Skoda Octavia vRS TDi (2006) CAR review

A diesel? I thought the vRS was Skoda's GTi.

It is. The vRS comes with either the 197bhp FSi turbo 2.0-litre from the Golf GTi or now, with this 2.0 common-rail diesel. It’s the newer, more powerful version of that engine too, producing 168bhp and 258lb ft of torque, up 30bhp and 22bhp on the version offered in the more luxury-baised and stupidly named Laurin and Klement Octavia.

So it’s quick?

Not blisteringly so, but it’s pretty useful. Sixty-two comes up in 8.5sec or 1.2sec slower than the petrol vRS but that doesn’t convey the amount of overtaking grunt on offer. That kick in back comes from having 52lb ft on the petrol version but you only feel it at lower revs. The thrust from the petrol-engine is more sustained and its flat torque curve means you don’t have to thrash the thing to make it go.