Skoda Octavia RS 230 Review Details Feature-Rich Yet Practical Sedan

The Octavia RS uses the same powertrain as the Golf GTI. However, it's much bigger and thus slightly less exciting to drive. However, it makes a lot of sense as a family car and costs a lot less than the GTI, especially on the second-hand market. We checked, and you can pick up an RS 220 for the same sub-€20,000 money as a Golf GTI Mk6. We think that decision is a no-brainer since the newer TSI motor has a lot more torque and consumes less fuel due the eco modes. That's 230 PS and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque from a 2.0-liter turbo engine, just enough to get you to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

The hot Octavia range is among the biggest available, as the RS can be ordered with a diesel engine and even AWD. But the RS 230 is the fastest and most powerful, also being equipped with the Volkswagen's XDS electronic differential lock. However, it is expensive, as prices go up from €29,750 to €32,400 (in Germany). Full leather is also included as standard here, but you'll have to pay extra for navigation and the DSG gearbox.

There are a couple of things we learned from the review Thomas from Autogefuhl published on YouTube today. First of all, the seats have a racing look yet offer fully electric adjustment, something VW sometimes "forgets" to put in the Passat. The trunk of the Octavia is a cavern, and despite being designed for fun, the RS 230 still has a rubber floor and a rear bench that has a 40/60 split and a ski hatch. We can't think of a single car with 200 horsepower that offers this much space for around 30,000 euros.

On the driver enjoyment front, it seems that the hot Octavia is tuned for comfort. The steering system is precise yet light. For the engine sound, the RS relies on the same Soundaktor system we showed you on the Golf R to send fake induction noise into the cabin.