THE OTHER SKODA SUPERB (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Andy Enright

Introductionword count: 99

The second generation Skoda Octavia was the car that finally put the ghost of dreadful old Skodas to rest. Yes, the Daily Mail would continue to poke fun for some years to come, but to the informed buyer, the Octavia offered Volkswagen Audi Group engineering at a bargain price. The vRS model represents the sporting version of the range and served up much the same engineering as the Golf GTI with more space and a little more subtlety. It makes a brilliant used buy whether you choose saloon or estate, diesel or petrol engine. Here's what to look for.

Modelsword count: 11

5dr hatch and estate (2.0 petrol, 2.0 diesel [vRS, Limited Edition])

Historyword count: 265

The first generation Octavia had started with the RS badge, decided that Ford, Porsche and Audi had already muscled in on that particular patch and then changed it to vRS. Those early cars were fitted with the 180bhp 1.8-litre 20-valve turbo engine and make great used bargains, but the car we're looking at here is the second generation car initially fitted with the seriously superior 197bhp 2.0-litre TFSI turbo four, available in hatch or estate form. These debuted in summer 2006 and were immediately followed by the Octavia 2.0 TDI PD vRS diesel, sporting a 168bhp powerplant. From September 2008 all vRS models got a specification upgrade which ran to 18-inch Zenith alloys, dual zone climate control, a jumbo box central armrest with 3.5mm auxiliary in socket, rear electric windows and cruise control. A run of 500 higher spec Limited Edition models was announced in January 2009 while April of that year saw a more major upgrade with the introduction of a facelifted vRS. This featured a redesigned front grille featuring the vRS logo and headlamps which could be upgraded to xenons combined with an adaptive front lighting system. The vRS also got front fog lamps with optional cornering function and LED lamps for daytime lighting. The rear lights were redesigned and new 18-inch Neptune alloy wheels are available. Other changes to the vRS included a new metallic paint, Anthracite, and a lowered sports-tuned chassis. The car also lost a little weight - the petrol version by 20kg and the diesel by 15kg. With better aerodynamics, the maximum speed of the vRS was also higher.

What You Payword count: 8

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