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The Skoda Octavia liftback and wagon range will grow with the introduction of the new-look RS flagship.
Powered by a 195kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, the tuned-up Octavia gains 15kW over its predecessor, along with styling and technology updates.
Skoda has now made 'Premium Pack' — previously $6600 and optioned to 80 per cent of cars — standard. The list price is also a little lower, now $58,490 for the liftback and $59,990 for the wagon, down $1270 and $1470, respectively.
The pack includes heated front and rear seats, a 12-speaker Canton sound system, a head-up display, tri-zone climate control, power-adjust front seats with massage and memory and passenger side mirror tilt (in reverse).
Skoda is yet to announce its national drive-away pricing program, with the pre-facelift Octavia offered at $56,990 (liftback) or $58,490 (wagon). Expect those figures in around eight weeks when customer cars start arriving in the country.
The latest Octavia benefits from some other general upgrades, including a wireless charging pad, intelligent park assist, a 360-degree camera view, heated steering wheel and windscreen along with a larger 13.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with upgraded software.
With a unique form factor in the market, the sporty Skoda Octavia RS is a more practical alternative to rivals such as the Hyundai i30 N, Toyota GR Corolla and Volkswagen Golf GTI.
“Skoda continues to be a ‘unique service provider’ of attainable and intelligent medium sized passenger cars with the Octavia, and the RS likewise delivers a fast sedan or wagon like no other model in the market," said Skoda Australia Product Manager Glenn Reid.
In RS guise, extra grunt means the Octavia is two tenths of a seconds faster from 0-100km/h, now at 6.4 seconds for the liftback and 6.5 for the sedan.
It features an electronically actuated mechanically locking front differential and seven-speed ‘DSG’ dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Visual changes to the Octavia RS are minor, with new LED headlights, a fresh lower valance and more intricate tail-lights.
The Octavia RS is available in seven colours, with 'Candy White', 'Mamba Green', 'Moon White', 'Brilliant Silver', 'Black Magic pearl' and 'Race Blue' all included in the price. 'Velvet Red' (pictured) is the only extra-cost colour at $770.
The RS joins the entry-level Octavia 110TSI Select with a Sportline grade to be introduced imminently.
Prices listed are before on-road costs unless otherwise noted
| Variant | Price |
| Octavia 110TSI Select liftback | $41,490 (drive-away) |
| Octavia 110TSI Select liftback | $43,990 (drive-away) |
| Octavia RS liftback | $58,490 |
| Octavia RS wagon | $59,990 |
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