2017 Skoda Octavia RS 230 Review – A Sporty Alternative To The SUV Set
It is reasonably audacious for the Skoda Octavia RS 230 Wagon to claim it can do both Sports and Utility better than a vehicle that actually wears the SUV tag.
To be fair to Skoda, the Volkswagen Group brand from the Czech Republic isn’t shouting that claim. Rather it quietly lets the figures forward the argument, starting with a 588 litre boot taking care of the Utility part. A Hyundai Tucson? 488 litres.
The Octavia RS 230 – which reverts to a name designation in horsepower, not kilowatts as per the regular Octavia RS 162 – makes 169kW rather than 162kW from its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder. A Mazda CX-5? 138kW from a 2.5-litre non turbo.
Sports performance isn’t all about power, though, so the headline act for this 70-unit limited edition is the addition of 19-inch alloy wheels and a mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD) as standard. All for sub-$45K, or luxury grade medium SUV money.
Vehicle Style: Medium wagon
Price: $43,190 (plus on-road costs)
Engine/trans: 169kW/350Nm 2.0 4cyl turbo petrol | 6spd manual
Fuel Economy Claimed: 6.4 l/100km | Tested: 8.7 l/100km
OVERVIEW
We chose the Tucson and CX-5 for quick comparison as they are the most popular medium SUVs on sale. But even if we crossed virtues for comparison – Mazda for boot space, Hyundai on power – it would make no difference; the RS 230 beats both.
Actually, an RS 162 Wagon, priced from $39,590 plus on-road costs, would eclipse them. Add another $3600 to the price, at $43,190 (plus orc), and the RS 230 certainly ups the Sports quota and standard equipment list, if not the Utility ante.