Affordability and performance do not go hand in hand. But Skoda, with its vRS brand, proved otherwise. The Skoda vRS is one of the most affordable ways to own a performance machine, and the brand is now celebrating its 20 years of success in the UK. For two decades, Skoda’s vRS models have redefined the boundaries of accessible performance. In the Indian market, Skoda has also sold the performance packed Octavia vRS in limited numbers, which were all sold out despite the COVID-19 disruptions. This shows the popularity of the vRS brand even in the developing market. Here is a brief look at Skoda’s 20 years of history with the vRS brand.
The first Skoda vRS was the Octavia vRS, tuned by the brand’s motorsport division. Powering the Octavia vRS was a 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produced 180 Hp of power. The mark 1 vRS was the most powerful Skoda ever built and could achieve a top speed of 235 kmph.
Skoda introduced the Fabia vRS in 2003 and came with five practical doors. Most rivals at the time still came with the three-door concept. The Fabia vRS mark one came with a 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine that produced 130 PS of power. But the oil motor produced 310 Nm of twisting force which was more than what the Porsche Boxster did at the time. The torque engine also returned a fuel efficiency of 53.3mpg (18.87 kmpl). The sharper and more stylish Fabia Mark 2 was sold between 2010-2013.
In 2011, a British team took an Octavia vRS mark 2 and set a new land speed record. The mark 2 in the production spec came with a 200 PS engine that also made 280 Nm of torque. The Skoda Octavia vRS Bonneville Special set the speed record of 227.080 mph 365.44 kmph. Skoda established the record at the Bonneville Salt Flats and sanctioned by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA). The Octavia vRS mark 2 could also sprint from 0-100 kmph in just 7.3 seconds.
The Mark 3 Skoda Octavia vRS was introduced in 2015, and its production run lasted until 2020. Popularly known as the vRS 230, Skoda revised the engine and turbocharger management on the Octavia vRS to produce 230 PS of power. The vRS 230 was able to sprint from 0-100 kmph in just 6.7 seconds with a 6-speed manual gearbox.
In 2019, Skoda introduced the Kodiaq vRS that set a lap time of 9 minutes 29.84 seconds on the Nürburgring’s coveted Nordschleife. Due to its achievement, Skoda became the fastest seven-seat SUV. The Skoda Kodiaq vRS can sprint from 0-100 kmph in just 7.0 seconds in the five-seater SUV version. The SUV is still in production.
The mark 4 Octavia vRS is available with three powertrain options. The car comes with a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine that makes 245PS of power and 370 Nm of torque. A 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine that makes 200PS of power and 400 Nm of torque. The car is now also available for the first time in a vRS iV PHEV version. Also, the Octavia vRS is now available in both saloon and estate body styles. Also, the car is available in front and all-wheel drive with DSG and manual transmissions, depending on the variant.
For the future, Skoda is setting the stage for the future of vRS with the introduction of the new ENYAQ iV vRS – a fully electric performance car.
Also Read: Should India get the Skoda Kodiaq vRS SUV?