Skoda’s sporty Octavia vRS, a favourite choice for police and paramedics, is getting plug-in hybrid power for the first time. Like many other car makers Skoda is offering the electric option in addition to petrol and diesel power. But the hybrid version will be the fastest, with an output of 243bhp versus 198bhp for the diesel.
As you’d expect, the hybrid will be the most economical and cheapest for company car drivers too. Official figures are yet to be released, but it is expected to have a CO2 figure of around 30g/km and an electric-only range of 37 miles.
The plug-in car uses the same combination of a 1.4-litre petrol engine and electric motor used in the bigger Superb iV and the Volkswagen Passat GTE.
The first cars are due in the UK in autumn this year.