[Review] Skoda Octavia RS Lets You Be a Boy Again

You are a real man. Master of the household. The dependable one your family leans on. You carry yourself with confidence, you are mature, responsible and the person your kids proudly look up to.

So, of course your car of choice is a family workhorse. A sensible sedan that brings the kids to enrichment classes and sends your wife to high tea. It is the car of a reliable adult. But when you get some alone time in the car, that responsible version of you gets to take a break. All the weight on your shoulders eases off.

You step on the pedal. You hear the engine roar, the turbo whistle and the exhaust pop when you ease off. In sports mode, the simulated engine sound adds yet another layer of aural experience. You corner fast and the car handles like a Go-kart. For that moment, you get to be a boy again.

And the car that enables you to do that is the Skoda Octavia RS, now in its fourth generation and with the latest 2025 facelift.

The Family Sedan

Slip into the driver’s seat of the Skoda Octavia RS and the first thing you notice is how classy the cockpit feels. It has that understated European elegance, with a touch of sportiness and just enough lux to remind you that this isn’t any ordinary family sedan.

The layout is clean, modern, and intuitive, and despite most of the climate controls being moved to the screen, there are still plenty of physical buttons below the infotainment display that somehow reminds me of piano keys.

The front seats deserve special mention. They come with full electric adjustments, including extendable thigh support, ability to elevate and angle said thigh support, lumbar support, and the ability to elevate, tilt, or slide just about anything to suit your preferences. These seats happily adapt to bodies of all shapes and sizes, including Dad bod, mum bod and marathon runner bod.

Sadly though, these seats are not ventilated, which would have been a blessing in Singapore’s weather.

Practicality wise, the cockpit is extremely well thought out. You get Qi wireless charging, USB-C ports, sensible cup holders, a sizeable glove box, and even a roof-mounted storage compartment for sunglasses, which is becoming rarer and rarer in modern cars.

However, I have one key complaint – the size of the cup holders. They are not the most generous, and they struggle with most vacuum-insulated bottles, tumblers, or even bubble tea cups. For a car that ticks almost every family-friendly box, this is one tiny area Skoda could improve. After all, we Singaporeans take hydration — and bubble tea — very seriously.

Now, time to experience it for yourself. Here’s a little 360-degree view of the Octavia. Pinch, zoom, and pan around to explore its astute interiors.

Moving to the rear, the rear passengers get decent legroom, not the “pull up your knees in a bit” kind. Even with tall front passengers, there is still enough space for kids to kick around without weaponising the back of your seat.

One oddity though, is the central compartment fitted over the floor tunnel that is meant as a convenient storage of sorts. It compromises the already-less-than-ideal leg space for the centre passenger. It looks like the compartment is removable, but I didn’t manage to remove it. I wasn’t trying to hard either, for the fear of destroying something.

And then we come to the boot. It is enormous. Owing to its implementation that’s more akin to a lift back, bulky strollers, luggages, IKEA shopping, gigantic child booster seats can all fit.

What about when the car is in motion? While most performance cars suffers when it comes to handling and ride quality for the family, it appears that Skoda Octavia RS engineers (or perhaps product owners) have thought of everything.

If you tap on the drive mode button, you will notice options for Normal mode and Comfort mode, both tuned to deliver a smooth, settled ride for everyday driving. And if you want to fine-tune things even more, get into Individual Mode and you get to select 15 different levels of settings for the adjustable suspension. With this, you can make things hard or soft on a whim.

You now have all the reasons why the Skoda Octavia RS is great as a family sedan. That should be enough to convince your spouse. But now we come to the real reason why YOU would want to buy this car.

Let’s not beat around the bush because man to man, boy to boy, I only need to communicate these to you:

• Same engine as the Golf GTI
• 265 bhp
• 370 NM torque
• 0-100 km/h in 6.5s (but feels faster than 6.5s)
• Turbocharged, with very noticeable pull when turbo comes in
• Nice engine roar
• Throaty exhaust (without being annoying)
• Engine with headroom for tuning
• Launch control that’s very easy to activate (just turn on Sports ESC)
• Great handling, with adjustable suspension

Skoda has put together a rather compelling package with the Skoda Octavia RS. In Singapore, where the policies made it difficult for us to own both a practical and a fun car, this car gives you both characteristics with the price of one COE.

What to like Practical and comfortable as a family sedan Engine and exhaust sounds great Handling is great Adjustable suspension Easy to place on the road

What’s holding it back Cup holders too small Lack of ventilated seats Front-wheel drive only Interior trim looks great, but certain plastic sections feels cheap Price – traditionally, Skoda in Singapore offers better price-performance ratio

Key Figures

Fuel Tank	50 L
Engine & Transmission	2.0L 4-cylinder Turbocharged 265 bhp 370 Nm 7-speed (A) DSG 6.5s (0-100 km/h)
Suspension	Front: MacPherson Rear: Multi-Link
Efficiency	12.8k,/L
Boot Space	600 L
Price (with COE)	$284,900 (As of November 2025)