Special edition Skoda Octaivia vRS Challenge revealed

Sensible brother to the Golf GTI, the Skoda Octavia vRS  has been revealed in a new special edition Challenge model, which throws in £4535 worth of desirable features usually found on the options list for an extra £2460 over its equivalent version.

Starting with a standard 245 version of the Octavia vRS, Skoda then pairs larger 19-inch wheels, finished in black, with an equally black finish to the grille, exhausts, mirror caps and badging. The interior is unchanged, with Alcantara-trimmed sports seats with red diamond stitching, but they are now heated as standard. Adaptive dampers are also included, a worthwhile upgrade as the larger 19-inch wheels in our experience for have a detrimental effect on ride quality.

> Click here for our review of the Skoda Octavia vRS

Otherwise everything is as per the usual vRS 245, which means the ubiquitous EA888 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 242bhp and 273lb ft of torque. Keeping the power in check is either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG transmission, which then sends it to the front wheels via an electronically actuated limited slip differential.

Performance is unchanged compared to the standard Octavia vRS, taking 6.6sec to reach 62mph in hatch form when fitted with either transmission - opt for the even more practical Estate and you’ll only be down 0.1 of a second behind.

As we know, the Octavia’s combination of value for money, practicality and relative pace makes it a real-world hero of ours, something compounded by this vRS Challenge’s petrol-only engine choice.

That’s not the end of this story though, as the all-new Octavia is not far away, and with a vRS version pretty much guaranteed to arrive soon after, we’ll be looking forward to what the next generation of vRS will look, and crucially drive like.