Pussy Galore

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By MARTON PETTENDY in BUDAPEST SKODA has applied the smoother new look adorned by its facelifted Octavia in Australia since March to its RS performance flagships. Compare, Select and Save Czech Czech out out the Latest performance Octavia r DRIVEN: Skoda Octavia RS // Czech out the RS Launched recently in Budapest, Hungary, not far from Skoda Auto’s Mlada Boleslav headquarters in the Czech Republic, the newlook RS and similarly updated Scout crossover will complete the upgraded Octavia range in Australia from September. The Octavia RS will bring the same interior and exterior updates recently applied to the revised Octavia line-up, which relaunched the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand in Australia in October 2007. Turbocharged petrol and diesel engine gives Skoda some street cred choices, mated to both six-speed manual and automatic (DSG) transmissions, will continue to be available here in both four-door ‘liftback’ and five-door Combi body styles. As with the garden variety Octavia, the 2009 RS skin is fresh from the A-pillar forward and Ê N H 16 /18
comprises new, more stylised headlights, plus revised front quarter guards and wing mirrors, and a different bonnet, bumper and grille. The larger, boomerang-shaped headlights will come with the option of Xenon globes and an adaptive light function, while the redesigned bumper features a wider air intake, fog lights with cornering function and, for the first time, daytime running lights. The RS also scores Compare, Select and Save new tail-lights while a new 18-inch alloy wheel design can be had instead of the standard 17inch items. Styling is a subjective thing, but few could argue the Octavia’s smooth new look has the greatest visual impact in range-topping RS guise. Gone are the flat, boring headlights of the current RS, which projected a downcast and decidedly eastern European look, in favour of a more contemporary headlight shape that makes the Octavia both far more aggressive and upbeat in equal measure. The heavily chromed Skoda grille still nestles in between but somehow looks prouder ahead of a more bulging bonnet and quarter guards, and above a deeper, more purposeful bumper. Certainly, the exterior changes are far easier to pick than the interior upgrades, but it could be argued the Volkswagen-esque cabin design and build quality, which is as convincing as its ergonomics, wasn’t in need of fixing anyway. Surprise-and-delight cockpit features continue to abound, like the hidden high-grip surfaces applied to the inside of the interior door-pulls and on the floor of the upper dashboard compartment. A large, flip-out dash box, easy-to-read Reign Czech: Skoda’s sportiest model comes in hatch and wagon body styles, with petrol and diesel power. r Ê N H 17 /18
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Pussy Galore

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