2025 Skoda Octavia RS review: Australian first drive

• Doors and Seats

  

  NA

• Engine

  

  NA

• Engine Power

  

  195kW, 370Nm

• Fuel

  

  Petrol 7L/100KM

• Transmission

  

  NA

• Warranty

  

  NA

• Ancap Safety

  

  5/5 star (2019)

Family Cars Guide

For buyers shopping for a hot hatch in a more family-friendly suit, there have been few better options over the past 15 years than the Skoda Octavia RS wagon and liftback.

It has been updated for 2025 – four years after the latest-generation model arrived locally – with revised styling, a larger touchscreen, and more power.

A popular option pack adding adaptive suspension, heated seats and other extras is now standard, pushing up the price but not by as much as the old option price used to cost.

Although it is increasingly in a class of one, is the Skoda Octavia RS still the sporty family car of choice?

The Skoda Octavia RS is priced from $58,490 plus on-road costs as a liftback, and $59,990 plus on-roads as a wagon – or $62,990 and $64,490 drive-away nationwide respectively.

It is $6000 (drive-away) more expensive than before, but Skoda has made the Premium Pack – previously a $6600 option box that the brand says 80 per cent of customers ticked – so like for like, the new model is cheaper than before.

Included in the Premium Pack – and now standard – was adaptive suspension, heated front and outboard rear seats, a 12-speaker Canton stereo, head-up display, tri-zone climate control, power-adjustable front seats with massaging and memory, and auto-dipping plus memory for the passenger-side mirror.

It’s in addition to other features added with the facelift, including a larger 13-inch touchscreen, a higher-power and newly ventilated wireless phone charger, auto parking, a 360-degree camera, a heated steering wheel and windscreen, and regular metallic paint.

Skoda says the value of the new features – before on-road costs – comes to $9415.

Other standard features include matrix LED headlights, 10-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, leather steering wheel, fabric sports seats, keyless entry and start, and a limited-slip front differential.

A $1900 panoramic sunroof on the wagon, and $770 Velvet Red premium metallic paint on both body styles are now the only extra-cost options.

Australians still interested in sporty small to mid-size passenger cars without the ability to spend six figures have fewer and fewer choices to choose from, but there remain some alternatives to consider.

The Subaru WRX is all-wheel drive but available as a sedan or wagon – priced from $49,990 to $59,790 plus on-road costs with an automatic – while Hyundai offers the i30 N DCT ($52,000 plus on-roads) and Sonata N Line ($55,500 plus on-roads) sedans.

While stocks last, the just-discontinued Mazda 6 sedan and wagon are offered with a 170kW turbo-petrol engine from $49,190 plus on-roads.

Due in the coming months is a Sportstourer wagon version of the Octavia’s Cupra Leon corporate sibling, estimated to be priced from about $65,000 to $70,000 plus on-roads as a 200kW front-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid or 245kW all-wheel-drive turbo-petrol.

But none of these are truly direct rivals – a liftback or wagon with front-wheel drive, a powerful non-hybrid turbo engine, sports suspension and brakes, and a reasonable price.

The interior of the Skoda Octavia RS hasn’t changed much from the outgoing model launched in 2021, but there have been some marked steps forward in usability.

Most of those relate to the multimedia system, which we’ll detail in the next section of this review.

There are other changes: the wireless phone charger is now ventilated, so it doesn’t bake your phone (and did its job on test), and can now supply 15 watts of power. Each of the USB-C ports can now provide 45 watts, enough for laptops.

The fundamentals are unchanged. The driving position can be set low, the sports seats are comfortable yet supportive, and the leather-trimmed steering wheel is a pleasant size, not too thickly-rimmed, and offers a good range of tilt and reach adjustment.

Power adjustment (including lumbar), massaging, memory and heating are all fitted to the front seats of every RS now the Premium Pack is standard, as well as extendable underthigh support, and red-stitched suede and leather upholstery.

Soft materials are used on the dashboard, tops of the doors, and armrests – though there are some scratchier plastics lower down – and ergonomic touches include a sliding front-centre armrest with height adjustment to suit drivers of different shapes and sizes.

As we will detail in the next section, the 2025 Octavia provides easier access to the climate controls, but if you don’t want to use the steering wheel, the intended way of controlling the stereo volume is with a fiddly touch-sensitive slider under the touchscreen that is not illuminated at night.

Amenities on offer include two USB-C charging ports, keyless entry and start, tri-zone climate control, a head-up display, heated steering wheel, and auto-dipping plus memory for the passenger-side mirror.

Being a Skoda, there are a number of ‘Simply Clever’ practicality touches, including an umbrella in the driver’s door, an ice scraper behind the fuel filler cap (not very relevant to Australia, we’ll admit), and a clip-on rubbish bin in the driver’s door pocket.

Storage space includes well-sized door pockets (with flock/felt lining) and glovebox, though the centre console box isn’t very big, nor are the two front cupholders particularly accommodating for larger bottles.

While the Octavia is classified as a ‘medium car’, much like a Toyota Camry, it is actually a much smaller vehicle, about the same size as a Hyundai i30 Sedan from the class below.

In the wagon, it means rear-seat space is respectable, rather than overly generous. Behind my driving position, at 186cm (6ft 1in) tall, there is a reasonable amount of knee room and toe room, but I found my hair brushing the roof lining in the outboard seats under the sunroof.

It’s tighter in the middle seat, due to the hump in the floor, and even less head room. We suspect a car without the sunroof would be a little roomier.

New for 2025 is a pop-in plastic attachment on the rear floor tunnel that provides additional storage – including cupholders and space for loose items – joining the existing fold-down armrest with cupholders (and a tablet holder), and large bottle holders in the doors.

Rear passengers get access to their own climate-control zone – with temperature control under the air vents on the back of the centre console – plus heating for the outboard seats, two USB-C ports, and map pockets on the front seatbacks.

Buyers with kids will appreciate the sunshades emerging from the rear doors, plus two ISOFIX anchors and three top-tether points for securing child seats.

Boot space is an Octavia trump card, with 600 litres in the liftback and 640L in the wagon, accessed by a power-operated tailgate with kick sensor.

Amenities in the cargo area include a 12-volt socket, lights, bag hooks, various tie-down points, space to fit a luggage net, a retractable cargo cover, a lever to drop the rear seats (at least in the wagon), and 60:40 split-folding rear seats with a ‘ski port’ passthrough for longer items.

Under the floor is a space-saver spare wheel; a refreshing fitment as modern cars increasingly move to puncture repair kits only.

New for the 2025 Octavia RS is a 13-inch infotainment touchscreen – up from 10 inches – running Skoda’s newest software, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, digital radio, and voice control.

It is a step forward over the outgoing system, but there remains room for improvement.

As with other Skoda and Volkswagen Group cars, the air-conditioning controls run through the touchscreen, and much like the old Octavia, there are shortcuts for the air temperature pinned along the bottom edge of the touchscreen.

The new infotainment systems adds shortcuts for heated seats, and other apps such as phone and music functions to that row, while the home screen is now customisable.

The key addition is a ‘favourites’ bar along the top edge of the display with a row of driver-customisable shortcuts, from climate functions such as recirculating air and temperature sync, to a toggle for the engine stop-start tech, and easy access to the drive modes.

It’s an improvement over the outgoing Octavia, and we suspect it would grow easier to use with time, helped by quicker, more contemporary software powering the new display.

However, it is still not as easy to use as old-school buttons and dials – or even the Smart Dials in the latest Kodiaq SUV – and, as an example, changing the fan speed still requires drivers to press the Clima button under the screen, make the change, and switch back.

The volume control remains a touch-sensitive slider under the touchscreen, which is still not illuminated – though most of the time, the driver is likely to use the roller dial on the steering wheel instead.

Ahead of the driver is an unchanged 10-inch instrument display, which is clear and customisable, but doesn’t offer quite as many different views as the clusters in other Volkswagen Group cars.

The 12-speaker Canton stereo delivers clear audio, and the windscreen-projected head-up display is good to see standard at this price. Skoda still does not offer support for a companion smartphone app – with vehicle tracking, cabin pre-conditioning and remote locking, among other functions – in the Octavia.

The updated Skoda Octavia carries a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, but it is not the same one as the outgoing model.

Since the pre-facelift version of the latest-generation Octavia was crash-tested in Europe in 2019 – before coming to Australia in 2021 – Skoda has added safety features to the car, and it was subsequently retested in 2022 under more stringent criteria.

That newer 2022 score is what applies to the updated Octavia in Australia, even though it is launching as a 2025 model – and the test criteria have become even more stringent since the car was put through its paces.

The Octavia earned category scores of 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 82 per cent for child occupant protection, 68 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 81 per cent for safety assist technology.

The Skoda Octavia is offered with a full suite of advanced safety technology, with the exception of traffic sign recognition technology that remains unavailable on most new Skodas sold locally.

New technology for 2025 includes intersection awareness for the autonomous emergency braking system, and automatic parking that can control all parts of the process – steering, braking and accelerating. The matrix LED headlights also have more light segments.

The safety system on offer worked smoothly and without annoyance, with the lane-centring technology a particular highlight.

The lane-keep assist can get a bit pushy on tight country roads when you’re enjoying the car’s performance, but it’s as easy as pie – pressing the safety-assist button on the steering wheel, then clicking the right dial to toggle Lane Assist – to disable.

The Skoda Octavia RS is covered by the brand’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, the longest of any mainstream European car brand, plus a year of roadside assistance.

Service intervals are set every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and amount to $1891 over three years, $3674 over five years and $4948 over seven years if you pay as you go – or $4200 for seven years if purchased through a pre-paid Service Pack.

Over five years/75,000km, a Subaru WRX Sportswagon costs $2678.49, and a Mazda 6 G35 turbo wagon costs $2576, while over seven years/105,000km those prices rise to $4754.01 and $3571 respectively, all paid as you go.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage is quoted as $1707.39 for an RS wagon, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Skoda claims fuel consumption of 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres for both body styles.

Over about 220km in the wagon – across calmer country roads and some spirited driving – the trip computer displayed 7.6L/100km. We saw the readout drop as low as 6.2L/100km on a 100km/h country cruise.

The 50-litre fuel tank would return a driving range of 715km based on Skoda’s claimed fuel consumption, with 95- or 98-octane premium unleaded petrol required, as with most European cars in Australia.

For 2025, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder ‘EA888’ petrol engine in the Skoda Octavia RS has been upgraded to a new generation, with a revised crankshaft and crankcase, and new piston shafts.

Power has climbed by 15kW to 195kW, while torque is unchanged at 370Nm, but now continues 200rpm higher (4500rpm vs 4300rpm).

It’s quicker than a wagon at this price has any right to be, pulling hard through the RPM band – especially the mid-range – accompanied by a pleasant bark, including some synthesisation of the exhaust note, which not everyone will like.

The power boost hasn’t transformed the experience – it is not on Golf R levels of performance – but Skoda says it’s 0.2 seconds quicker to accelerate from 0–100km/h, at 6.4sec for the liftback and 6.5sec for the wagon.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is about as smooth as these types of transmissions get. We didn’t need to park the car on a hill, or experience any other type of driving scenario that would usually test its limits, but in normal driving it’s slick and smooth, with only a hint of hesitation from a standstill.

On the move it’s quick to respond and change gear, sharpened in Sport mode, and the shift paddles behind the steering wheel are only plastic but add a level of engagement.

Adaptive dampers are now standard, rather than a costly option, and the RS is all the better for it.

In Comfort mode – or with the dampers in one of the lower of their 15 stages of firmness – the Octavia is impressively supple over poor road surfaces, especially on rural roads, where all but the sharpest bumps are ironed out without ruining vertical body control and composure over undulations and crests.

Normal mode tightens things up a touch, while Sport mode is firm, but again never uncomfortably so, emphasising imperfections in the road more than Comfort – and helping the body settle over undulations faster – but never feeling harsh or bone-jarring.

The ride comfort does not translate to soggy handling – rather the precise opposite.

It’s impressively keen to turn into bends for a family-friendly wagon, and rotates nicely through the corner. There’s no exuberant behaviour like some smaller hot hatchbacks can be enticed into, rather a safe and secure handling balance that’s still enjoyable.

The steering is quick and accurate – with ample weight in Sport mode, but not overwhelming or cumbersome – the brake pedal is well weighted with good bite, and it resists body roll well.

It takes a lot to wash the RS wide into understeer on the way into a bend, but on corner exit the front-wheel-drive layout does show itself.

The ‘VAQ’ electronically controlled limited-slip differential is better at shuffling torque than software alone, but it’s not quite as good at clawing the car out of bends as the more mechanical diff in a Hyundai N car.

Drive the car hard and the traction control can be quick to step in, though there is an ESC Sport mode buried in the touchscreen menus that allows a little more freedom.

The Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres on our wagon test car were good, but not quite as glued to the road surface as the Bridgestone Potenza S005 rubber the RS can also be delivered with, yet still generate a loud roar on coarse-chip country road surfaces.

But it can be drowned out by the stereo, and it’s a small complaint among a sea of compliments for the superb blend of comfort and handling the Octavia RS offers.

The Octavia RS is rated to tow 1600kg braked or 750kg unbraked, but owners looking to pull the maximum load will find themselves limited by the 80kg downball weight limit, which is 5 per cent of the braked towing capacity, not 8 to 10 per cent as is ideal.

Despite its larger cargo area, the wagon has a lower payload – the maximum weight of people, cargo and accessories the car can legally carry – than the liftback, at 480kg vs 550kg, but it’s still enough for five 90kg passengers and some cargo.

There may be alternatives to the Skoda Octavia RS from other brands, but it may as well be in a class of one.

No other car at this price can deliver the same blend of performance, comfort, handling, refinement, practicality and technology, with the backing of a seven-year warranty.

The 2025 updates have improved the breed, with more spice under the bonnet and an easier-to-use touchscreen.

If there’s room for improvement, the infotainment is still not as user-friendly as it could be – we still wish there were traditional dials and buttons for key functions – and it could be cheaper to service.

And while most buyers of the old model ticked options boxes, not all did, and for some customers the new $60,000-plus price will be out of reach.

But for those who it isn’t, and can live with its few foibles, it's hard to fault the Skoda Octavia RS.