Skoda Octavia vRS (2013 – 2020) Review

This is the third generation of Skoda Octavia vRS and it was the best of the bunch at its launch in 2013 – quick, refined and with more space than any rival hot hatch. It used the same mechanical base as the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which put it into contention with the SEAT Leon Cupra, the popular Ford Focus ST and even the mighty Honda Civic Type R. Read on for our full Skoda Octavia vRS review.

The Czech company’s vRS stock continued to grow with this Skoda Octavia model, and the famous badge is still recognised by many as a more practical alternative to a GTI.

That’s very true of this Skoda Octavia vRS. It uses the same platform as the 2013 Volkswagen Golf, and the same engines too.

The petrol is a 2.0 TSI with 220PS which made this Skoda Octavia vRS the most powerful car the brand had built up to that point. It’s a superb engine with a smooth revving nature and great response when you want it to perform.

Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 6.8 seconds – a Volkswagen Golf GTI with the same engine is only 0.3 seconds quicker. Yet  according to the official figures, it will average 45.6mpg. Of course, start enjoying that performance, and this will soon drop.

There was also a 230PS version of this engine offered from late 2016, followed by a 245PS option from early 2017 with much firmer suspension and capable of 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds. 

The other engine is the 2.0 TDI with 184PS, which has incredibly strong in-gear acceleration, yet is still quiet and refined. Economy is impressive, too, with a claimed 61.4mpg.

From late 2015, there was also the option for four-wheel drive for the Skoda Octavia vRS with the 184PS diesel and six-speed DSG auto gearbox.

To go with its sporting nature, the Skoda Octavia vRS received sports suspension and was lowered by 12mm, plus it got the XDS electronic differential as standard.

This system cleverly brakes the inside wheels in corners, making the car feel more agile and meaning less steering lock is required. It also has new electro-mechanical progressive steering.

On the road, the Skoda Octavia vRS is a revelation compared to the standard car, with much improved steering feel and a sharper nature through corners. It’s a very enjoyable car to drive, yet is still usable every day thanks to a supple ride and easy controls.

To make it stand out from the standard model, the Skoda Octavia vRS has honeycomb design air intakes, a bespoke front bumper and foglights along with xenon headlights. At the back, there’s a diffuser and trapezoidal exhaust pipes.

It got 17-inch alloys as standard, but there 18-inch and 19-inch wheels were available as options. The 18-inch wheels come in silver and anthracite while the 19-inchers are in black. The Skoda Octavia vRS 245 has 19-inch alloys as standard.

Inside, there are vRS sports seats and a three-spoke steering wheel with perforated leather.

Fancy a new Skoda Octavia vRS? Read our review here.

While there was a positive response to this generation of Skoda Octavia when it was launched, the handling wasn’t a particular highlight.

However, for the Skoda Octavia vRS, it’s clear the firm worked to ensure its sportiest version had the handling and steering to merit the performance badge.

That’s down to a number of changes, such as a sport chassis and a 15mm lower ride height. There's also multi-link suspension at the rear, but the two big factors are the progressive steering and the XDS system.

The progressive steering system means that you don’t need as much steering input in corners, as the steering ratio actually changes depending on how far the wheel is turned.

This is coupled with the impressive XDS system. It’s a feature we’d seen on the Skoda Fabia vRS and which is used across the Volkswagen Group.

It uses the ESP to cleverly brake the inside wheels in corners, making the car feel more agile and meaning less steering lock is required. It makes the Skoda Octavia vRS feel far keener in corners than the standard car.

All these things combine to make the Skoda Octavia vRS an impressive handling car. It’s actually something of a revelation compared to the standard version, with a solid and planted feel at speed yet an agile and composed nature through corners.

The steering has a nice weight to it and a decent amount of feel too, but it’s perhaps how well the Skoda Octavia vRS responds to quick changes of direction that impresses. It’s genuinely enjoyable to drive quickly.

It’s a great all rounder, too, because, while it’s very composed when you throw it into a corner with little in the way of body roll, it still rides well. So around town, it’s as easy to drive and as comfortable as a standard Skoda Octavia.

All the main controls, such as the gearchange and clutch, are nicely weighted, while it’s still easy to manoeuvre despite its larger wheels.

The 245PS model gained 19-inch alloy wheels as standard and suspension that was lowered even further, so its ride-handling mix errs more towards the firmer side of the equation.

We’re big fans of the 2.0 TSI engine and think it suits the Skoda Octavia vRS perfectly. It’s got a real zest about it with a free-revving nature, yet has great refinement.

It’s the same engine that’s used in the contemporary Volkswagen Golf GTI, so it’s no surprise that it’s so strong. On paper, it will accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds while economy is reasonable.

Not so exciting but equally as good is the 2.0 TDI version. It makes sense if you want a blend of usable performance and economy. The figures say it can average 61.4mpg.

It may not have as much power as the petrol with 184PS, but the diesel makes up for it with 350Nm of torque, which means it will pull in sixth on the motorway with real strength.

Emissions for the manual are just 119g/km too. It lacks the character of the TSI, but it will make more sense for many used buyers.

At its launch in 2013, the Skoda Octavia vRS came with ESP, ABS, lane assist, driver fatigue alert and hill hold. It also has seven airbags, including one for the driver’s knees, a tyre pressure monitor and rear parking sensors.

However, there was no automatic emergency braking, but you do get post-collision braking to help prevent a second impact after an accident happens.

The Skoda Octavia vRS 245 model came with adaptive cruise control included in its specification.

To add to the all-round ability of the Skoda Octavia vRS, it can pull an unbraked trailer of up to 750kg.

It can also tow a braked trailer with a maximum weight of 2000kg if you go for the diesel 4x4 model.

The layout of the cabin is easy to get on with as all the controls and switches are clearly labelled, while there’s impressive storage too.

The door pockets are huge and there’s a large central cubby that doubles as an armrest. There are two useful cupholders next to the handbrake, too.

What really makes the Skoda Octavia vRS such a good all-rounder is its practicality. It goes like a Volkswagen Golf GTI, yet has plenty of rear passenger room – helped by a longer wheelbase than its predecessor – and a huge boot with 590 litres in the standard hatch, or 610 litres if you go for the estate version.

The backrests of the rear seats can be folded down via handles in the boot in a 60/40 split.

Other genuinely handy features include the optional double-sided floor mat which offered carpet on one side and a dirt and water repellent surface on the other, ideal for transporting muddy wellies, plants or pets.

As with the standard model, the Skoda Octavia vRS also came with the handy ice scraper built into the fuel filler flap.

The interior of the Skoda Octavia vRS isn’t the most exciting for what is a performance hatch, but there’s no denying the build quality nor the fit and finish, which are impeccable.

It feels a very solid car, but the black finish may be a bit gloomy for some.

To lift the interior there is red or green stitching on the seats, which are another real strength. They offer a superb combination of comfort and support, particularly at the sides, plus with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering column it’s easy to find an ideal driving position.

There are some other small vRS details, like the badging on the three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and on the instrument dials.

The Skoda Octavia vRS came with the Skoda Bolero infotainment touchscreen as standard from new.

This was a common system across many Volkswagen Group models at the time and is easy to use.

The screen has clear colour graphics and decently sized on-screen icons to make it simpler to use while driving. Importantly, there are physical short-cut keys on either side of the screen and separate buttons for the stereo’s sound and tuning, plus steering wheel controls.

Skoda also stuck with simple round dials for the heating and ventilation, which is a lesson in sensible design.

When the Skoda Octavia vRS was updated at the beginning of 2017, it received the eight-inch Amundsen infotainment set-up as standard. This included a wifi hotspot as part of its package.

Well cared for and fully serviced versions of the Skoda Octavia vRS from early in this model’s life start at £10,500, with around 80,000 miles on the clock.

This is for a hatch, while the estate version adds about £1000 to that cost. There’s no great difference in price between petrol or diesel models.

If you’d rather have a four-year-old Skoda Octavia vRS, you’ll be looking at spending from £19,000 for a 30,000-mile example. This will also be sufficient to net you a 245PS model.

The four-wheel-drive version of the Skoda Octavia vRS is quite rare, so expect to pay about £2000 on top of the price of an equivalent front-drive model.

There’s a fair amount of variation in the Skoda Octavia vRS range when it comes to economy, emissions and running costs.

This is due to the car being offered with three versions of the 2.0-litre petrol motor, plus the diesel, and both with manual and automatic transmission options. Then there’s the four-wheel-drive option for the diesel with an auto box.

Two of the most popular models are the petrol with DSG transmission and the diesel with the manual gearbox.

The petrol claimed 44.1mpg in this spec to begin with as a hatch or 43.5mpg in the estate, later revised to 43.5mpg for the 230PS hatch and 42.8mpg in the wagon under the new WLTP testing methods.

For the diesel with manual gearbox, earlier cars claimed 64.2mpg for the hatch (62.8mpg in the estate). This changed under WLTP rules to 62.8mpg for both body styles.

Our Real MPG data shows the diesel offers around 50mpg in daily driving and the petrol is around the mid-30s mark.

Carbon dioxide emissions come in at 142g/km for the 220PS engine with DSG six-speed auto transmission, while the diesel manual emits 119g/km.

For cars registered prior to 1 April 2017, this means road tax will cost £200 for the petrol and just £35 for the diesel at the time of writing. Cars registered after that 2017 date all pay the same £180 standard rate.

Servicing a Skoda Octavia vRS won’t cost any more than other models in the line-up, although you will have to shell out more for the larger size of tyres fitted to the hot hatch variants.

Insurance is also more costly for this faster Skoda Octavia, ranging between groups 26 and 30 depending on the engine’s power, transmission and whether or not its a 4x4 model.

The Skoda Octavia vRS is a standalone model within the Skoda Octavia range, but there is still some variation in the specification between the petrol models with differing engine outputs.

It all starts with the base spec applied to the Skoda Octavia vRS 220PS petrol and Skoda Octavia vRS 184PS diesel models. They have 18-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, xenon headlights and black-finished door mirror caps and handles.

The Skoda Octavia vRS also has four driving modes – eco, comfort, sport and custom – plus sports suspension, electric windows all-round and dual-zone air conditioning. On top of that, there are sports front seats, and a Bolero infotainment touchscreen with DAB radio and Bluetooth connection.

The Skoda Octavia vRS 230PS petrol version gained the XDS front differential as standard, while the Skoda Octavia vRS 245PS version has a seven-speed automatic gearbox and the VAQ front differential for added traction.

It also comes with Alcantara upholstery, blind spot detection, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. And it benefits from the 9.2-inch Columbus infotainment touchscreen.

The Skoda Octavia vRS 4x4 model followed the same specification as the standard 230PS version of the Skoda Octavia vRS.