Three years ago Skoda released a sporty version of its small family hatchback, the Fabia. The Fabia vRS was different to other hot-hatches - it ran on diesel. It was pretty quick, too, especially in the mid-range, and offered twice the fuel economy of a Focus RS. A revolution followed and most manufacturers now offer a performance diesel version of their most popular models.
It was a little surprising when last year Skoda then announced that its Octavia vRS would be running on unleaded. As good as the petrol vRS was (and still is) many were disappointed Skoda hadn't continued with its diesel-power cult. Fans of the original diesel pocket-rocket need worry no longer, as a diesel version of the Octavia vRS goes on sale in the UK next month.
The Octavia 2.0 TDI PD vRS might have a longwinded name but the 170bhp turbodiesel promises almost as much performance as the petrol version from rather fewer fill-ups. The 0-62mph sprint takes 8.5 seconds in the hatchback and 8.6 seconds in the estate and top speed is about 140mph for both.
Despite only a modest drop in performance, emissions reductions are significant, aided by an advanced diesel particulate filter (DPF). CO
2 output is 157g/km (compared to 190g/km for the petrol car), which is great news for company car drivers.
What will it cost? Well, £845 more than the petrol version; bringing prices to £18,370 for the hatch and £19,220 for the estate. But you can be sure to make that premium back in fuel savings rather quickly, as the diesel version returns an impressive 48.7mpg on the Combined Cycle, compared with 35.8mpg from the petrol.
Elsewhere the car is otherwise unchanged from the petrol vRS. The comparatively understated styling remains, as do the 17-inch Zenith alloys, the half leather trim and ESP that are offered as standard.
It seems Skoda could well have a winner on its hands. The cheaper and faster petrol vRS might be its biggest hurdle. Watch out for our review of that car on the
Road Tests page.
Will Nightingale - 21 Aug 2006