2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
Family suitability, sporty driving characteristics and moderate prices do not have to be mutually exclusive. The Skoda Octavia RS Combi demonstrated the various properties in the test.
By Marc Leimann
Family fathers watch out, rescue is near. And it really has it all. Expressed in numbers: 200 hp, a sprint from zero to 100 in 7.5 seconds, top almost 240 km / h. And then there's that too: 580 liters of luggage space, which can be increased to 1620 liters by folding down the rear seat bench. We drive the Skoda Octavia RS Combi, the combined flagship of the Czechs. The proximity to Volkswagen makes it possible, with a discreet grip on the group shelf you grabbed the perfectly working unit from the Golf GTI and planted it in the Octavia.
A wolf in sheep's clothing
From the outside, the Octavia RS does not necessarily show this power. The RS emblem was hidden and so the Octavia just slipped into a subtle training suit. The front apron, sills and standard 18 inch tires do not necessarily allow the station wagon to be recognized as an athlete. The restrained sporty flair also continues in the interior. Aluminum pedals, sports seats and a speedometer, the scale of which goes up to 270 km / h, are a clear indication that this Skoda is good for more than the daily shuttle service to the kindergarten.
Crisp circuit with a matte sound
The six gears can be quickly switched through on the way to the after-school care center and harmonize perfectly with the direct steering. The tropic is also record-breaking. 10.2 meters is a class value for a car with a total length of 4.58 meters. For comparison: the small Fiat 500 needs almost 1.5 meters more as a city flea!
But the real domain of the Skoda Octavia RS only shows up after the children have been dropped off, namely on the motorway. But then you quickly start to wonder how on earth Skoda engineers achieved this combined average consumption of 7.9 liters per 100 kilometers. We were just able to reach this value with braked foam on the country road, but on average it was around ten liters. On the autobahn it could well be twelve liters, expensive SuperPlus mind you!
It's just a shame that the Skoda RS has not adopted the sound it has so loved from the Golf GTI. The Octavia appears much more discreet than its Wolfsburg colleague. But maybe that's a good thing, so that when you accelerate after attending kindergarten, you don't quickly get labeled as a ruthless proletarian.
A touch of motorsport at fair prices
Skoda calls for 28,290 euros for the RS Combi with the two-liter gasoline engine. The equally large diesel with 170 diesel horsepower costs an additional 900 euros and is in the price list at 29,190 euros. The Skoda is already very well equipped. A few euros should only be invested in the sound system in order to get a little bass in the interior.
An electric sliding glass roof and an alarm system increase the price by a further 1000 euros. It's just a shame that you are looking in vain for a four-wheel drive among the accessories. This would look good on the RS, especially in damp weather, because the front wheels struggle in vain for grip.
At first glance, the Skoda Octavia RS Combi is certainly not a bargain, but the price-performance ratio is impressive. And with a view to the competition from Munich, Stuttgart or Ingolstadt, it must be described as a fair offer. So it wouldn't be surprising if one or two RS races were held at German kindergartens in the future. Mind you, after dropping the youngest on the free motorway.
