What's the news?
Skoda is going to add a Sportline variant to the Octavia lineup this year, featuring sporty styling and some dramatic 18-inch alloy wheels. It'll be a rival to the likes of the Ford Focus ST-Line, Toyota Corolla GR-Sport, and of course Volkswagen's in-house competition, the Golf R-Line.
The Skoda may not actually need much help in the marketing stakes, mind. The Octavia's basic design may be getting on a bit now, but it's the best-selling car in Ireland right now. Note, we say 'car' very specifically - technically the Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Qashqai out-sell the Octavia, but those are - of course - SUVs, or at least crossovers, so if you're looking for the best-selling conventional model (if such a distinction actually means anything) then the Skoda is it. Yup, the Czech liftback is currently finding more Irish customers than such sales behemoths as the Ford Focus, the Volkswagen Golf, and the Toyota Yaris.
So, what's an Octavia Sportline, then? Well, in common with other Sportline models in the Skoda range (Kodiaq, Karoq, Superb) there are no mechanical changes here, merely cosmetic ones. However, the addition of such items as those 18-inch 'Vega' alloy wheels, the black-finished, front spoiler and grille, as well as black paint for the door mirrors and the rear diffuser insert in the back bumper really do help to sharpen up the Octavia's looks. It means you can have the styling effect of the RS turbo models, without the extra cost.
There's also a glossy black rear spoiler, plus LED headlights, and daytime running lights.
Inside, the Sportline gets the Amundsen sat-nav system with eight-inch touchscreen, which comes with integral wifi and an online connection courtesy of a built-in SIM card (which comes with a year's worth of data, as standard). There's also a headlight assistant (which looks after coming home, leaving home, and has a tunnel light function) and rain-sensing wipers. You also get a flat-bottom steering wheel and, crucially, Skoda's supremely comfy high-back 'Tombstone'-style bucket seats.
For now you can only have a Sportline with the 1.5 TSI petrol engine or a the 2.0-litre TDI diesel (both with 150hp) but we'd expect the pack to be extended to other engine option in due course.