Skoda releases sketches of Octavia RS iV ahead of debut

Czech automobile manufacturer Skoda has released three official exterior design pictures of the Octavia sedan RS iV sedan, ahead of the car’s world premiere on 3 March at the Geneva International Motor Show. The RS iV is the sporty, top-level version of the fourth-generation Octavia which was launched in November. The Octavia RS iV will be available in the combi-wagon and lift-back sedan body styles. 

The Milada Boleslav-headquartered company has incorporated a few changes to the upcoming Octavia. These include a new front bumper with bigger air intakes and horizontal, LED daytime running lights (DRLs). The front grille sports a ‘vRS’ logo, a design cue similar to the Skoda Kodiaq RS.

The rear of the Octavia RS iV has dual exhaust tips that further ups the vehicle’s sporty nature, along with bumper-mounted vertical air vents and a diffuser. The sedan version of the Octavia RS iV will get a more pronounced boot lid spoiler.

The ‘iv’ badge in the Octavia RS iV refers to the plug-in hybrid system to be used in the car. This is the first car from Skoda to sport the badge. While the company has not yet revealed anything, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is expected to produce 245PS maximum power, which is similar to the earlier-generation Octavia RS 245.  

Sources suggest that the Octavia RS iV powertrain will comprise a turbocharged, 4-cylinder 1.4-liter engine, a lithium-ion battery, and an electric motor. The battery is expected to be 13 kWh. The engine will be mated to a dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The vRS-badge performance model is also expected to be hauled by the regular diesel and petrol engines.

The Geneva debut of the Octavia RS iV will happen two decades after the first Octavia RS was launched in Europe. The car was extremely popular in the UK, Switzerland, and Germany. 

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