The Skoda Octavia vRS takes colder temperatures in its stride

Now we’re well and truly into autumn and winter is on its way I’m beginning to see another, very special side to our Skoda Octavia vRS estate.

It’s always felt like an incredibly well-planted car with superb poise and balance that allows you to throw it round corners without ever feeling unstable.

But recently, with wet leaves on the road, mud in the fields and the occasional snap frost in the air, the car’s superb 4×4 capabilities have started to shine.

It made light work of my escape when I was forced to park at the bottom of a steep slope in a quagmire of a field for a kids’ football match, allowing me to breeze past parents with their wheels spinning in far fancier motors.

And while others on my road struggled to slip and slide off their driveways on an icy morning, I was off on my way, coffee in hand and without even a hint of hassle. My bum was toasty warm, thanks to the excellent seat warmers too.

There are some other features that will come in incredible handy as the temperatures drop and the roads get muckier. The headlamp washers, for example, are already proving a godsend and the windscreen scraper, cleverly stowed inside the fuel filler cap is a neat touch.

But, let’s face it, superb all-weather traction and off-roading ability is not the reason you’d choose a Skoda Octavia VRS. If that’s what you wanted, you’d go for a proper 4×4 – and there would be plenty of choice in this price bracket.

You’d choose the VRS estate because you needed the space but still wanted the sportiness and enjoyment of the sleeker saloon model. It’s for the boy racers who refuse to grow up fully when they become fathers and their motoring needs change.

And, despite my best efforts, I still find the car sadly lacking in this area which, for me, would be one of the biggest reasons to select a VRS over an ordinary estate

In recent weeks, I really have tried to squeeze every ounce of performance and fun she has to give, driving much more aggressively than I normally would. But, even with ‘vRS’ mode selected and the DSG ‘box switched to manual mode, the 2.0 TDI still feels underpowered to deliver the pure driving thrills and enjoyment of the petrol alternative.

Were the same model in the same spec available with the petrol powerplant – it’s not – then I could easily be persuaded to part with my hard-earned cash.

I’ve grown to love most other things about this car. I even love the colour, which at first made me want to poke my own eyes out with a sharp stick. It’s superbly well-equipped, handles well, drives brilliantly, is spacious, comfortable, reliable, economical and very good looking.

I’m just not convinced this particular model has the spark to set my underpants on fire.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH: Seeing how the Octavia vRS deals with chillier temperatures

MODEL: Skoda Octavia vRS Estate
PRICE: £35,655
ENGINE: 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel
POWER: 181bhp
TORQUE: 380Nm
MAX SPEED: 139mph
0-60MPH: 7.5 seconds
MPG (COMBINED): 55
EMISSIONS: 134g/km