Skoda Octavia Estate vRS

Report 1: Meet our new Skoda Octavia vRS long-term test car

Meet our new Skoda Octavia Estate vRS long-termer as we're look to see if this is still all the car you'll ever need.

Date: 17 February 2025 | Current mileage: 2014 | Claimed economy: 40mpg | Actual economy: 37.8mpg

After 12 months of running various family SUVs, it's time to get behind the wheel of something a little different. So without further ado, please welcome the updated Skoda Octavia Estate vRS to the HJ fleet.

Confession time - I've always fancied running an Octavia vRS as on paper at least it seems to tick all the boxes for my needs. It promises to be practical, offer decent space for four people and enough performance to deliver everyday hot hatch (or should that be hot estate?) fun. It's easy to see why it's proved so popular over the years and it's why I'm really looking forward to spending the next 6 months with this fast family wagon. 

So, as I've just alluded to, our long-termer is an estate. A hatch version is available, but just for that little bit more versatility, the estate wins for me. And fast estates are that bit cooler aren't they?

When initially launched back in 2020 the Octavia vRS was available with a choice of three engines - petrol, diesel and a plug-in hybrid, while a manual gearbox was also an option. For the facelift the engine range has been streamlined, with both the diesel and plug-in hybrid options dropped from the range. That just leaves the 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine that's now only available with a seven-speed DSG 'box, though power has been increased from 245PS to 265PS. That's no surprise as the mechanically similar Golf GTI has also benefited from the same power bump and loss of a manual gearbox. It's a smidge quicker than the older car, taking 6.5 seconds to hit 62mph - that's only 0.1 second slower than the Golf GTI. After enjoying some fairly frugal SUVs of late, the 2.0-litre TSI engine should return 40mpg officially, so it'll be interesting to see how this fairs in the real world.

So, what else? While the Octavia vRS does look the business in the punchy Hyper Green, we've gone for another green. Finished in Royal Green Metallic, I think it suits the car really nicely, delivering a sophisticated finish, though it is a £410 optional extra. And speaking of extras, our car also comes kitted out with the Assisted Drive Package Plus at £815, which comes with Speed Assist and Park Assist, as well as a panoramic roof at £1,675. One thing that is missing is the optional Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), so it'll be interesting to see what it's like to live with daily without the extra cushioning that it can provide.

With all the extras that brings our Octavia vRS in at £43,290. Compared to the Octavia vRS we ran back in 2021, that's an increase of just over £7,000, while a Octavia vRS ten years ago would have set you back just £25,000. And because even the base price of the estate version of the vRS has crept over £40,000, it's now subject to the Expensive Car Supplement. This adds a further £425 a year to the standard rate between years two to six, bringing the total annual tax cost to £620. 

Does it justify its more expensive price? That's one of the things we'll be exploring over the next few months, as well as how it copes with the demands put upon it as a fast family estate. First impressions though are very good, with the only worry that I'm getting a bit too attached already.