Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Review – 2018

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Hatch Review

We got to test out the Skoda Octavia vRS 245 hatch. This is the most exciting Skoda we’ve seen for many years – see what we think below.

What is the Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Nav All About?

The Skoda Octavia vRS 245 is the hottest version of the Octavia that we have ever seen. I was immediately impressed just looking at the VRS. We had the car in Meteor Grey – a subtle, stealthy shade. Take a closer look and you’ll see some very nice 19″ Xtreme gloss black wheels, a completely black grille and black mirrors. All of these are nice touches, a variation on the standard Octavia model and work to give the car a more aggressive look.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Front Review

As good as the car looks, don’t forget it still has four doors, comfortable passenger seating areas and lots of boot space. The car certainly looks like it ticks a lot of boxes for customers in its new vRS 245 variant.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 2018 - Front Grey, Black Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels

The Skoda Octavia vRS 245 uses a 2.0-litre TSI engine that creates 245PS and 370Nm of torque, matched with a 7-speed dual clutch DSG gearbox. This means the car can get from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, with a top speed of 155mph. The car can also achieve a combined fuel efficiency figure of 44mpg.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 - 2.0 litre engine 245PS

How Does It Drive?

The Octavia is really good fun to drive. Getting into the driver’s seat and out on the road the car feels instantly energetic. But before we talk about the power delivery I have to compliment Skoda on the driving position of this car; it felt incredibly natural to me, the wheels and pedals are inch perfect.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Driving Past DSG

The 2.0-litre engine cannot wait to be unleashed and really encourages you to push it to the redline. Desperate to see just how good the Octavia vRS 245 was, I opened up the car a little to explore what was possible. The car feels great and it’s well planted to the road through its 19″ alloy wheels with super skinny tyres. With the car in vRS mode the steering sensitivity feels exceptionally good and you can tell that the active differential is working well to eradicate any understeer you’d feel when committing the car to a corner at speed. When you challenge the car a little the Octavia is an absolute delight to drive.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Wheel Spin - Front Wheel Drive

One thing I have to mention is the exhaust sound that you get from this car. I’m unsure exactly what Skoda have done to it, but it sounds very playful and was certainly one of the elements that made my test drive so thoroughly enjoyable. The enhanced engine sound is only audible when you’re in sport mode and the car is actually quiet in its normal driving mode, if that’s your thing.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 18

The big brakes that you get with the vRS 245 play a big part in why the car feels so sporty. The pedal feel is also great, and really lets you know where the limit of grip is under heavy braking. However, because the brakes are so good, you get a confidence boost when driving the car at speed.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Large Brakes Black Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels

Testing the Octavia, I think it’s clear I had quite a bit of fun. One of the elements that made it a lot more driveable was the seat. The new seats are highly supportive, which should work really well to keep you centred in the driving seat when you’re throwing the car around. It’s simple things like these that make a lot of difference in the real world.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Grey Body Driving Straight

Dynamic Driving Modes

Spending a substantial amount of time with the car meant I got to test out all the different Performance Mode Selections. This allows you to select Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual. Each of these give the car a different personality that helps meet your motoring needs. When you have a headache and need to get through city traffic you can quiet the car down a little, but faced with the open road, hit Sport mode and go full throttle. The Octavia is one car that does it all.

VRS Button - Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Review

Driving at night the vRS has full LED headlights, which are incredible for lighting long up the road in front of you. Additionally, the quality of light they put out gives you brilliant visibility on everything they glance over. It makes night driving even more enjoyable.

Skoda Octavia vRS 245 - LED Headlights

What is it Like Inside?

Inside the Octavia is a fantastic place to be. The base Octavia was brilliant to start with, but take a look at some of the pictures below. It now looks very impressive: some of the feature pieces are the flat-bottomed steering wheel, alloy pedals, and supportive black leather seats. Throughout the car you’ll see elements of red stitching, adding to that sporty aesthetic.

2018 Skoda Octavia vRS 245 - Perfect Car Interior

For me, it’s this Alcantara steering wheel which transforms the interior of the car. Priced at £190, it looks and feels beautiful – a rare option wonderfully executed by Skoda.

Skoda Octavia VRS Alcantara steering wheel

The seats are kitted out in Alcantara with red stitching. They hug you very nicely whilst hammering home the fact that you’re not in your average Octavia. On a cold day you also get the pleasure of turning on the heated seats and steering wheel to make your trip more comfortable.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 21 Alcantara seats with red stitching

The technology that you get on the car is bang up to date. You get your typical radio and CD functionality, but you also get an easy-to-use satnav, Bluetooth phone integration and a nice widescreen to operate it all on. There’s definitely a lot to like here.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 23

Lastly, the interior space in the car is incredibly well thought-out. You can seat four large adults in the car no problem at all. The boot has a large hatch opening with a massive amount of space for storage. It’s really quite bizarre how much room is available in this car.

The Experience

The Octavia vRS 245 has really pushed the Octavia to its limits. This translates to a brilliant driver’s car but at a very affordable price. The Octavia is now able to thrill the socks off you whilst remaining an everyday respectable car. Personally, I liked just having the slightly premium performance and styling of the car over the already brilliant Octavia.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 4

Verdict

The Skoda Octavia vRS really feels like it has it all. The interior space is good, performance is perfect for fast road driving without getting too silly. The dynamic drive modes that the car offers are fantastic, and give you multiple options to fulfil your needs – be it performance thrills or fuel efficiency.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 HR 3

The Skoda Octavia vRS is such a good car with a wide breadth of ability, making it the perfect car for anyone who wants speed and practicality at a price that isn’t too painful. I don’t think I could give the car more praise – it has to be one of the most underrated cars on today’s market.

Specification

Skoda Octavia vRS 245

  • Price: £ 30,975
  • Engine: 2.0-Litre turbocharged
  • Power: 245 PS
  • Torque: 370Nm
  • Transmission: 7 Speed DSG
  • 0-62mph: 6.4 Seconds
  • Top speed: 155 mph
  • Weight: 1,390kg
  • Economy combined: 44 mpg
  • CO2: 146 g/km
Gallery

Author: Paul Hadley

2018 Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Hatch Highlights

I was lucky enough to spend one week behind the wheel of the Skoda Octavia vRS 245 Hatch and I left my week thinking… I really want to buy one of these cars. So what are the features I enjoyed so much?

The 19″ Xtreme Gloss Black Alloy Wheels

Check out these awesome alloys! The Skoda Octavia vRS 245 came with 19″ Xtreme gloss black alloy wheels. They are a perfect fit for the wheel arches and give the vehicle a forbidding stance. You will notice the diamond cutting on the edge of the wheel, giving it a sleek trim.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 2

Seriously Fast Performance

The car may not strike you as a fast, high-performance vehicle. Sure it looks sporty, but it certainly doesn’t look like a Porsche 911. But, when you hit that accelerator pedal, whoosh, you soon learn that this is one serious contender.

The power emitting from this 2.0-litre engine to the front wheels is just enough for the road. You can break every speed limit in seconds and it will get you in trouble if you’re not sensible.

The performance mode feels relentless and encouraged me to explore the rev limit and grip of the car whilst testing. I was so surprised by just how well the car cornered. Even when driven badly or on damp surfaces, it just seemed to find more grip from somewhere.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 12

Logic and Stylish Infotainment System

The Skoda features a polished and user-friendly infotainment system. It is nicely integrated into the dashboard, at the perfect height, so you don’t have to drop your eyes too far from the road when driving.

The glass used feels great to touch and quickly picks up where your fingers are. So, often a simple tap is all you need, minimising your distractions whilst on the road.

The graphics and menu functions on the system look fresh and have all the breadth of features I want in my performance Skoda Octavia.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 24

Alcantara Steering Wheel Option

Without a doubt, the optional steering wheel on this model has closed the sale for me. Take a look at this wheel on the car. This Skoda Octavia has driven 2,000 miles and the steering wheel is still very fresh. It gives it a sporty feel with the flat bottom and similar material to that seen in many racing cars.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 20

Diamond Quilted Sculpted Seats

If I wasn’t fully sold by the steering wheel, the comfortable seats were a close second for me. They are a stylish mix of Alcantara, leather and sporty, red stitching. They allow you to sit nice and low and are moulded to fit your body.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 21

Dynamic Chassis Control

Most vehicles have dynamic drive options and the Skoda Octavia is no different. It has Eco, Comfort, Normal and Sport modes to optimise the car. The one we are going to discuss the most, of course, is the Sport mode. As you expect, it tightens up the suspension and steering and sharpens the accelerator mapping. The last thing that it does is heighten the engine sound in the cabin and my god does it sound good.

I loved driving the car around in Sport mode. I am sure it will cost you a few MPG, but it has to be worth it.

Skoda Octavia VRS 2018 PH 22