VRS release

[Scout]

After following the forum for 2 years, I registered today to vent a little!!!!

How does Skoda think they will shift any of these cars with a comparable drive away price as a 3 door Polo GTI?? with comparable equipment levels?

Yes I know the 4 door GTI is $1200.00 more expensive that the VRS but really any buyer with half a brain knows they will more than make up for the difference come re sale time.

This car should have been $3000.00 cheaper at least to temp people to the brand at $24,990.00 plus onroads!!!

[Lucas_R]

Regarding the Fabia vRS, my brother (who works at a Skoda dealership) emailed me today to say that he has a Fabia vRS due in early next week. This will be the normal hatch body style.

As promised last week, below are some pics of the Fabia vRS at the dealership yesterday.

[ausspace87]

+1 Woofy,

To add to that those displays look extremely uninviting, why are all the cars lined up in a way that makes it impossible for people to look at them or inside them.

Even their direct marketing is cold and uninviting, they just managed to remain invisible to 12,000 strong live audience. It would have been far better to have it open like a motor show setup, if they are to worried about damage to the vehicles then its best not to have them there at all rather than have them their and allow no one to get near them.

When you walked up to the main entrance at Skoda Stadium, you were practically forced to walk through a massive Skoda archway where there were a bunch of Fabia RS's parked underneath. I would estimate there were about 6 Skoda reps walking around asking people to test drive them with information and clip-boards. It was actually a very clever idea forcing every person to walk through the line of cars. Plenty of people stopped to look at them and have a seat in them. The photo I took of the Fabias in a row was located at the rear of the stadium under the big screen, it was more of a feature rather than a showroom piece...

[RSwag]

I bet if someone saw a Skoda they still wouldn't know what it was....lol

+1 Woofy,

To add to that those displays look extremely uninviting, why are all the cars lined up in a way that makes it impossible for people to look at them or inside them.

Even their direct marketing is cold and uninviting, they just managed to remain invisible to 12,000 strong live audience. It would have been far better to have it open like a motor show setup, if they are to worried about damage to the vehicles then its best not to have them there at all rather than have them their and allow no one to get near them.

[woofy]

Went to the opening match at Skoda Stadium on Saturday night - GWS Giants vs Essendon.

There were quite a few little Fabia RS's scattered around the place. Not a bad turnout for an opening match either (12,000 people), so some good and much needed brand awareness for Skoda...

I bet if someone saw a Skoda they still wouldn't know what it was....lol

[ausspace87]

Went to the opening match at Skoda Stadium on Saturday night - GWS Giants vs Essendon.

There were quite a few little Fabia RS's scattered around the place. Not a bad turnout for an opening match either (12,000 people), so some good and much needed brand awareness for Skoda...

[dArK5HaD0w]

Massive rip off. Skoda are once again treating the Australian market with contempt.

u mean "VW Aus treating the Australian market with contempt". don't forget who's the boss here, pulling all the strings.

Given the number of Škodas around Canberra I'm pretty unimpressed the website doesn't supply prices for ACT post codes.
It gives prices for Queanbeyan :-/

+1.
i got "blanks" when i tried with an ACT postcode.

[Scarfies]

Given the number of Škodas around Canberra I'm pretty unimpressed the website doesn't supply prices for ACT post codes.

It gives prices for Queanbeyan :-/

[Jake02]

Massive rip off. Skoda are once again treating the Australian market with contempt.

Considering that a Swift Sport auto (supposedly the bargain warm hatch) is $29k drive away, and the Fabia RS is quite a lot faster/torquier with a higher quality cabin/more practicality/actually useable boot, it doesn't seem that bad. It seems reasonably competitive to me; could be better but could be worse. Hopefully waiting times are less than the Polo GTI...

Interesting to see they're using the "made of meaner stuff" ad campaign too, I hope they play the TV ad.

[pologti18t]

So... Fabia 5 door RS approx = price of a 3 Door Polo GTI

I see rear parking sensors are standard.

Interesting... looks like we get a mixture of the black pack grill and chrome headlights. Perhaps after all the bad owner reports of headlight performance of the black pack headlights.

[BlackOctaviaRS]

+ the brochure. Skoda Aus seems to have given it pretty much everything in terms of equipment (including the cornering projector headlamps, Swing radio and climate control, except a sunroof and the MDI, both of which are still options). The hatch is $32k drive away (with the standard DSG) and the wagon is $34k drive away and I'm still not sure if that's good value or not. But the RS wagon is unique, that's for sure.

Massive rip off. Skoda are once again treating the Australian market with contempt.

[Jake02]

Prices are up on the Skoda website!!!

+ the brochure. Skoda Aus seems to have given it pretty much everything in terms of equipment (including the cornering projector headlamps, Swing radio and climate control, except a sunroof and the MDI, both of which are still options). The hatch is $32k drive away (with the standard DSG) and the wagon is $34k drive away and I'm still not sure if that's good value or not. But the RS wagon is unique, that's for sure.

[Lindsay]

Prices are up on the Skoda website!!!

[pologti18t]

Yes - perhaps i wasnt clear when i said i wanted to see what the hype is about the engine. Although ive driven a large amount of Skoda / Audi vehicles over the past few years, i am yet to drive a VAG car with the 1.4L twincharged engine - so im interested to see how it goes / feels.

I love the little 90TSI 1.4L TSI engine, so im hoping the twincharger is just as smooth, but with the benefit of more oomph.

Might have to run it against my Golf to see how the vRS goes.

The 132kw 1.4 + 7 speed is very quick of the mark and linear in its power delivery. That's what I found when I drove a current Polo GTI.
That said... my APR'd 1.8T Polo GTI feels that much faster again and sounds better.

Got a swift email back from Trivett Rosebery that a Fabia RS should be in by next weekend at the latest.

[Lucas_R]

Same engine/gearbox as Polo GTI
Chassis is a kinda hybrid of current Polo GTI and the previous generation Polo GTI.

Just noticed Trivett have setup a new dealership in Rosebery NSW.

Yes - perhaps i wasnt clear when i said i wanted to see what the hype is about the engine. Although ive driven a large amount of Skoda / Audi vehicles over the past few years, i am yet to drive a VAG car with the 1.4L twincharged engine - so im interested to see how it goes / feels.

I love the little 90TSI 1.4L TSI engine, so im hoping the twincharger is just as smooth, but with the benefit of more oomph.

Might have to run it against my Golf to see how the vRS goes.