- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
180kW, 370Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 6.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2016)
2018 Skoda Octavia RS 245 quick spin review
What is it?
A quiet favourite among car enthusiasts (and motoring writers), Skoda's Octavia RS offers an intriguing combination of performance and practicality while shunning the trend toward SUVs. Making the most of the Volkswagen group's Lego-like building blocks, the Octavia RS 245 wagon features a powerful engine pinched from the most potent Golf GTI along with many other features to draw in enthusiasts.
How much does it cost and what do you get?
Positioned at the peak of the Octavia range, the RS 245 is loaded with equipment including autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors as standard.
Convenient touches include an impressive 9.2-inch glass infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability as well as sat nav and dual-zone climate control.
Priced from $43,390 plus on-road costs as a manual sedan ($4500 more than a regular Octavia RS), the 245 gets a more powerful engine as well as larger 19-inch wheels, leather and Alcantara sports seats with electric memory adjustment, a clever locking front differential and cosmetic upgrades including black finishes for the grille, mirrors and exhaust tips.
Skoda charges an extra $1500 for the more practical wagon body style and $2500 for a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Optional extras include a $2300 Tech Pack with adaptive suspension, smart keys, self-parking and a premium stereo, while a $1500 luxury pack adds heated front and rear seats, lane keeping assistance, blind spot assistance and more.
Customers can get a panoramic sunroof for $1500 in the four-door version and $1700 for the wagon, which also offers a powered tailgate for $500. Red or grey paint is standard, with metallic white or black tones available for an extra $500.
Like all Skodas, the RS 245 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with a solid capped-price servicing scheme.
What's under the bonnet?
Based on the same architecture as the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf, the RS 245 shares its engine with the Golf GTI Performance pack. While the regular Octavia RS brings 169kW and 350Nm outputs, the 245's turbocharged four-cylinder engine sends 180kW and 370Nm (which translates to 245 horsepower) to the front wheels through Volkswagen's 'VAQ' electronically controlled locking differential that improves traction when pressing on.
The diff' is one of two important changes under the bonnet, joining an upgraded seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission on a short list of features exclusive to the RS 245.
Those tweaks are enough to reduce the wagon's 0-100km/h time to 6.7 seconds (down from 7.0s) and lift its top speed to 250km/h (up from 245km/h) while reducing official fuel consumption slightly to an impressive 6.5L/100km thanks to improved efficiency on the highway. We saw closer to 9L/100km in 1500 kilometres of mixed driving that included urban driving, long stages with the cruise control set at 110kmh and short full-throttle blasts on quiet country roads.
Tested with the optional seven-speed paddle-shift auto, the Octavia feels quick when pressing on, extracting plenty of performance from its engine. It goes about business in a brisk, understated matter, making fuss-free progress with little in the way of charms or flaws - it just gets the job done.
As expected, the larger Octavia not quite as quick or efficient as the equivalent Golf, and it doesn't match the funky burp and crackle from the GTI's twin exhausts.
What's it like to drive?
Skoda's sportiest Octavia feels like a big Golf for the most part, with crisp steering, taut suspension and an effortless drivetrain working away in unison to deliver the sort of European driving experience people expect from the brand. Those large 19-inch wheels can thump over decent-sized bumps, and its longer wheelbase helps the Skoda feel a little more planted and grown-up, if less agile than the equivalent GTI.
The RS 245 brings solid cross-country pace thanks to its strong engine and decent grip from 225mm-wide Pirelli rubber at each corner lending confidence in its abilities.
Easy to place with precision, the RS holds its line when pushed hard, digging deep to find extra traction thanks to a differential that works to extract the most performance possible from the car.
While the normal RS uses its brakes to keep wheelspin in check on slippery surfaces, the 245 sends power across the front axle to the tyre with the most grip, making it a faster and more satisfying proposition for expert drivers.
But the system isn't perfect, and a hard launch results in disconcerting 'axle tramp', a harsh knocking from its underpinnings as the front tyres struggle to put all that power to the ground.
Our fully-loaded test example offered the ability to fine-tune its diff, multi-mode suspension, gearbox, steering and throttle responses through a multi-mode driving system with individually configurable settings.
We deactivated fake engine sounds plumbed through the speakers, set the suspension to normal mode (comfort is a touch bouncy, sport a tad sharp) and dialled up the engine and steering settings to make the most of the Skoda's talents.
Easy to live with around town (once you adapt to the DSG auto's low-speed quirks), the RS is in its element when driven at seven or eight tenths, surfing a wave of torque and precision as you guide the car from one corner to the next. It can become unravelled if you press further into its limits, suggesting wannabe racers (and track-day hooligans) might be better served by a more compact and agile Golf GTI Performance or Golf R hatch for similar money.
What's it like inside?
The RS' cabin ticks plenty of boxes - it's more spacious than its VW siblings thanks to a longer wheelbase and truly cavernous boot in both sedan and wagon form. Excellent sports seats with a wide range of adjustment are supportive during sporty driving and comfortable on the long haul, joining a flat-bottomed perforated leather steering wheel and metal-finish sports pedals in making drivers feel special.
Green pin-stripe lighting on the doors adds to the occasion, as does a beautifully finished 9.2-inch touchscreen and thumping Canton stereo included in the tech pack. Easily accessible USB points in the front and rear keep everyone's gadgets on the go, and its climate control system was more than capable of handling 40-plus degree temperatures which is not always the case in European cars.
Our example looked well-built inside and out, but a couple of persistent cabin rattles from the dashboard and cargo area proved irritating on long drives.
In a perfect world you would also add a volume knob for the stereo (instead of touch sensitive elements on its glass facade) and VW's outstanding 12.3-inch digital dash in place of regular gauges.
Is it safe?
Absolutely. The Octavia has nine airbags as standard, along with active safety features such as autonomous emergency braking and active cruise control and the ability to add to that with blind spot detection and lane keeping assistance as part of the $1500 luxury pack.
Would I buy it?
In a moment. The Octavia RS really is a do-it-all car capable of pleasing families and enthusiasts in equal measure. With Holden's fast V8 wagons consigned to history, few models short of Audi's eye-wateringly expensive RS6 Avant blend pace and space to the same degree as this wagon, which is even more desirable in RS 245 form. Skoda calls it a car with a backpack, an even more practical alternative to hot hatches.
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What else should I consider?
Brisk wagons are thin on the ground in 2018. Subaru's Levorg is an option, but its doughy CVT transmission and unresolved suspension can leave keen drivers underwhelmed. VW doesn't do a GTI wagon (leaving that job to the Octavia RS), but it does make a brilliant Golf R wagon with all-wheel-drive for those prepared to spend closer to $60,000 on the road. We'd also suggest poring through the classifieds to find new or demonstrator examples of Holden's 6.2-litre Commodore Sportwagon before it's too late.
2018 Skoda Octavia RS 245 wagon pricing and specifications
Price: From $44,890 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol turbo
Power: 180kW at 5000-6200rpm
Torque: 370Nm at 1600-4300rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Fuel use: 6.5L/100km