Skoda Octavia vRS 245 DSG 2017 review

The story is much the same inside, where a familiar Volkswagen Group dashboard and buttons are functional and smart, while the infotainment touchscreen, complete with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and touch-sensitive buttons, is responsive, quick loading and of pleasingly high definition. It remains the segment’s easiest-to-use system. What sets the 245 apart, however, are those front chairs, which contrast the mature cabin with their more racy, youthful design. In the 245, they’re heated and the driver gets memory foam – a big win for those often faced with long journeys.

Start the motor up and, in Normal mode, the car takes the form of an effortless cruiser with a start/stop system that, if you leave it on, is so active that it switches the engine off before you’re completely stopped. Venture onto the motorway and the strong mid-range grunt, headed by 273lb ft of torque that’s available from just 1600rpm, makes for rolling acceleration that feels far stronger than the numbers suggest. Few four-cylinder engines can match the tractability of Volkswagen’s 2.0-litre TSI. It quietens down when cruising as well, but this leaves you to focus on the ever-present tyre noise generated by the car’s 225-width Pirelli P Zero boots.

Our car is equipped with a seven-speed DSG gearbox, which is a £1390 option that's unique to the 245 because the regular vRS has to make do with its old six-cog predecessor. Left to its own devices, it responds well to throttle changes and kicks down swiftly. Switch the driveline to Sport mode and the car goes through a transformation. The engine note deepens, the steering weights up and the throttle becomes more responsive. The DSG 'box also hangs onto gears for longer, keeping the crank spinning within easy reach of 5000rpm, where peak power lives.

There are no changes to the way the car rides, however, with no standard-fit adaptive dampers to influence body roll here. As such, the car remains fidgety over road imperfections and crashy over larger bumps. Really press on, and this is surpassed by a loafy feeling, with the structure struggling to stay hunkered down over crests and traction at the front hindered as a result – although drive out of corners is vastly improved with the car’s electronic differential, which imitates a mechanical system by braking the slipping wheel.

Like the gearbox and steering, the diff can be cycled through three stages separately in Individual mode. In its most aggressive setting, it noticeably impacts the car’s line, pulling it towards the inside. This is particularly useful because, without it, the car’s tendency to push on would dominate further. Take the traditional hot hatch approach of entering a corner off throttle expecting an adjustable rear and you’ll be disappointed. Skoda has widened the 245’s rear track by 30mm in a bid to improve stability, but the knock-on effect is it robs the car of agility – something that was never a strong point for the regular vRS anyway. The most rewarding cornering technique in the 245, then, is to lean on its effective electronic differential by powering on early. Progress is fast and therefore somewhat rewarding, but it lacks the peaks of excitement provided by more agile alternatives.