Skoda reveals facelifted Octavia RS

The flagship of Skoda's facelifted Octavia range has been revealed in sedan and wagon guise with the petrol and diesel-powered RS models launching in Australia just a month after the initial wave in July 2017.

Turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI petrol versions will receive a modest 7kW bump in power to 169kW and will have 350Nm of peak torque on tap between 1500 and 4600rpm, whereas the diesel-powered Octavia RS will make use of the same 135kW/380Nm from the carryover 2.0-litre TDI turbo four.

The new petrol-powered Octavia RS now matches the special edition Octavia RS230 brought to Australian showrooms last month, both of which feature a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 6.7 seconds – a tenth of a second quicker than the outgoing model – with top speed limited to 250km/h.

Although still too far away to confirm local specification, the new Octavia RS is expected to arrive with a six-speed manual or DSG dual-clutch gearbox feeding power to the front wheels.

The RS will also benefit from Octavia-wide safety and technology updates.

Pricing is also unlikely to deviate much from the current RS range, which kicks off at $37,890 before on-roads for the 162TSI RS sedan and $41,290 for the 135TDI RS four-door, while petrol and diesel RS wagons cost $39,590 and $42,990 respectively.

The facelifted Octavia RS is denoted by a new front fascia with a horizontal grille, segmented LED 'crystaliline' headlights and larger air intakes. The rear features a new black-finished diffuser and spoiler, as well as prominent C-shaped LED tail-lights.

Sitting 15mm lower than its predecessor with a 30mm wider rear track on 18-inch wheels, the new Octavia RS is also promising improvements in the handling department.

Inside, the sportiest Octavia is adorned with RS-sports seats finished in leather and fabric (Alcantara upholstery is an option), a perforated leather steering wheel with paddle shifters in automatic versions, RS door sills, aluminium pedals and door handle lighting.

The RS will also benefit from Octavia-wide safety and technology updates including real-time traffic and weather updates, Google Street View and Earth functionality, radar-guided blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert, and automatically calling emergency services in the event of a collision.

Is the Skoda Octavia RS mid-sizer perky enough to warrant a purchase consideration? Tell us what you think in the comments below.