What’s new: Skoda has launched a diesel version of its vRS Octavia. The previous, highly-rated vRS Octavia was petrol only, but after the success of the Fabia vRS diesel, the VW-owned brand has added a second hot-hatch oil-burner.
Excellent: The Octavia is a huge car by class standards, especially the boot. Even the five-door tested here offers 561 litres of space.
Good: The subtle bodykit is now recognisable enough for the knowing nods and glances, without a boy racer image.
Average: The second-generation Octavia vRS isn’t quite the performance bargain of its predecessor. A CPM of 29.1 pence and P11D over £18,000 compares with the smaller Seat’s Leon FR £17,322 and 26.7ppm from the same engine.
Poor: VW’s 2.0-litre 170PS diesel isn’t particularly refined in any of its applications, so it’s no surprise that engine noise is a moan.
Verdict: It’s no driver’s hot hatch, but looks, running costs and space add up to a compelling package if you want a grown-up hot hatch.
