First drive: Slicker Octavia RS, Scout up Skoda ante

SKODA has applied the smoother new look adorned by its facelifted Octavia in Australia since March to its RS performance flagships and the Scout crossover.

Launched last week in Budapest, Hungary, not far from Skoda Auto’s Mlada Boleslav headquarters in the Czech Republic, the new-look RS and Scout will complete the upgraded Octavia range in Australia from September.

They will be bookended by Skoda’s new luxury sedan flag-bearer, the Superb, in July and the all-new Yeti compact crossover in early 2010, while a yet-to-be-confirmed RS performance version of next year’s facelifted Fabia small hatch is also expected.

For now, however, the Octavia RS will bring the same interior and exterior updates recently applied to the revised Octavia line-up, which relaunched the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand in Australia in October 2007.

Turbocharged petrol and diesel engine choices (the latter joined the local range in November 2008), mated to both six-speed manual and automatic (DSG) transmissions, will continue to be available in both four-door ‘liftback’ and five-door Combi body styles.

As with the garden variety Octavia, the 2009 RS skin is fresh from the A-pillar forward and comprises new, more stylised headlights, plus revised front quarter guards and wing mirrors, and a different bonnet, bumper and grille (with RS logo).

The larger, boomerang-shaped headlights will come with the option of Xenon globes and an adaptive light function, while the redesigned bumper features a wider air intake, fog lights with cornering function and, for the first time, daytime running lights.

The RS also scores new tail-lights, beside which resides a new RS badge, while a new 18-inch ‘Neptune’ alloy wheel design can be had instead of the standard 17-inch ‘Zenith’ items. An eighth exterior paint colour – ‘Anthracite’ grey metallic – will also be available.

Combined with the slightly slipperier shape (which is not reflected by unchanged aerodynamic coefficients of 0.30Cd and 0.31Cd for the liftback and wagon respectively), weight reductions of 20kg for the 147kW/280Nm 2.0 TSI petrol and 15kg for the 125kW/350Nm 2.0 TDI diesel have wrought minor CO2 emissions and fuel consumption reductions across the range.

According to European test figures, the TDI manual liftback returns as little as 150g/km and 5.7L/100km, while at the other end of the range the TSI DGS wagon produces 180g/km and 7.7L/100km. Both engines meets stringent new Euro 5 emissions standards.

However, given most of the weight savings are the result of replacing the full-size spare wheel with a tyre repair kit, which won’t be the case for Australian models, it remains to be seen whether the efficiency gains translate to Australia’s ADR 81/02 test regime.

Inside, RS variants score a new steering wheel and centre console design, the latter comprising new satin-finish surrounds for the heating/ventilation, audio and (optional) satellite-navigation systems, which also comprise new controls with different graphics.

According to Skoda, the ‘Climatronic’ dual-zone air-conditioning system is now equipped with a sensor that measures the quality of air drawn into vehicle and, if necessary, automatically switches to recirculate mode.

Also new in Europe are the ‘Décor RS’ and ‘RS Supreme’ specification levels, the latter comprising the exclusive combination of real and pseudo leather trim and specific RS trim for the door inners and dashboard.

There is no change to the RS chassis, which continues feature a 13mm-lower ride height than other Octavia models (12mm lower for the Combi).

Skoda says it has sold 60,000 RS-badged vehicles since 2000 globally (70 of which were Combis), with ‘Rally Sport’ models comprising some 20 per cent of Octavia sales in Australia – split 50/50 between liftback and wagon.

Worldwide, RS models comprise just 12 per cent of Octavia sales, so Skoda Australia has plenty riding on the new-look RS, which currently opens at $37,690 for the Liftback TSI manual.

Just as Skoda hopes the 2009 Octavia will increase sales over the 800-odd examples it sold in total last year, both the revised RS and Scout models are also expected to be more popular than before.

As with the manual-only Octavia Scout TDI, which is currently priced at $39,990 as Skoda’s only entrant in the compact SUV segment, final pricing and specifications won’t be decided until closer to their Australian release, which in the Scout’s case will follow the 2009 RS by up to three weeks.

On sale here since September 2008, the Scout (just 22,000 of which have been sold globally, mainly in alpine nations) receives a similar front-end overhaul to the RS, comprising a new grille with 19 vertical ribs surrounded by a redesigned chrome frame, plus a new bonnet, headlights, front quarter panels and side mirrors.

As with other 2009 Octavias, the Scout offers optional xenon lights and an adaptive light function, plus optional cornering foglights in a new-look front bumper. In this case, the latter features matt-black lower inserts that contrast with a new metallic exterior paint colour, ‘Rosso Brunello’.

Similar centre console and heating/ventilation system upgrades are offered inside, while unique Scout features continue to include a front passenger grabrail mounted on the dashboard, an underbody sump guard, ground clearance of 179mm and a fourth-generation Haldex all-wheel drive system from the Tiguan SUV, which can direct up to 85 per cent of engine torque one wheel. The Scout’s maximum cargo volume is identical to the Octavia wagon and 1655 litres.

Indeed, the most significant part of the 2009 Scout upgrade is the turbocharged direct-injection 118kW/250Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine variant that is offered in addition to the sole (EU4-compliant) 103kW 2.0 TDI version currently available here. It returns combined EU fuel consumption of 7.8L/100km and CO2 emissions of 182g/km.

Skoda Auto is believed to be developing DSG transmission versions of both the 1.8 TSI and 2.0 TDI Scout, which should put both the petrol Scout and automatic versions of both engines on the table for Australia. GoAuto understands the local Scout line-up should be expanded to comprise both engines and transmissions by late 2010.

Drive impressions

STYLING is a subjective thing but few could argue the Octavia’s smooth new look has the greatest visual impact in range-topping RS guise.

Gone are the flat, boring headlights of the current RS, which projected a down-cast and decidedly eastern European look, in favour of a more contemporary headlight shape that makes the Octavia both far more aggressive and upbeat in equal measure.

The heavily chromed Skoda grille still nestles in between but somehow looks prouder ahead of a more bulging bonnet and quarter guards, and above a deeper, more purposeful bumper.

Certainly, the exterior changes are far easier to pick than the interior upgrades, but it could be argued the Volkswagen-esque cabin design and build quality, which is as convincing as its ergonomics, wasn’t in need of fixing anyway.

Surprise-and-delight cockpit features continue to abound, like the hidden high-grip surfaces applied to the inside of the interior door-pulls and on the floor of the upper dashboard compartment.

A large, flip-out dash box, easy-to-read instruments, highly tactile controls and, thanks to the hip-hugging fake-suede sports seats in the RS we sampled, one of the most ergonomic seating positions we’ve encountered all add to the Octavia RS experience.

On the solid cross-country global launch drive through Hungary the petrol RS was as effortless to drive in peak-hour Budapest traffic as it was at highly illegal freeway speeds.

Powered by a turbocharged 147kW version of Volkswagen’s direct-injection 2.0-litre four, the petrol RS sedan is in effect a Golf GTI with a boot or the Jetta GTI that VW never built, while the petrol RS Combi adds another dimension by throwing in the cargo space of a mid-size wagon like the Mazda6, Subaru Liberty or… VW’s own Passat.

Mated to an ever-ready double-clutch automated manual DSG transmission controlled oh-so-conveniently by steering wheel paddle shifters, both the petrol and diesel RS are lusty performers with a satisfying level response and in-gear acceleration.

Downsides? Ride quality on the cobblestones of Buda’s old town was far from comfortable and won’t find favour with those who spend most time of Australian B-roads, and a brief track session at Hungary’s Euroring proved the front-drive RS is a chronic understeerer on a racetrack despite its surprising lack of body roll.

Curiously, despite access to all-wheel drive hardware in the Octavia’s spare parts bin, the RS is a front-drive-only proposition. That said, the Scout’s front-biased AWD system’s extra weight is unlikely to improve this sporting sedan and wagon’s handling balance.

Indeed, in comparison, the higher-riding Scout feels considerably heavier and more cumbersome at parking speeds, offers less steering precision and cornering stability, and can seem somewhat ponderous at speed. It’s certainly not nervous, but requires more steering correction to keep straight at speed, while cornering requires greater steering lock and results in more body roll as its higher-profile tyres scramble for traction.

That said, the Scout is probably no less agile than, say, the Outback and Forester from which many of its buyers are migrating, and although it doesn’t quite offer the ‘command’ seating position afforded by the latter it clearly wins efficiency points when it comes to the diesel version. The TDI manual returns combined ADR81/02 fuel consumption of 6.6L/100km, compared with a combined EU figure of 7.8L/100km for the TSI petrol version.

Of course, the turbo-petrol version is a new take on the Scout theme for Australians and, should it be sold here, is likely to bring the Skoda off-roader’s price point closer to that of its Japanese compact SUV rivals.

Featuring the same flattish seats as the TDI (which go one up on the RS’s better-shaped buckets by offering power adjustment), the TSI is just as lumpy at idle but soon transforms into a responsive, sweet-spinning engine at revs.

A mildly challenging off-road course at the Euroring proved the Octavia Scout is no LandCruiser, with long overhangs copping the brunt of even modest approach and departure angles and a lack of low-range gearing making it unsuitable for low-speed climbing, descending or just underbody damage control.

Sure, the same cosmetic updates that give the Octavia RS more street cred than ever also lift the Scout’s looks. But while the RS should continue to offer more bang for your buck than the Golf GTI in a package that has never looked better, the Scout will still be at least $3000 pricier than a Tiguan TDI.

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