Fast Facts

Verdict:
For those whose wives disapprove of the GTI, this car should do the trick

Fast and decently fun with additional practicality, essentially a sleeper

Brand name not the most attractive

Oh no, here comes another Volkswagen with a mask and a bit of make-up… or is it?

By Andy Hum

WHAT IS A Skoda, essentially? Well, depending on whom you ask, the answers could range from “huh” to “a rebadged Volkswagen”. And both answers would be wrong, one more than the other.

Ignoring the first response, and focusing on the second, the Skoda brand is, in fact, under the Volkswagen Group and thus, as part of the German company’s grand plans to take over the world (cars, not countries!), has received lots of shared technology.

Like this Octavia Combi vRS’ 2.0-litre engine, for instance, which you can also find in the previous VW Golf GTI. And the Eos and Scirocco and Jetta GLI. Oh, and in the Audi A3, the A4, A5 Coupe and even the TT. On top of that, it’s just received the uber-formidable six-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG).

It may be a combination sufficient to launch the car quickly, but has all that made it ‘just another one’ from Volkswagen?

Perhaps. And even though it shares the same 2,578mm-wheelbase platform as the Mark V Golf, it has just about adequate unique elements to differ itself from its German cousins.

Outside, the shape of its broad front grille, headlamps and body panels won’t make it easy to spot the similarities. They’ve even added the fashionable strip of daytime-running LEDs beside the lower air-vents.

It’s got a smattering of green inside, which has more to do with Skoda wanting to be more exclusive (their badge is green) than anything to do with eco-friendly technology. Yet, a glance at the shape of its layout and buttons will give it away as hand-me-downs from its next-door neighbour.

But where the Volkswagens have had slight shortfalls, the Czechs have grabbed the opportunity to improve on. Such as the feel of the gear lever, which Skoda has made easier to slide back and forth, with a lesser sense of friction. It may be a small detail, but it shows that they have been paying attention.

There’s also a large boot – 585 litres before the rear seats are folded down, and 1,620 litres after – which is something that most other brands will be struggling to keep up with, so points for practicality are high.

It’s also well kitted up. For the price you pay, you get adaptive xenon headlights, cornering fog lights, cruise control and a touch screen navi-tainment system.

That’s a seriously generous list, so in terms of cost-effectiveness, it’s a non-issue. What could be a bit of an issue, though, may be how it drives. Though it may have the same platform and wheelbase of a Mk5 Golf GTI, the added weight around its back has restricted the freedom of its rear end to swing about when you’d like to take the vRS for a quick dance. All that translates into palpable understeer when it’s pushed hard.

You won’t be thinking about that, though, when you’re cruising on the highway. Though its ride can be a little harsh, the Skoda engineers have been able to control road and wind noise, just as you’d expect a decent European automobile to.

Right now, it’s got no direct rivals. But if you’re wondering what a slightly less exciting GTI with a big boot would be like, the Octavia Combi vRS will be what you’re looking for.

NEED TO KNOW
Skoda Octavia Combi vRS 2.0 (A)

ENGINE TYPE 1,984cc, 16V, turbocharged in-line 4
MAX POWER 200bhp at 5,100-6,000rpm
MAX TORQUE 280Nm at 1,700-5,000rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed semi-automatic
TOP SPEED 237km/h
0-100 KM/H 7.3 seconds
PRICE $115,800 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years / 100,000km
CONTACT Harvest Automobiles
TELEPHONE 6472-1188