√Skoda Octavia Sportline plans shelved for Australia

Plans to introduce a sporty styling package for the Skoda Octavia liftback and wagon in Australia have been scrapped, after 18 months of delays – amid concerns it would be positioned too close to the RS flagship.

The Skoda Octavia Sportline – the sportiest version without an RS badge – will not come to Australia after all.

Unveiled in Europe two years ago, the Octavia Sportline was initially earmarked for Skoda’s Australian showrooms in early 2022, before it was delayed to July or August 2022, then sometime in 2023, and finally delayed indefinitely.

It was intended as a replacement for a 140TSI Limited Edition model introduced in late 2021, which added luxury features from the RS flagship, and a detuned, 140kW version of its 2.0-litre turbo engine to sit above the 110kW engine in base Octavia models.

Now Skoda Australia has advised it no longer plans to introduce the Octavia Sportline at all – and the Limited Edition has been discontinued with no plans for a replacement with the 140TSI engine.

Drive understands the Skoda Octavia 140TSI Sportline would have been positioned too close – in price and equipment – to the RS performance model, priced from $55,990 to $57,490 drive-away.

Skoda websites in Europe show equipping an Octavia Sportline to the same level as the outgoing Limited Edition would have made it a similar price to a well-optioned RS, despite its less powerful engine and fewer performance features.

Half of Skoda Octavia orders so far this year have been the flagship RS, the company says.

Meanwhile, the 140TSI Limited Edition model has been phased out, after a production run about a year longer than first anticipated – when it was pitched as a stop-gap for the Sportline.

It was essentially a 110TSI Style model with more luxury features (including some from the RS), larger alloy wheels and a 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo engine – up on the Style’s 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre engine, but down on the RS model’s 180kW/370Nm 2.0-litre motor.

At the start of Model Year 2023 late last year, the 140TSI Limited Edition was $2500 cheaper than the RS – though with luxury features comparable to an RS with the $5800 Luxury Pack – but $11,500 dearer than an un-optioned 110TSI Style.

Skoda Australia says there are no plans to re-introduce the 140TSI engine, following an influx of stock of the other two models in the range.

Sportline versions of the Skoda Kodiaq large SUV, Karoq mid-size SUV and Superb large liftback sedan and wagon are still available, as well as similar Monte Carlo versions of the Kamiq small SUV and Fabia city hatch.

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