Photo: Skoda
The greens are going to hate us for saying this, but emissions regs have killed a great car. We've just learned from the Czech automaker that its next-gen Octavia RS performance model will debut as a plug-in hybrid in Geneva. If you're reading from India, this doesn't impact you, though you'll probably still be interested in what we have to say.
So as we keep saying almost every single day, the European emissions targets have become way too tight. Companies are expected to reach 95 grams per kilometers by 2021, and it really hurts normal performance cars.
For the record, a Prius 3 was at about 90 grams, so the only way the Octavia RS was going to achieve that is with a plug-in hybrid drive. It makes us wonder if the Golf GTI isn't actually a plug-in as well.
In any case, the press release is full of fluff that makes us sad about what we'll be missing. We've seen a small but steady increase in used Octavia RS prices over the past few months, which probably means we're not the only ones dreading this change. All-in-all, Skoda says it's sold 172,000 units of the Mk3 model, roughly between 2013 and late 2019.
Can you imagine that many unhappy customers? Well, not all of them will be unhappy because we believe the Octavia RS will still be available with a 2.0 TDI, now making 200 hp and 400 Nm, so slightly more than last year.
This plug-in hybrid model will be called the Octavia RS iV and should make 245 horsepower, split between the 1.4-liter turbo engine and an electric motor. Despite having more power than a 2013 Octavia RS, this iV model should be much slower, since the 13 kW battery pack will add about 200-250 kg of weight.
It could also be quite expensive, probably around €4,000 or more compared to the previous generation. We just don't see the point in having a 1.7-ton hybrid pretending to be a family sports car. Our money would probably go towards a Ford Focus ST which packs a 280 hp punch and costs just €32,300 as a wagon, or a super-sexy Proceed GT with 204 hp selling at €31,700.
For the record, a Prius 3 was at about 90 grams, so the only way the Octavia RS was going to achieve that is with a plug-in hybrid drive. It makes us wonder if the Golf GTI isn't actually a plug-in as well.
In any case, the press release is full of fluff that makes us sad about what we'll be missing. We've seen a small but steady increase in used Octavia RS prices over the past few months, which probably means we're not the only ones dreading this change. All-in-all, Skoda says it's sold 172,000 units of the Mk3 model, roughly between 2013 and late 2019.
Can you imagine that many unhappy customers? Well, not all of them will be unhappy because we believe the Octavia RS will still be available with a 2.0 TDI, now making 200 hp and 400 Nm, so slightly more than last year.
This plug-in hybrid model will be called the Octavia RS iV and should make 245 horsepower, split between the 1.4-liter turbo engine and an electric motor. Despite having more power than a 2013 Octavia RS, this iV model should be much slower, since the 13 kW battery pack will add about 200-250 kg of weight.
It could also be quite expensive, probably around €4,000 or more compared to the previous generation. We just don't see the point in having a 1.7-ton hybrid pretending to be a family sports car. Our money would probably go towards a Ford Focus ST which packs a 280 hp punch and costs just €32,300 as a wagon, or a super-sexy Proceed GT with 204 hp selling at €31,700.
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