Skoda has confirmed a trio of powertrains will be available for new Octavia VRS buyers to choose from when the car goes on sale in the Autumn - including a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

Alongside the conventional petrol and diesel variants an electrified version of the performance-focussed edition will be offered for the first time, known as the Octavia VRS iV.

Read more about the new Skoda Octavia here.

The TSI petrol version is likely to be the quickest VRS - with 245PS on tap from its 2.0-litre EA888 turbocharged engine shared with the Golf GTI. Buyers can opt for a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG.

Drivers of the plug-in hybrid are provided with the same 245PS output, delivered via a beefed-up version of the 1.4-litre petrol engine and electric motor setup as the regular Octavia iV. Only a six-speed DSG is offered here.

Performance is unlikely to matched with the TSI, however, as the iV has a weight deficit due to its 13.1kWh battery pack that provides a 37-mile zero-emission range. Company car drivers are expected to favour this model as its 30g/km CO2 emissions figure will provide low benefit-in-kind tax.

The diesel VRS (TDI) serves up slightly less power, with 200PS, but has more torque than the TSI. It’s also available with all-wheel-drive, while the other models make do with a front-wheel-drive setup.

Hatchback and estate bodies are offered across the VRS line up, which stands out with more aggressive styling, gloss black trim and larger alloy wheels.

A progressive steering system and sport suspension improves the Octavia’s driveability, while optional Dynamic Chassis Control (adaptive dampers) enables the driver to tailor the ride and handling from the vehicle’s touchscreen.