SKODAOctavia Combi RS 2019 - Present

　　The Czech car manufacturer planned to launch the RS iV version of the Octavia Combi at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, but when the world went into lockdown, it had to cancel its plans and find another way of showing the vehicle.

　　In early 2020, Europe was frozen due to the pandemic situation, and all motor shows were canceled. Plans were scrapped, and automakers had to find new solutions to show their latest products. Some of them, such as Skoda, went on to the Internet and pushed hard to get people to see its products, and that’s how the Octavia Combi RS iV appeared in front of potential buyers. Unfortunately, the carmaker’s plant in Mlada Boleslav was also closed, so production could only resume in the summer of 2020. But for the brand’s fans, the wait was worth it since it was the first RS-badged Skoda that sported a plug-in hybrid powerplant.

　　Skoda had a long connection with motorsports and tried to use that advantage when it created the Octavia RS. In addition, customers didn’t have a problem having a family station wagon with hot-hatch performance, so the Combi RS iV came just as naturally as a Golf GTi to the rest of the Golf range. As a result, this version sported the same front fascia as its hatchback sibling, the Octavia RS iV. It featured an aggressive look with a black upper grille and an apron that housed the lower A-shaped air intake flanked by a pair of pentagonal-shaped scoops, which housed the LED fog lamps.

　　The wedged shapes and crisp lines from its profile resembled the marque’s cubist design language. Its ascending waistline and the blackened B- and C-posts created the image of a shooting brake, even though it wasn’t. The extended roof had been ended by a spoiler that adorned the raked-forward tailgate. Unlike the rest of the range, the RS iV versions of the Octavia wore 19” alloy wheels, which revealed the big brake discs at the front. In the back, the automaker added twin exhausts that peaked from underneath the bumper.

　　Inside, Skoda greeted its customers with a digital instrument cluster for the driver and a touchscreen infotainment system placed atop the center stack. For the front occupants, the automaker installed a pair of sports seats with integrated headrests. These were separated by a narrow center console that housed the gear selector and a few storage areas. In the back, thanks to the extended roof, passengers enjoyed bigger headroom. Like its hatchback cousin, the Octavia Combi RS featured a split-folding bench seat (60/40) that expanded the trunk from 640 liters (22.6 cu-ft.) up to 1,700 liters (60 cu-ft.)

　　Under the hood, the Octavia RS was available either as a hybrid or as a plug-in hybrid engine. Both versions were paired with a six-speed automatic (dual-clutch) gearbox that sent the power to the front wheels.

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