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Road test review: Volkswagen Golf GTI vs Skoda Octavia RS

Sunday, 25 July 2021

The Volkswagen Golf GTI and Skoda Octavia RS are built from the same box of bits, but would you prefer a hot hatch or a wild wagon?
A low-key wagon with big, distinctive wheels and subtly aggressive looks? That’ll be a Skoda Octavia RS then.
A low-key wagon with big, distinctive wheels and subtly aggressive looks? That’ll be a Skoda Octavia RS then.
The Golf GTI doesn’t look all that different from the regular model, but there are some differences.
The Golf GTI doesn’t look all that different from the regular model, but there are some differences.

Everyone knows that Volkswagen likes to share its toys around. It’s easy to follow the trail from Polo to Fabia, or T-Roc to Ateca, or even Kodiaq to Q3. Just look at the MQB Wikipedia page if you don’t believe me. But more interesting than small SUVs that share the same engines are performance cars that don’t necessarily compete directly against each other, like the Golf GTI and Octavia RS.

So why these two?

The Octavia RS’s interior is more grown up and features nicer materials than the Golf.
The Octavia RS’s interior is more grown up and features nicer materials than the Golf.

Both of these use the latest version of the Volkswagen Group's 2.0-litre turbo four (the EA888 engine, for my fellow engine nerds), making the same 180kW/370Nm. Both are front-wheel drive and both use a seven-speed DSG transmission, making the body shape and styling cues the only real differentiators between the two. Plus, they’re priced close enough to be competitive with each other.

**READ MORE:

The GTI gets a slightly different interior, with more red accents and tartan-patterned seats.
The GTI gets a slightly different interior, with more red accents and tartan-patterned seats.

* Volkswagen reveals GTI Clubsport for eighth-gen Golf

* Five family-friendly fun cars under $65K

The Octavia RS is a wagon, and wagons are always cooler. It’s the law.
The Octavia RS is a wagon, and wagons are always cooler. It’s the law.

* The performance SUV that helps the kids snooze

**

The twin-exit tailpipes are nice, but could produce a bit more genuine noise.
The twin-exit tailpipes are nice, but could produce a bit more genuine noise.

Skoda’s latest Octavia wagon gets a makeover similar to the eighth-generation Golf, comprising dual digital screens, a stubby gear selector, an array of physical buttons and an otherwise minimalistic interior.

Changes outside are more subtle, with a sharper grille and headlights, a sculpted bonnet, and a slightly redesigned rear end the only real tweaks.

Of course, the Octavia RS boasts more cargo space, with 300 litres more than the Golf.
Of course, the Octavia RS boasts more cargo space, with 300 litres more than the Golf.

The RS has red lighting along the dash and doors, special seats and some high-quality touchy-feely materials on the dash and door cards as well.

Meanwhile, the Golf GTI has had, well, the same thing done really. We’ve driven the new Golf 8 in standard form, but to summarise, the GTI has new headlights connected by a full-width LED, a different bumper and the same new-look rear end as the standard Golf, albeit with two real exhaust outlets this time.

The GTI won’t stand out in a crowd, but the styling cues are all there if you know what you are looking at.
The GTI won’t stand out in a crowd, but the styling cues are all there if you know what you are looking at.

There are also the requisite GTI badges on the sides and rear. Inside are tartan seats, a special GTI-spec steering wheel and more GTI badging with red stitching.

Here, Skoda takes the win. There’s really nothing wrong with the GTI, it’s just conservative in the way Volkswagens tend to be. The Octavia RS is simply more interesting to look at, touch and sit in.

The Skoda is cheaper than the Golf and offers most of what the GTI does, plus it is a wagon. So, cooler.
The Skoda is cheaper than the Golf and offers most of what the GTI does, plus it is a wagon. So, cooler.

But the GTI would be easier to use on the daily?

By virtue of being smaller? You’d be right. It’s easier to handle around town, and while it might have a smaller boot, it never felt lacking in terms of storage space.

Ultimately, you’re going to lean towards one car or the other depending on your needs. Families will probably overlook the GTI by default and, on that front, the Octavia shouldn't be discounted.

Especially if you want something that isn’t an SUV.

It has a healthy 640 litres of luggage capacity (versus the Golf’s 381, if you’re curious), enough to swallow pretty much everything you care to throw at it. Plus the extra length means rear occupants are less cramped.

Not that the Golf is impractical, mind. It’s still plenty for two people and a dog, should that be your situation.

What about driving?

The GTI has always been a driver’s sort of car. It never went for massive outright power, but instead, the pleasure only a well-sorted front-wheel drive hatchback driven hard can offer.

This latest iteration is certainly no slouch, with a potent 2.0-litre turbo-four under the bonnet connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. As the formula dictates, power isn’t earth-shattering, but it’s enough to have quite a lot of fun with.

DSG-trigger exhaust parps are minimal, which is either good or bad depending on your stance towards them, but there are the expected exhaust pops and fake engine noise when everything is at its sportiest, although I’d prefer more of the former and less of the latter. The GTI just doesn’t quite feel as unhinged as a lot of the current crop of hot hatches at the same price point, although that doesn’t make it slow.

There’s a meaty mid-range, and the dual-clutch is as quick as ever. Volkswagen has included a tricky front differential which is superb (sorry Skoda) at keeping both wheels grounded, with no torque steer or understeer to speak of. VW’s adaptive chassis control system is also included, to actively balance the suspension to keep everything level.

This is a seriously fun car, and, because it’s not a 300kW all-wheel drive monster, it’s not utterly terrifying to push hard… however, if you do want that sort of thing without the AMG badging, hold out for the inevitable Golf R, or even the hotter FWD GTI Clubsport that will be coming soon.

How about the wagon?

Well, considering the Octavia RS uses the same powertrain, expect the same results in that regard. Everything said about the Golf carries over, including the adaptive chassis, although the spec sheet says the RS gets the XDS+ locking front differential as opposed to the GTI’s e-LSD.

There’s also mention of sports suspension that drops the RS by 15mm compared to the lesser Octavia Style.

On the road, the two behave similarly, but there’s something a bit more interesting about the Octavia. Perhaps it's the slightly different dimensions but the RS feels more playful than the GTI.

Both are superb drivers, and it could well boil down to pure personal preference, of course.

If you’re that way inclined, the GTI will be the faster car, simply because it weighs less – 1352kg versus 1450kg.

Both the GTI and RS are more reserved than you may expect, but the conservative driving approach suits the Skoda more than the GTI, even with that extra suffix after Octavia. Plus, despite the fractional performance deficit, the Skoda still offers a convincingly better bang-for-your-buck ratio than the more expensive Golf…

Any other cars I should consider?

If you want a hot hatch that will rip your face off, consider the Renault Megane RS Trophy, which currently asks $65,990 for the manual and $68,990 for the dual-clutch. There’s also the Ford Focus ST, starting at $59,990.

If you want a spicy station wagon that isn’t an Audi RS 6, have a look at the $65k Cupra Leon Sportstourer. Or, if you want something that bridges the gap between hatchback and SUV, consider the Cupra Formentor, although it costs more, at $68,990 for the top-rung VZ (the one you really want).