I ordered a VRS tsi with the winter pack all went through fine on the Skoda ordering system, but after reading the brochure it appears this is not available on tsi engines.

Spoke to two dealers and both said I could have the winter pack.

Has anybody else ordered the pack with the tsi engine? Or can throw a bit more light on this than the dealers can!!

We've just had someone in Romania pick up their TSI VRS with that pack. Yours should be fine too. I have it on my order as well.

In another thread someone had spoken to Skoda who said that the Winter Pack (specifically the heated windscreen) is not available on the TSI engines due to the size of the alternator. Apparently it affects the emissions. It may be that there is a larger alternator on the vRS which can handle the extra load so they can offer the Winter Pack on it.

It does say in the brochure that the heated screen isn't available on TSi engines...

It does say in the brochure that the heated screen isn't available on TSi engines...

 

It is available for the on-line configurer for the petrol vRS estate - however I wouldn't particularly trust it.

Edited 14 September, 201312 yr by gullyg

I wouldn't trust a brochure either!

I was told today that the heated screen is not available on the TSI VRS - the other bits of the Winter Pack are.

I guess reality has deceived me once again!

Thanks for all your responses. I will speak to Skoda UK and see if they have any idea. My previous dealings with customer services is not too good, they said I could have the Steel grey when it was discontinued!

I will let you know how I get on.

Edited 15 September, 201312 yr by Pinsharp

Skoda customer services confirmed the winter pack is not available on the tsi. They suggested getting the tdi if I wanted that option.

I have not tried the tdi - I have got used to a nice quiet petrol so the diesel might be a bit of a backward step.

The diesel is only a little bit noisier when cold than the petrol version and a tiny bit slower, it rides and drives just as well as the petrol the only real difference is whether you choose the manual or DSG version as the diesel engined one is a bit thirstier than the manual one.

I did consider the diesel one but I don't do the mileage and wanted to avoid the DPF issues, so chose petrol which is cheaper.

Having not driven the TSI I can't give an accurate comparison. 

 

However I have driven the CR TDI vRS, in fact I've ordered one, and coming from a mk1 Fabia vRS (PD130 Diesel) the Octavia is massively more refined but felt a lot slower on test drive until I realised the power characteristics, it drives much more like a petrol than the Fabia whith power being delivered over a much wider band.

 

The petrol is undoubtedly a faster, better "performance" car, however for me the diesel is "fast enough" (plenty of grunt for 40 onwards acceleration for overtaking) and excellent handling to make rapid progress over A and B roads.

 

For me it was a toss up between the two which in the end boiled down to the extra cost against the petrol (on finance they're about the same per month), at the time I wasn't aware you couldn't have a headed windscreen on the petrol but that would have been a major negative for me.  On the other hand the diesel has a pretty horrible exhaust setup (the "exhaust" on the right is fake - really wont be happy if one goes black and the other doesn't however hopefully DPF will fix that) and a DPF which could cause some concern if you are buying this as a town runabout.

 

Basically no matter what people on a forum say, it's your money - take a test drive of the diesel and see what you think.  If you don't like it then either live without the heated screen or buy another car.

 

A new car, even a Skoda , is a lot to pay - make sure you can live with any compromises. 

Edited 16 September, 201312 yr by gullyg

I find it absolutely hilarious that the "Skoda Solution" to wanting the Winter Pack on a petrol vRS is to buy a diesel - I mean....seriously?

If I wanted a diesel I'd be buying a diesel, I'm not going to change the entire characteristics of a car because Skoda cannot be bothered to fit the correct parts to a car that would allow then to run something like the heated front windscreen.

I'm not looking to buy at the moment, but I can only hope Skoda sort out these stupid little things. Not fitting Cruise Control as standard - come on, with it probably being something that can be retro-fitted, that is saving Skoda hardly anything.

 

Not being able to have a heated front windscreen would not stop me buying an Octy vRS - but the suggestion to "buy diesel" if you want one" is just crazy silly.

I amazes me about the heated windscreen. I have a 1.2 petrol yeti and had no problems getting the heated windscreen option fitted to my car.

There's people with the 1.8TSI and TSI VRS here in Romania that already have the heated windscreen, on cars already delivered not just orders. So this must be another case of SUK screwing you guys over. Maybe move to sunnier places?

Edited 16 September, 201312 yr by TudorM

It's to do with the road tax system. 

 

If SUK put the more manly alternator on the car it puts the car in a higher tax band so it would move from Band F - £140 pa to Band G - £175 pa.

It's to do with the road tax system. 

 

If SUK put the more manly alternator on the car it puts the car in a higher tax band so it would move from Band F - £140 pa to Band G - £175 pa.

I'd be interested to know if that was actually the truth or rather "SUK finding an excuse". They already use the "There is no real call for folding mirrors" as a reason why you cannot have them on a UK spec car (no call....doubting that).

So I think SUK are just looking for an excuse now - increasing the size of the alternator so that it can run a front heated screen increased emissions so much that it moves it a tax band? Would love to hear from anyone who is an electronics expert to confirm just how much truth there is likely to be in that.

There is none, I could brandish my diploma if you want me too. Think about it, every car already has the rear window heated and nobody goes for heavy duty alternators due to that. Also electrical consumption on a car has minimal impact on mpg/emissions.

We have ordered the winter pack on our TSI VRS and it went into build last week so will be able to confirm whether we got the heated screen etc. when we get the car in the next 3 weeks. We did have to order the components of the winter pack separately and that can be a bit of a pain as you need to add other bits as you go (heated seats have to be ordered etc.) but the order went through with no problems.

 

will let you know when we get the car -  watch this space!

Maybe if you could get the heated windscreen on it's own without the heated seats the power consumption would be less.

I will test drive the diesel to see what that is like, but no doubt will go for the petrol anyway and scrape the screen!

Or pay a few quid and buy a nylon frost shield.

Or pay a few quid and buy a nylon frost shield.

But if it works half as well as the ones I have had in previous Ford's it's also a fantastic demister.

I'd be interested to know if that was actually the truth or rather "SUK finding an excuse". They already use the "There is no real call for folding mirrors" as a reason why you cannot have them on a UK spec car (no call....doubting that).

So I think SUK are just looking for an excuse now - increasing the size of the alternator so that it can run a front heated screen increased emissions so much that it moves it a tax band? Would love to hear from anyone who is an electronics expert to confirm just how much truth there is likely to be in that.

agree 100% about the mirrors, should really be standard fit given its already quite sizeable list price.

Or pay a few quid and buy a nylon frost shield.

 

Just use the free ice scraper included in the fuel flap!  All in the price - bargain.

Just use the free ice scraper included in the fuel flap!  All in the price - bargain.

I forgot about the free ice scraper, result! Thats as long as I can open the fuel cover with the ice that builds up around it.