Published: Wednesday, 31st March, 2010 5:00pm

Octavia RS delivers in all the main areas

The new Octavia RS Combi 2.0 TDi.

Most drivers are familiar with the Skoda Octavia though many will not be aware there is an RS model. The test car is the new Octavia RS Combi 2.0 TDi, which competes in one of the most competitive segments in the industry. Here in the family, or business user-chooser market there are so many good cars that choosing one is a difficult task.

You could consider the Ford Mondeo, the Opel Insignia, the Toyota Avensis, the Renault Laguna, the Mazda6 or the VW Passat...

The RS versions of the Skoda family have been tweaked or modified to offer driving pleasure without losing the virtues that have made Skoda so successful. The Octavia RS Combi is essentially an estate version, a hatchback is also available.

The test car was finished in an attractive metallic blue paintwork with just one exterior option, the larger 18-inch Neptune alloy wheels (€390). Standard fit is 17-inch alloys. The overall style is good without being particularly interesting - it is difficult to make estate cars sexy but the Octavia's clean lines are appealing.

The cabin is huge. There is bags of room both front and rear and the boot is massive. The dashboard is well laid out and in true Skoda fashion is ergonomically excellent; every switch and lever is perfectly positioned. Equally important it looks and feels high quality with good quality materials throughout.

There is plenty of oddments space, good-sized door pockets, cup holders and so on. Standard specification includes a host of airbags, ABS, ASR, ESP, front seatbelt pre-tensioners, three-point rear belts, ISOFIX child seat mountings, Tyre Pressure monitoring, rain sensing wipers, auto dimming rear view mirror, cruise control, iPod Aux jack, Bluetooth, dual zone climate control, a Bolero touch screen sound system with SD and MMC card reader, park sensors, roof rails as well as remote locking, electric windows and mirrors and the aforementioned alloy wheels.

The whole car feels really well put together and although the optional (€690) black leather trim in the test car was a bit sombre for my taste it did look good.

The 2.0 litre 170bhp turbo diesel powering the test car is a lively diesel. Top speed is claimed to be around 225 km/h while the 0 to 100km dash takes about 8 seconds. What really impresses is the large amount of mid-range torque available giving excellent mid-range acceleration. The six-speed gearbox is light and easy to use and the ratios make the best of the 170bhp available. Overall performance is simply excellent and I was always surprised at just how well this car accelerates even in sixth gear. This is a quick car indeed. It is economical though consuming just 7.1 litres per 100km over my test drive period. Road tax on this Octavia RS cost €302 per annum.

The Octavia RS Combi handles surprisingly well. Traction off the line is excellent and through the twisty stuff it has good balance and tracks your chosen line with little in the way of body roll. The thick rimmed leather steering wheel gives good feedback from the road making the Octavia RS a really enjoyable car to drive. The ride is generally compliant proving capable of soaking up the bumps without being in any way harsh. Apart from a bit of diesel clatter at idle the car is also pretty quiet with wind and road noise being well suppressed.

Verdict

The new Skoda Octavia RS Combi Tdi costs €28,615 which really represents excellent value for money. Almost any other car in this class with this level of specification would cost a hell of a lot more. What's more as we all know Skoda is owned by VW and uses and shares many of its parts, from engines to gearboxes, and so will be truly reliable.

It's not all about value for money, but the Octavia RS delivers in all other areas too. It's roomy, versatile, well built, of high quality and is a damn good driving experience.