Skoda Octavia vRS Review 2024

The Skoda Octavia vRS doesn't deliver the same white-knuckle ride as something like the Honda Civic Type R, but if you're looking for a hot hatch that's practical and easy to live with day in, day out, then it could be the car for you. Find out more in our Skoda Octavia vRS review.

The fourth-generation Skoda Octavia vRS is the hot hatch version of one of our favourite family cars, the ever-popular Octavia. 

Skoda's always done things a little differently when it comes to hot hatches though. Who remembers the original diesel-powered Fabia vRS? And it's a similar story with the Octavia vRS. Not only is it available as a hatchback, but the Octavia is also available as an estate to make it even more family-friendly.

To differentiate the Octavia vRS from the standard car, both incarnations feature unique front and rear bumper designs that incorporate a host of black details. These include the double-slat radiator grille, lower air diffuser and the distinctive air curtains above the front fog lights. The door mirror housings and window frames are also finished in gloss black, while the estate model is finished with black roof bars as standard. At the rear, the hatch model adds gloss black aero flaps, diffuser and a subtle bootlid spoiler, while both models come with chrome exhaust tailpipes and bespoke vRS badging as standard.

Skoda reckons the styling of the Octavia vRS is both sporty yet subtle. It's certainly not as outrageous as something like a Civic Type R, and whether that's a good or a bad thing will be down to your hot hatch checklist. Given that Honda's had to tone down the latest Civic Type R design to appeal to a broader audience, the understated styling might work in the Octavia vRS's favour. 

As well as offering two body styles, the Octavia is available with three engines - a 245PS 2.0-litre petrol, a 200PS 2.0-litre diesel and a 245PS plug-in hybrid. The big seller is likely to be the petrol engine variant partnered with the DSG gearbox (there's a six-speed manual available as well), but it looks like the PHEV has been less of a success, now no longer available to order new. 

The latest Skoda Octavia vRS enjoys a Virtual Cockpit instrument panel fitted as standard and offers an additional Sport layout. This complements the large 10-inch touchscreen display, though we're not huge fans on the over reliance of touchscreen controls. On the plus side, the new multifunction three-spoke leather steering wheel features physical controls that are definitely easier to use than the touch-sensitive interface on the latest Golf GTI. 

Speaking of which, the Octavia vRS uses a longer wheelbase than the Golf GTI, resulting in ample space in both the front and back. Meanwhile, the boot space is epic at 600 litres, while the estate goes one better at 640 litres. 

It might not be the last word in hot hatches, but the Skoda Octavia vRS makes for a brilliant family car and a great all-rounder. 

We lived with an Octavia vRS for six months - find out how we got on with it in our Skoda Octavia vRS long term test.

While the likes of the Golf GTI and Hyundai i30N have the choice of different power outputs from one engine, the Skoda Octavia vRS does things a little differently, with the choice of three engines. There's the choice of either a petrol, diesel or a plug-in hybrid. 

Our pick would be the 245PS 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol with the six-speed manual gearbox. It'll hit 62mph in 6.8 seconds (6.7 seconds if you spec the DSG gearbox) and has a top speed of 155mph. While the power figure might seem a bit light compared to some 300PS+ hot hatches, it's a very flexible engine and has a maximum torque of 370Nm. Don't expect a load of pops and bangs that are the signature of some hot hatches, the 2.0-litre engine in the Octavia vRS is not quite as dramatic, though there's still a decent engine note from it when you're in Sport mode. 

A diesel engine in a hot hatch might not seem a natural fit, but the Skoda Octavia vRS with a 200PS 2.0-litre diesel is worth considering if you do a lot of miles. DSG-only, it's only a little slower than the petrol version from 0-62mph, taking 7.4 seconds (though the 4WD version is a bit quicker at 6.8 seconds). More impressively is the 400Nm of torque available. 

Then there's the plug-in hybrid version. It's no longer available to order new (or at least at the time of writing), but it pairs a 1.4-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to produce 245PS. With an electric-only range of up to 39 miles, the Octavia vRS iV (as it's known) gets from 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. It's matches the diesel for torque, but perhaps most appealing is the fact that it's 2.2 seconds quicker from 50-70mph. 

The standard Skoda Octavia was awarded a five-star Euro NCAP rating when it was crash tested back in 2019. Compared to the started car, the Octavia vRS gets even more safety kit, making it an even safer option. 

There's a full complement of airbags, lane assist and automatic emergency brakes, though blind spot warning is an optional extra. There's also two ISOFIX points on the outer rear seats and matrix LED headlights.  

The diesels are the ones to go for if you want to tow. The standard Octavia vRS diesel has a maximum braked trailer towing weight of 1600kg, while the four-wheel drive variant is up to 2000kg.

One of the main things that separates the Octavia vRS from the hot hatch competition (and its VW Group sibling, the Golf GTI for that matter), is just how practical it is.

There's bags of space up front for two adults, but we'd like the seat to be positioned a little lower to make you feel a little more cocooned within the cabin. It's a minor quibble though and the seats themselves provide a good amount of lateral support, though they might not be a snug as some might like. They've also been tastefully designed, with some subtle 'vRS' branding diamond-stitching and small neck-height cut outs to make it feel a little less cramped and hemmed in in the back.

In the back and there's ample space for a couple of adults and for short journeys you'll be able to squeeze someone on the middle seat. Headroom and legroom are great, while those opting for the estate version will find it a little more airy than the hatch thanks to the larger opening of the rear windows. It's easy to get in and out of as well, with the rear doors opening nice and wide - great if you're having to regularly lean in to fasten children's seatbelts or hoover out breadstick crumbs that have lodged themselves down the back of the seat somehow.  

Where the Skoda Octavia vRS really scores is with the boot. Before we even get to the estate version, the hatchback Octavia vRS provides 600 litres of boot space. That's over 220 litres more than a Golf GTI, but even more impressive is the size of the vRS estate boot. At 640 litres the boot of the Octavia vRS estate is even more practical than the hatchback, while the footprint off it makes it a very useful load carrying space. If you're swayed by the PHEV version of the Octavia vRS estate it's worth noting that the boot space drops to 490 litres due to the extra space needed for the batteries. 

With petrol, diesel or PHEV engines to choose from, you should be able to find a vRS to suit your needs. Opt for the petrol and you can expect a little over 40mpg in normal driving, while the diesel delivers 55mpg. The premium you pay over the petrol and the high premium you pay for diesel at the pumps means you're going to need to cover lots of miles regularly to recover the extra cost. 

The plug-in hybrid is rather optimistically quoted as 253mpg, but you'll need to charge the battery regularly to get anywhere near that figure. Drain the battery and you'll be struggling to match the mpg from the petrol car. 

For a hot hatch the doesn't fair too badly when it comes to insurance, with Skoda Octavia vRS starting in insurance group 24 (for either the diesel or PHEV) and nudging up to group 25 for the petrol. 

Expect to pay £165 VED per year currently, though the PHEV will be a bit cheaper by £10. If you do go crazy with the options and spec a vRS over £40,000, then you could end up paying an extra £355 per year for five years (from the second time its taxed).

Whether it's a hatchback or estate, the Octavia vRS differentiates itself from the standard car with some sharp looking 19-inch alloy wheels and some revised front and rear bumpers for a more aggressive, imposing look. The Octavia vRS is also available is some exclusive colours (phoenix orange and viper green anyone?) that aren't an option on the standard car. 

The Skoda Octavia vRS comes with a pretty comprehensive list of features, including aluminium pedals, heated sports seats, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, auto lights and an electrically operated boot. We'd recommend spec'ing Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) at £995. This adapts the suspension using electrically controlled dampers - you can set it for comfort or firm up the ride when pushing on, while the steering response also changes.