Wagon With Loads Of Pull

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday October 22, 2008

Brent Davison

TICKING the boxes on a performance car is usually a relatively easy exercise.

Sharp looks, an aggressive body kit, serious wheels and rubber underneath it, a heavy hitter under the bonnet and at least five speeds in the box 'o cogs.

It is a tried and true formula that has worked well for years. And then there is Skoda, the VW-owned, Czech Republic-domiciled car maker that has re-entered the Australian market after wowing the critics in Europe.

Already selling a hot RS version of its Octavia sedan here, the company is just weeks away from launching the Octavia RS TDI, a station wagon wearing a body kit and bearing a Volkswagen-sourced 2.0 litre, turbo-diesel beneath its bonnet and venting its 125 kilowatts and 350 Newton metres through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Not only does it wear tricked bodywork, the diesel RS wagon also has lowered suspension and gets 18-inch diameter alloy wheels.

On the safety front the hot wagon gets the seemingly obligatory six airbags and active front head restraints as well as a full electronics suite that includes electronic stability, anti-lock brakes, traction control and engine braking control.

Octavia RS TDI is due to be released here in early December. Pricing and final specification will be announced at that time.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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