(2005) SKODA FABIA vRS vs SKODA OCTAVIA vRS (2021)

Diesel versus plug-in hybrid – both fast Skodas were the future when they arrived

WASN’T THE MkI FABIA vRS... A DIESEL?

When the first-generation Fabia vRS was launched back in 2003 it was unlike any other hot hatch its size. For it was powered not by a rev-happy petrol engine, but by a 1.9-litre turbodiesel plucked from the VW Group parts bin. This, remember, was only a couple of years after the UK government introduced tax breaks for diesel-powered cars, and a couple of years before Audi started winning with diesel at Le Mans. In 2003, and up to and beyond the death of the MkI Fabia vRS in 2007, everyone thought diesel was the future. And boy were they wrong.

DIESEL ISN’T DEAD YET THOUGH, RIGHT?

No, but demand is falling and it seems unlikely we’ll see many more new diesel-fuelled performance cars. I’d be surprised if the few still on sale survive beyond this generation. The future of fast is cars you plug in. So while Skoda still does a diesel-powered Octavia vRS, it would undoubtedly much rather you buy the plug-in Octavia vRS iV instead. It’s not thrilling, and the pure petrol/diesel are better to drive with less, erm, obstructive powertrains, but it makes sense if you can get the potential BIK savings to add up.

SURELY THE FABIA ISN’T VERY FAST?

The Fabia vRS has just 126bhp, but it only weighs 1,300kg and – here’s the kicker – has 229lb ft of torque. If the internet is to be believed this means the humble vRS is quicker from 50–70mph than a E90 BMW 330i, and as quick from 20–40mph as a Lotus Elise 111R.

IS IT FUN TO DRIVE?

There’s definitely quite a lot of weight on that front axle, so the Fabia vRS doesn’t feel as nimble or light on its feet as other small hot hatches. But it’s stable and surefooted. By modern standards the steering is slow, but it’s reassuringly weighted if ultimately a bit numb. While not particularly fizzy, the vRS is good fun. And that big (relative to the size of the car to which it’s fitted, anyway), brawny diesel means it still feels quick even by today’s standards. It’s nothing like as refined as many of today’s four-cylinder oil burners of course, but it feels willing and revs freely and flexibly up to its red line. Not that you’ll ever take it there.

DID THESE TWO CARS HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON?

These are altogether different kinds of cars. But there is a parallel here – both have powertrains not ideally suited to performance cars, so you have to adapt your driving style to get the best out of them. We know it’s possible to make a plug-in powertrain work in a performance car (McLaren P1, Porsche 918, Polestar 1, Ferrari SF90, to name but four). But as yet there hasn’t been a totally convincing mainstream performance-oriented plug-in hybrid. Give it time...