If you want a car
that’s fast, family-friendly and relatively affordable, the Skoda Octavia RS is
probably the first choice out there, especially in wagon guise. The
third-generation Octavia RS may be nearing the end of its lifecycle, but it’s
still a solid choice for drivers who have families but don’t want to completely
give up on driving thrills.
ABT Sportsline
knows that, so the German tuner is trying to make the Octavia RS more
attractive courtesy of new power kits for the gasoline-powered model. Via the
ABT Engine Control unit, the tuner adds 45 PS to the stock car’s 245 PS 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged four-cylinder output.
As a result, the
Octavia RS reaches VW Golf R levels of power, with 290 PS and 410 Nm of torque — up from 370 Nm in the standard car. ABT
Sportsline doesn’t say how the power and torque boost influences performance,
but we’re guessing the improvement will be more than noticeable on the road.
The stock
gasoline-powered Octavia RS wagon sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7
seconds and hits an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h. For
those who prefer the Octavia RS diesel, ABT also tweaks the 2.0-liter TDI
engine by increasing power from 184 PS to 210 PS and torque
from 380 Nm to 420 Nm.
Besides the engine
tweaks, the tuner offers suspension springs that lower the car by 25 mm at the front and 30 mm at the rear, as well as an ABT sport
anti-rollbar. Both are said to provide more precise handling by reducing body
roll and improving both the steering and the distribution of the wheel loads. The
rims also get some attention from the Bavarian tuner, which offers several
designs in 18-, 19-, and 20-inch sizes.
