Octavia vRS iV PHEV
THE lineage of accessible, usable performance cars under the vRS moniker has continued to the current age of electrification. The Octavia vRS iV is a plug-in hybrid performance hatch that borrows its chassis and running gear from the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf GTE, and looks to tie up pace, efficiency and fun in a single, practical package.
Having just climbed out of its near two-decade-old brethren, the iV feels opulent and well isolated, but with that brings a remoteness to its responses. The steering, although far more accurate and incisive, doesn’t load up with the same organic feel, and the brake regeneration system gives a springy feel to the brake pedal. In EV mode, the Octavia is eerily quiet and free of drama, which isn’t something from the established hot-hatch playbook.
Even when you’re up to speed, the Octavia vRS iV doesn’t quite hit the spot. Calling upon the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine brings a sudden intrusion of noise, but not the kick of forward propulsion that you’d expect. Its 242bhp is a strong figure on paper, but the iV brings a near-200kg weight penalty over the standard vRS. The torque-fill of the electric motor masks turbo lag well, but it’s disappointing that the vRS iV never feels like an outright performance car.
Once you adjust to the synthetic controls, the Octavia vRS iV’s pure cornering ability impresses. The leap in chassis technology from the early noughties is evident; the Octavia is unflustered over mid-corner bumps that send shudders through the older cars, and the grip reserves are far higher. And where the Mk1 Octavia rewards spirited driving with a hint of slip from either axle, the vRS iV obeys the same commands in a neat, effective fashion. Pushing harder than that, on the road at least, feels inappropriate. Instead, you settle into a groove with the hybrid vRS, aiming it with accuracy between the white lines at a brisk pace. The Octavia vRS iV is an accomplished car, but we wish it was a little less Skoda, and a bit more vRS.
Perhaps the current Octavia vRS is closest to the original Fabia vRS in that regard, then. It’s a hot hatchback designed for the world around it. Diesel was king in the early noughties; today it’s electrification that rules the roost.