We have already seen what the new Octavia hybrid looks like and known its specs for a while, but the Czech automaker still had a couple surprises up its metaphorical sleeve.
As expected, the new Octavia RS iV comes powered by the same principal powertrain as the VW Golf GTE and the Cupra Leon. This means a 1.4-liter turbo-four engine and an electric motor joinly rated at 245 hp (183 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. The transmission type is six-speed DSG.
What Volkswagen and Cupra never told us was how fast their cars could sprint. In contrast, Skoda openly states that the Octavia RS iV needs 7.3 seconds to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from standstill. This is slightly slower than the result of the previous generation, which burned gasoline to get to the same speed in barely under 7 seconds.
Moving on to the battery, it comes rated at 13 kilowatt-hours and should translate into 60 kilometers (37 miles) of purely electric range. Charging it from a household wall socket takes six hours, but using a dedicated charger halves the time.
The Golf GTE always launches in all-electric mode and only engages its gasoline engine when it needs to speed past 130 km/h (81 mph) or when you floor the gas pedal. It remains uncertain how the Skoda behaves in this respect.
You can tell the Octavia PHEV from its gas-only siblings by the presence of a charging port, a different body kit, larger wheels (up to 19 inches) and a sportier interior trim scheme.
The Octavia RS iV will hit the market in liftback and estate/wagon variants in mid-2020.