Skoda Octavia vRS (Mk4 facelift) Fast Fleet test – living with the £40,000 Q‑car

I pop open the boot and pause for a moment. Odd – there’s no sign of the usual stash of microfibre towels, bottles of Autoglym, hairspray, step ladders or photography gear. Stranger still, the empty Costa coffee cup that always seems to live in the drinks holder is nowhere to be found either. Then it hits me: for the first time in some time, Aston Parrott, our talented photographer, is not running a Fast Fleet Skoda. This one, our new, facelifted Mk4 Octavia vRS, is mine.

And you won’t hear me complaining about that. Back in the early days of my evo tenure, I had the pleasure of running a Kodiaq vRS, and it was a car that I admired and enjoyed greatly. The same goes for the early Mk4 Octavia vRS that we ran a couple of years later and which I also spent some time in. Its tidy handling genuinely impressed me, so I’m keen to cover more miles in this updated version, and intrigued to see how it will fare on my regular commutes and frequent longer journeys and also as a family workhorse.

> Skoda Octavia vRS Estate (Mk4) Fast Fleet test – living with the practical performance estate

‘Facelifted…’ said deputy editor James Taylor upon first clapping eyes on our new long-termer. ‘So, what’s new?’ At first glance, you might think not much. A neighbour of mine has a 2021 vRS in the same Race Blue Metallic, and I often find myself playing ‘spot the difference’ with him. The new wheel design is the most notable update, though if you’ve got a keen eye you might also spot the redesigned headlights and new front bumper. The rear lights and bumper have been updated too, but the changes there are even more subtle.

However, the more significant differences lie under the bonnet and in the cabin. The 2-litre turbocharged engine now produces 261bhp, up from the previous 242bhp. This power increase puts the vRS level with the Mk8.5 Golf GTI, with which it shares its platform and engine and also its seven-speed DSG automatic, which is now the only gearbox option (boo!).

Inside, the biggest – and I mean that word literally – update is a 13-inch infotainment display, which dominates the dashboard. What few physical buttons there were before remain, including those on the steering wheel, and overall the interior continues to look smart with its vRS sports upholstery, fake carbonfibre accents, red stitching and cool ambient lighting.

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Looking at the spec sheet, it’s clear that the vRS is loaded with features as standard: LED Matrix headlights, parking sensors and manoeuvre assist, dual-zone climate control, heated mirrors, inductive phone charging – all are included in the £38,670 basic price. Our car has just three options, all of them welcome: Dynamic Chassis Control (£1185), an 18-inch space-saver spare wheel (£200) and a rear wiper (no cost). They bring the total price to £40,055.

For my first drive, I mentally mapped out a route around my home town of Peterborough to take in both some fast dual-carriageway parkways and some winding countryside roads – a good mix to get a feel for the car’s performance. A quiet stretch early on gave me a chance to test the vRS’s acceleration from a standing start. Being front-drive only there was a bit of slip at first, but the traction control soon quelled it and we were on our way, a sporty rasp from the exhaust – admittedly enhanced through the speakers – providing an encouraging soundtrack. Skoda claims 0-62mph in 6.4sec and that seems entirely believable.

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It also soon became clear that the Octavia should be a comfortable place to spend time and will feel at home on long journeys, just like its predecessors. Then as I hit the twisty fenland backroads of my youth, the vRS started to show the other side of its character, with lively and willing handling, and the car carrying speed effortlessly. After spending 15 months in our much bigger and heavier Audi S8, it’s immediately noticeable how much more agile and responsive the Skoda feels.

Are there any early annoyances? Well, the pinging sound every time you stray over the speed limit is one, the incessant reminders to take a break another. The former isn’t unique to the Skoda, of course, and thankfully both can be disabled, so they aren’t dealbreakers. In fact, every time I’ve climbed into the vRS so far, I’ve been looking forward to the drive. That’s a good sign, especially as I’ve just been summoned to pick up my eldest from university nearly 200 miles away in Durham… again. – Richard Browne

This story was first featured in evo issue 333.