Geneva Motor Show will see the global launch of the new Skoda Octavia vRS in both bodystyles.

• Power output of new 2.0 TSI turbocharged petrol engine increases to 245 PS
• Top speed of 155 mph and acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds
• The VAQ limited-slip differential provides the ultimate driving experience
• With 7-speed DSG transmission for the first time
• Sporty design details with distinct front section
• Pioneering infotainment and driver assistance systems
• ŠKODA Connect with mobile online services
• World premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show

The most powerful ŠKODA OCTAVIA in the company’s history is on its way. The new ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 delivers 245 PS – 15 PS more than the previous top-of-the-range vRS variant. 

The powerful engine and innovative chassis technology including the electronically regulated VAQ limited-slip differential offer the ultimate driving experience. 

The powerhouse is available as a hatchback or an estate and will be celebrating its world premiere at the 87^th International Motor Show in Geneva.

The compact sports car accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in just 6.6 seconds (Estate: 6.7 seconds); its top speed is limited to 155 mph. 

As is usual for a ŠKODA, the car features a spacious interior and luggage compartment. In addition, the latest driver assistance systems are also available for the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245. 

The infotainment system means occupants have the opportunity to be online on the move, thanks to the optional Wi-Fi hotspot and LTE module. Numerous ‘Simply Clever’ features are further testimony to the compact car’s practical talents.

Gloss-black features and an unmistakeable high-performance sound

The ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 features the new face of the brand and has particularly sporty design details. The completely new front section with wider radiator grille and the wide honeycomb air inlets in the redesigned bumper provide the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 with a masculine and dynamic appearance. 

The slats on the radiator grille and the trim that frames it both come in gloss-black. The redesigned headlight clusters in a crystalline look feature full-LED technology and AFS adaptive front headlights as standard. The fog lights, tail lights and number plate illumination also feature LED technology and a crystalline appearance.

The exterior mirror housings and the trapezoid tailpipes are also black. The radiator grille and the tailgate both sport the vRS logo featuring a gloss-black ‘V’. Features such as the spoiler at the back of the hatchback or roof spoiler on the Estate are further attributes of the car’s emotive and sporty design.

The ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 can also be recognised as a high-performance sportster acoustically thanks to the husky sound of its exhaust system. 

Sports seats and aluminium design details in the interior

The sporty look also dominates in the interior, which has also been designed largely in black – from the roof lining to the footwell including its silver-coloured pedals with an aluminium finish. With their high sides and integrated headrests, the Alcantara sports seats provide maximum support in fast corners. 

The front seats bear the vRS logo – as do the front door sills. The multifunctional sports steering wheel with perforated leather and integrated steering wheel paddles (for DSG transmissions) matches the car’s dynamic ambience. The LED ambient lighting in the vRS-245-specific decorative trims immerses the interior in one of the ten choices of colours. A colour Maxi-DOT display forms part of the instrument cluster.

A lot of power, little consumption

The ŠKODA OCTAVIA’s top-of-the-range model has a 245-PS, four-cylinder, TSI petrol engine under its bonnet – 15 PS more than its predecessor had to offer. Maximum torque of 370 Nm is achieved between 1,600 and 4,300 rpm. There is a choice of a 6-speed manual gearbox or – for the first time in a ŠKODA OCTAVIA – a 7-speed, dual-clutch transmission. From a standing start, the hatchback reaches 62 mph in 6.6 seconds; the Estate does it in 6.7 seconds. In addition, the engine’s flexibility is particularly impressive. In fifth gear, the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 with a manual gearbox can manage the short burst from 37-62 mph in just 6.4 seconds (Estate: 6.5 seconds), 50-75 mph takes only 6.6 seconds (Estate: 6.8 seconds) – a reassuring safety buffer.

The ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 bristles with emotion and dynamism. In the compact car segment, it provides exceptional value for money for sporty and ambitious yet practical, down-to-earth drivers.

Sports chassis and mechanical limited slip

Compared to the ‘normal’ models in the range, the sports chassis lowers the body of the ŠKODA OCTAVIA RS 245 by 14 mm. Its rear track is 38 mm wider than that of the predecessor. The standard, gloss-black alloy wheels are 19 inches in diameter. The ESC stability system with Sport mode, as well as the electronically regulated VAQ limited-slip differential are also part of the standard equipment. This electronic inter-wheel lock for the differential on the driving wheels allows for particularly dynamic acceleration when exiting corners: the amount of slip on one of the front wheels is limited and transferring power to the road is optimised. The electronically regulated VAQ limited-slip differential will remain a distinctive feature of the vRS 245 model. Performance Mode Select with the Performance Sound Generator function enables individual adjustment of drive, chassis and comfort settings. The dynamic character of the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 is additionally highlighted by the car’s progressive steering and the optional adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC).

Wi-Fi hotspot and real-time navigation

ŠKODA Connect offers pioneering mobile online services divided into the two categories of Infotainment Online (information/entertainment) and Care Connect (driver assistance). The controls for the new generation of infotainment systems are integrated in a glass design for the Bolero, Amundsen and Columbus versions and, with their capacitive touch screens, react even to a light touch; in the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245, they display a special start screen. The top-of-the-range Columbus navigation system features a 9.2-inch screen and an optional LTE module for super-fast data transfer, and provides occupants with a Wi-Fi hotspot. One of the particularly helpful services is Online Traffic Information, which offers recommended alternatives to the chosen route in the event of a traffic jam. In the Columbus system, destinations can be entered via voice control using the POI (Point of Interest) search. The system also provides news and information on the weather, petrol stations along the route (including fuel prices) or parking spaces. A Phonebox charges smartphones inductively.

Further online services are offered by the ŠKODA Connect app on a smartphone. By using the Remote Access feature, windows, doors, the sunroof and lighting can be controlled, the fuel level can be checked, or your parking location can be displayed. Care Connect also allows an Emergency Call to be made (automatically in the event of an accident in which restraint systems have been activated). The system alerts your breakdown service at the touch of a button and connects the driver to experts who can answer any questions regarding vehicle functions.

Driver assistance systems usually seen in higher segments

The electronic assistance systems surpass the usual level of the compact car segment by far. Newly available features include Trailer Assist (which steers and brakes the car and trailer when reversing), Predictive Pedestrian Protection (which brakes in the event of an impending collision with pedestrians) as a component of Front Assist, Blind Spot Detect (which warns of any vehicles in the blind spot), Rear Traffic Alert (its rear sensors warn the driver of approaching traffic when reversing out of parking spaces), Manoeuvre Assist (which brakes the vehicle as soon as the sensor detects an obstacle when moving forwards or reversing) and Crew Protect Assist (which closes the windows and sunroof in the event of an impending collision and tensions driver and passenger seatbelts). Crew Protect Assist works in conjunction with Front Assist including the City Emergency Braking function. In the ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245, the proven Adaptive Cruise Control ((ACC), which helps the driver to maintain the selected speed and the desired distance from the car in front) can be activated up to a speed of 130 mph. 

A wealth of ‘Simply Clever’ features

The numerous ‘Simply Clever’ features in the new ŠKODA OCTAVIA vRS 245 include special bottle holders in the centre console (allowing PET bottles to be opened with one hand), a heated steering wheel, two USB ports in the rear, a personalisable key (allowing up to three users to programme their individual settings for the air conditioning, seats, the audio system’s volume and Driving Mode Select) and a removable LED torch in the boot of the Combi; the battery of the torch will recharge automatically while driving.

The abbreviation RS for the sportiest ŠKODA models

ŠKODA used the abbreviation RS for the first time in motorsport in 1974. In 2000, the synonym of sportiness entered the ŠKODA model range, and in the UK was badged vRS. This marked the beginning of the success story. 200,000 RS and vRS models have been sold to date – a whopping 100,000 of which are third-generation OCTAVIAs and have been sold since 2013. In the UK the vRS variant of OCTAVIA accounts for approximately 20 per cent of sales.