What's the news?
Well, it's official - there is now no good reason not to buy a Skoda Octavia RS. A car which has already proven its appeal as a fast-but-practical all-rounder, the Octavia RS has now been upgraded with the availability of both four-wheel drive fitted with the DSG automatic gearbox.
Available on the 190hp 2.0-litre TDI model, power is distributed though a six-speed version of the DSG gearbox and the familiar Haldex four-wheel drive system. The four-wheel drive version keeps the XDS+ electronic front differential, but doesn't have the superior mechanical diff of the 230hp petrol version.
The Octavia RS with all-wheel drive and DSG accelerates faster to 100km/h than the front-wheel drive DSG equivalent (7.6 seconds vs 8.2 seconds) and a top speed of 228 km/h is possible. The maximum torque of 380Nm is available between 1,750- to 3,250rpm. Combined fuel economy figures are 4.9 litres/100km and this corresponds to Co2 emissions of 129g/km (Band B1 €270 annual motor tax). Prices are €39,395 for the Liftback and €40,395 for the Combi (Estate) model.
"Since the launch of the RS to Ireland, we have always had the question, from both media and customers alike, as to if and when this car would gain all-wheel drive, and thankfully this has now been answered positively with this new model," commented Raymond Leddy, Head of Marketing for Skoda Ireland. "With the addition of all-wheel drive, which provides for improved grip and acceleration, this makes one of the most complete cars you can buy today, even better."