Skoda brings its flagship Octavia model - the performance-oriented RS - into line with the rest of the facelifted fourth-generation range, giving it the new exterior looks and better interior interface within courtesy of a larger infotainment system, and also allows it to keep pace with the related Volkswagen Golf GTI by boosting peak power by 20hp.

With petrol-powered hot hatchbacks dying out by the day, Skoda’s decision to drop both the diesel and iV plug-in hybrid variants of the Octavia RS might seem risky, but is the 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI good enough to overcome these possibly significant hurdles? We drove the revised car on the Isle of Man, with its derestricted roads, to find out how good it is.

How much is the 2024 Skoda Octavia RS in Ireland?

With a starting price of €55,300 against a basic value of €31,430 for an Octavia fastback, the RS is patently not a cheap choice in the line-up. However, set against its relevant peers - and considering both the extensive level of standard equipment plus masses of interior space you get - the rapid Skoda starts to look like a bargain.

It’s more than €4,000 cheaper than a Golf GTI, for instance, despite using the same hardware and having a boot that’s more than 50 per cent bigger than its Volkswagen relation. It also undercuts the Ford Focus ST by almost three grand, and with rivals such as the Hyundai i30 N and Renault Megane R.S. having fallen by the wayside, the likeable RS Octavia’s case appears stronger than ever. Having said that, the mechanically similar Cupra Leon is worth checking out, because although it’s more expensive in hatchback form with a TSI engine (at €58,285), that’s for a more potent car with the same 300hp as in the Golf GTI Clubsport.

The Octavia RS is available as both a fastback and a Combi estate, the latter from €56,950.

What’s different about the appearance of the Skoda Octavia RS?

Typical Skoda RS signifiers like black exterior detailing, the discreet ‘RS’ model-specific badging front and rear, chunkier bumpers and a set of large alloy wheels are now teamed with the facelifted Mk4 Octavia’s hallmarks of new standard-fit LED light clusters. This is most noticeable at the front of the updated Octavia RS, where the downward-angled daytime running lamps that echo the shape of the radiator grille most readily mark this out as the most powerful RS Skoda has yet launched.

These are complemented at the rear by refreshed LED clusters, including dynamic-sweep indicators, and as you can clothe the whole lot in some eye-catching paints such as Mamba Green, Phoenix Orange, Race Blue and Velvet Red (in and among the usual sedate monochrome choices) then we’re inclined to say the Skoda has never looked better.

A look inside the Skoda Octavia RS

It’s a similar story to the exterior, with RS-related touches overlaying the generally updated cabin of the latest Octavia. The net result is something magnificent: material quality is largely splendid, with only one or two minor areas of concern to note, while the design of the dashboard is elegant and easy on the eye.

The RS has sculpted front bucket seats and a gorgeous three-spoke sports steering wheel, along with contrast red stitching, discreet badgework here and there, and some new trim finishers in the dash which mimic carbon fibre, all of which improve the ambience of an already fine cabin anyway.

And then there’s the space, of which there is plenty. Rear passenger room is lounge-worthy, in both body types, and the boot of any Octavia remains one of the largest in its class, as well as gigantic in the wider scheme of cars. As this fastback, there’s 600 litres on offer with all seats in use, while folding down the 60:40 split rear seatbacks liberates up to 1,555 litres of cargo capacity.

The Skoda Octavia RS’s on-board technology

As previously, the RS has a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, although the graphics in this have been sharpened up. So, the big change comes with the 13-inch infotainment touchscreen. This is a vast improvement on what went before, even if the Octavia lacks for the excellent Smart Dials that you’d get in a larger Kodiaq or Superb.

In the Octavia RS, you’ll therefore still be interacting with the touchscreen more than is strictly necessary, albeit it works much better than before and is better laid out in terms of menus and functions, while Skoda does retain some key shortcut physical buttons just above the central air vents. Other kit added includes a Qi smartphone charging pad capable of running at 15 watts, and while we’re on wireless technology then both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be projected to the infotainment system if you’d prefer, without need to plug a cable between your hand-held device and one of the Octavia’s many USB ports.

Driving the Skoda Octavia RS

Like the change from Golf GTI Mk8 to Mk8.5, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine has been carried over for the latest Octavia RS, and it has gained 20hp of peak power for a headline output of 265hp - making it the most potent Skoda RS we’ve yet seen. Maximum torque remains the same as in the pre-facelift version at 370Nm, but sad news for fans of the six-speed manual gearbox: it has been dropped in the Skoda, meaning your sole transmission ‘choice’ is a seven-speed DSG twin-clutch auto.

This has trimmed the 0-100km/h time of both variants by two-tenths of a second, meaning this fastback version can now tick off the benchmark sprint in 6.4 seconds. That’s a little bit lagging when compared to the Golf GTI’s 5.9-second run, mainly because the Skoda’s bigger frame makes it heavier.

It’s still not heavy, in the grand scheme of things. And with its advanced electronically controlled front differential, the 15mm-lower sports-tuned suspension and some glorious steering, the Octavia RS is brilliant to drive. It remains a hot hatch that will not give the most thrilling drive right at the very limit, but the way it can maximise traction and grip in a wide variety of driving scenarios makes it feel quicker than the stats would have you believe. This is a strong engine with masses of midrange torque, and now the RS Octavia’s exhaust system adds more of a sporty growl to proceedings when you’re revving it out, it feels invigorating to drive the Skoda quickly.

There are, however, times where you can overwhelm the front wheels with the power on offer. Even with the traction control fully engaged and the machinations of the limited-slip differential at work, trying to power out of a T-junction’s side road or leave a tight roundabout smartly can see the cluster’s electronic warning lights flashing, while one bumpy uphill section of tarmac saw the Skoda’s front axle tramping when we demanded some significant roll-on acceleration from the powertrain. We will say these were rare occasions with lots of provocation required, but there are moments where you might lament the lack of a four-wheel-drive option in the RS range.

For rolling refinement and comfort levels, though, the Octavia RS is hard - nay, impossible - to beat in hot-hatch world. There’s the potential to fit it with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive dampers for a four-figure fee, giving you 15 different settings of shock absorption to choose from, but honestly that’s really not needed.

The standard ‘fixed-rate’ set-up works perfectly fine, giving the Skoda a taut-edged but beautifully controlled gait on all types of road surfaces, while as a car it seems to better isolate its occupants from tyre and wind noise at higher speeds than many rivals. In essence, for those odd occasions you’re on the right road and you’re in the mood for a blast, the Skoda has more than enough in its locker to deliver a memorable drive; but for the drudgery of everyday motoring that’s going to make up 98, 99 per cent of your regular driving, the Octavia RS is truly exemplary.

How economical is the Skoda Octavia RS?

Skoda quotes an official fuel consumption figure of around 7.0 litres/100km for the Octavia RS, although we were having such fun with the car on the Isle of Man that the onboard reading reached a level where it was showing 16.9 litres/100km. That, though, was under extreme duress of the kind you’ll only ever be able to replicate on track (or if you’re on holiday on the Isle of Man, we guess), and a more representative drive the next day saw the Skoda turn in 8.9 litres/100km.

We’ve got no doubts that if you were cruising on a motorway in it on a regular basis, you’d be easily able to either get near, achieve or even better the official consumption figure. Oh, and with less than 160g/km emissions, an annual tax fee of €280 doesn’t seem so bad to us.

The reasons you’d buy a Skoda Octavia RS

You’d buy a Skoda Octavia RS because you want something fast, assured and interesting to drive, but also a car which can iron all the stresses of everyday driving out of journeys with no effort whatsoever. You’d buy one because you want something that’s great to look at on the outside, without marking you out as some kind of gobshite trying vainly to recapture your long-lost youth.

You’d buy one because you want a sporty-looking, high-class interior with lovely material finishing, but you actually need to carry adults in the back seats from time to time and you also require a massive boot. You’d buy an Octavia RS because, basically, it does everything spectacularly well indeed but nothing notably badly. It’s the kind of marvellous car where you drive it, then immediately log on to the manufacturer’s configurator and spec one up precisely the way you’d want it. If you’re interested, we’d have a Phoenix Orange Combi... because, genuinely, we can’t think of a better rapid all-rounder that you’d use every single day of the year.

Ask us anything about the Skoda Octavia RS

If there’s anything about the Skoda Octavia RS we’ve not covered, or you’d like advice in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our (completely free) expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.