Saying hello to 'our' new Skoda Octavia vRS

Say hello to the latest addition to our long-term fleet – the stupendously SHOUTY Skoda Octavia vRS.

Everything about this car is loud and absolutely nothing about it is subtle.

With a two-litre turbo diesel engine pumping out a lively 181bhp this is a car that’s all about performance and it wants everyone to know it.

From the colour – Rallye Green metallic (imagine the lovechild of Kermit the Frog and Grotbags) – to the 18” rims and the throaty high-decibel growl when you push the accelerator, the whole world can see and hear this car coming.

But, when all’s said and done, it’s both a Skoda and an estate, so it’s going to have to work doubly hard to win over this skeptical driver.

I’ll lay my cards on the table up front and declare that the Octavia vRS is one I’d normally avoid like the plague.

Yet my first impressions, looking beyond the colour, were overwhelmingly positive.

Replace the hideous green with virtually any other colour and the Octavia estate is a good looking car and Skoda’s designers have done a great job of giving the vRS a sporty edge with resorting to the addition of giant spoilers and unsightly steroid induced bulges.

The large wheels with low profile tyres, the dual chrome exhausts and black exterior details all combine to give what would otherwise be an average looking estate a real presence.

Inside, the vRS badged sports seats and ‘Supersports’ steering wheel add to the performance feel but the cabin’s all-black finish feels a little dull and uninspiring at first, although things do come alive once the model’s large excellent Columbus touchscreen infotainment screen powers on.

A quick play with the controls and a glance down the spec’ sheet of our model underlines one great selling point – value for money. Our Octavia vRS is packed with tech, safety features and little luxuries like headlamp washers but still retails at £35,805 OTR.

For that price, there are few models that can touch the Octavia vRS in terms of bang per buck.

Some of the switchgear feels a little lightweight but this can be forgiven as it’s clearly intended to shave pounds to boost performance. And let’s face it, that is the main reason for choosing the vRS over a standard Octavia estate.

For me though, the performance seems somewhat lacking and a little underwhelming.

The engine does make a lovely noise when revved, but the model doesn’t quite pull away with the face-melting ferocity one might expect and at higher speeds it can feel as though the vRS doesn’t have that much more to give.

At times, the six-speed DSG gearbox also feels less sharp and responsive than it should.

Despite that though, I’m looking forward to spending the next few months with the Skoda. It’s already done enough to show how potentially fun it can be, and I’m sure than more time spent fine-tuning the driving settings will deliver the added oomph that’s so far been missing.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH: Finding out what the green Skoda has to offer

MODEL: Skoda Octavia vRS Estate
PRICE: £35,910
ENGINE: 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel
POWER: 181bhp
TORQUE: 380Nm
MAX SPEED: 139mph
0-60MPH: 7.5 seconds
MPG (COMBINED): 55
EMISSIONS: 134g/km