now looks much sharper than before . Really dislike the alloys shown on the vRS but maybe they’re just an option. In response to the story of dealers giving up on Skoda, I was talking to a large Melbourne dealer’s rep who said that they’re selling stacks of them and ship them to Qld on a weekly basis. He maintains that Qld dealers just aren’t willing to be competitive.
Just waiting now for a nice 2008 vRS wagon in silver when the time is right.
Simonsez , i wanted a silver wagon , 3 month wait left me disinterested , along came a black wagon with sunroof , looked good, took it .
Looking at carsales.com.au not seeing many silver at all .
Odd thing is dealers seem to have more stock in diesel vRS than petrol vRS
ChineseDriver, correct me if I’m wrong (without being too modest) but haven’t you previously stated that the old-look Octavia was conservative and old-looking? Sorry, I was just wondering…
Eh179Driver yeah mines an RS Sedan in white…goes like a dream! What about you?
Alex, yeah man thanks I wasn’t actually being that serious, if Skoda tend to hang around (which I am about 99% sure of) for 10 + years I would like to remain as one of the first owners of them.
Simonsez I cannot believe that you are actually wanting one! When I bought mine, silver wasn’t available but I originally ordered a Silver 2.0TDI Wagon manual but found that a white RS sedan was available for only $1000 more than what I was to pay for the 2.0TDI wagon. I hope you enjoy it when you get it!
Jack three in a week! Lucky you! Spellbound, how are you getting 8.5 city cycle, mines getting about 12.0…thats nassively annoying!
They’re great cars, and deserve to sell many more which I think will happen. Not now, but in the future DEFS!
Jake02 ,bit lucky ,i am in adelaide , no such thing as a traffic jams , using 5th gear most days , and the torks there when you need it even in 5th .
Got just over 6.0l in country vic recently , 100 k limit , i was cruising through towns at 50k in 6th , no need to change down just pulls back up to limit with cruise.
Mate got to be one of the best motors for power/economy going although iam told the 1.8 turbo is bloody good to plenty of power and better economy .
I actually like the superseded model more than this facelift. The old one looked a tad dated, but at the same time, one cannot deny its understated aggression. This facelift just looks too… oriental.
Jake02: What I need to make clear is that I’ve always wanted one, just have to find it at the “right” price. It was their initial pricing strategy that puzzled me , not the quality of the vehicles. Always just my point of view.
Simonsez unlike VW there was a $4000 difference in trade in between a gti and the rs , the made no bones about discounting the retail , dont get that with VW .
Who knows VW well established dont need to , but skoda yes they will struggle unless they do deals to get numbers on the road .
Jake02,
I’ve previously stated that the look of the new octavia is ugly. By the way, I know they are good cars, I just don’t think they will sell very well.
Oh sorry ChineseDriver, someone with a similar name was saying things listed in my above post on previous (eg non-facelift) Octavia posts. I indeed do stand corrected.
Simonsez, now I get it. My knowledge towards your previous comments on previous posts has let me down. I do indeed now remember you stating that you’d “wait until the prices come down” or something along the lines of that.
Question: If you are looking to buy an RS wagon, are you going to wait until the facelift arrives? Just food for thought.
Good to see so many good comments about Skodas. They have been aroundhere the UK for a while and folk still stupidly scoff badge snobbery at them. Wife had a Superb 3 yrs ago, for the money a brilliant car.
I’d have no doubts about buying one if I was in that market. Not so sure about the new fabia or the new Superb, they have yet to grow on me, time might make amens to that.
See yah
I don’t know it is just me or not, isn’t the facelift looks like the Holden Epica????
Yep Stevo that’s been said before…but that’s the only slightly bad thing with the whole car!