Skoda Octavia vRS 2022 review – a more practical and more resolved Golf GTI
The current Octavia vRS doesn’t just repackage a Golf GTI into a more practical form, it adds in more style and polish, too.

Skoda’s fourth-generation Octavia vRS doesn’t stray far from the tried and tested formula that’s served the Czech hot hatch and fast estate well for nearly two decades. It still sits on an extended version of the Golf’s platform, that of the new Mk8 in this instance, and borrows its engine and gearbox and much of the latest technology the VW Group has been handing out to its brands in recent years.

There’s plenty of variations available, with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains that are all derived from VW’s high-specification Golfs. Petrol buyers have the option of a six-speed manual (in 2022, fancy that), but all models otherwise get a dual-clutch ’box. Diesel models are optionally available with all-wheel drive – the same Haldex system used in the Golf R and various Audis. Depending on the specification and body style the new Octavia’s kerb weight falls between 1425kg for the manual petrol and up to 1630kg for the PHEV estate.

If you’re at all up with the VW Group lingo, you won’t be surprised to read that the vRS petrol uses the GTI’s EA888 2-litre turbocharged engine. Here it shares its specific outputs with the base VW, producing 242bhp and 273lb ft of torque, and will reach 62mph in 6.8sec with the manual, or 6.7sec with the DSG.

The 197bhp four-cylinder turbo diesel is in an equivalent specification to the Golf GTD and paired to its chunky 295lb ft of torque makes for a brilliant high-speed cruiser, even if the engine can be a bit vocal under hard use. It comes with two or four-wheel drive, but we’d say the front-wheel drive has enough traction to render the driven rear axle a fruitless addition unless you plan on taking it to the Alps every winter. Zero to 62mph times are slower for the diesels, though, with the two-wheel-drive version managing the sprint in 7.6sec and the 4x4 in 7.1sec for both hatch and estate.
Read More https://www.evo.co.uk/skoda/octavia/vrs

📌 Instagram ▶ https://www.instagram.com/MEDCARS.TV
📌 Tiktok ▶ https://www.tiktok.com/@cartvpress