New Skoda Octavia vRS to go on sale priced from £31,495

Skoda has announced that its performance Octavia vRS will hit the market at the end of the month priced from £31,495.

Both a hatch and estate version will be available, with the latter commanding a slightly higher price tag of £32,695.

The Octavia vRS will initially be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 242bhp, though a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel and a petrol mild-hybrid version will also join the ranks over the coming months.

That initial petrol-powered variant will send power through a seven-speed DSG gearbox and be capable of hitting 60mph from zero in 6.5 seconds. It also benefits from a ride height lowered by 15mm over the standard Octavia, as well as an electronic limited-slip differential.

Both the estate and hatch benefit from redesigned front and rear bumpers with a variety of black details, while the door mirror housings and window frames are also finished in gloss black.

The hatch also gets gloss black aero flaps and diffuser at the rear while the estate benefits from gloss black roof rails.

Inside, there’s a new multifunction steering wheel, heated front sport seats, ambient lighting and aluminium pedals. The vRS also benefits from Skoda’s latest Virtual Cockpit display panel, along with a 10-inch central display. All cars also get full LED Matrix headlights, adaptive cruise control and parking sensors.

Though prices for the launch Octavia vRS have been announced today, further prices for the other powertrains in the range are set to be revealed at a later date, according to Skoda.