Price: £18,377

THERE'S something strangely satisfying about driving a high performance diesel. It doesn't produce as much carbon dioxide as an equivalent high-performance petrol, so you can feel smug that you're doing your bit for global warming.

Diesels also have more pulling power (in the case of the Octavia a lot more) and are more exciting to drive.

Finally, in the real world, they are usually faster than a high-reving petrol equivalents where it matters, in the mid-range, and better for overtaking.

The economic argument that if you want maximum miles for a minimum outlay then a diesel is still the way to go is merely the icing on the cake.

The Skoda Octavia vRS is available with a choice of two engines, the 197bhp two-litre petrol from a VW Golf GTI or a 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel.

The diesel is noiser than the petrol at start-up and its typical diesel bag of hammers' din coming from beneath the bonnet sounds and feels at odds with the Octavia's sporty looks, big alloys and wide tyres.

Even though it's in a pretty high state of tune I had no problems with peaky power delivery or driving smoothly around town, although the Octavia won't tolerate too high a gear without a lot of driveline shunt spoiling your slow progress.

On the motorway and fast A-roads it's a revelation, super quick and very responsive between 50mph and the legal limit.

Overtaking is easy and the hefty slug of torque makes even sixth gear usable at those kind of speeds. A top speed of 140mph and, more importantly, a 0-62mph time of 8.6 seconds, is more than sufficient.

Sitting 12mm lower on the road than a standard Octavia, the vRS goes round corners with plenty of grip to spare but the ride doesn't deteriorate too badly on poorly surfaced roads. In fact, it feels every bit as mature as the universally lauded Golf Gti.

This is a great car in which to cover long distances, and at higher speeds it disguises its size very well indeed.

Only some minor wind noise around the windows spoils an otherwise topnotch performance.

This is the second generation Octavia, introduced in 2004, and built on the VW group A5 platform which is shared with the Audi A3, the Golf, SEAT Leon, Altea and the VW Touran, none of which are bad company to keep.

Alongside a host of new or improved engines, the A5 platform gave Skoda's engineers the chance to address the only serious critcism of the old car, that of legroom in the back for tall passengers. Extra ground clearance front and back also reduced the risk of scrapes on road humps and steep kerbs.

Octavia isn't a particularly sporty name (as a child of the seventies it always reminds me of the preening ostrich from Pipkins, the old kids' TV show), but it could have been worse.

In at least one overseas market, India, the latest Octavia gets a name change to the Laura!

The strong design continues into the cabin, where the instrumentation is clear, classy and attractive. The ringed analogue speedo and rev counter look nice and sporty.

Skoda's gentle green backlighting is soothing on the eyes at night.

Key differences between the vRS and lesser models are the three-spoke chunky leather steering wheel, black roof lining and a few bits of aluminium effect trim scattered about here and there.

The black and grey sports seats are very comfortable and deep side bolsters keep your torso clamped in place.

Top-quality materials are used throughout and the whole cabin has a solid feel in keeping with the Octavia's VW heritage.

Deep door bins are handy for occasional storage. There's a large-ish central console bin and a small cubbyhole in the dashboard.

The boot is more than large enough for a family and the hatchback design makes the Octavia a very practical design.

Both back seats fold forward if you need extra carrying capacity. This increases the overall luggage volume from 560 litres to 1,330 litres.

As befits a top-of-the-range model, the vRS comes fully loaded with all-round electric windows, stability control, a six- CD audio system, anti-lock brakes and plenty of all round air baggery.

You'll need to tick the extras box if you want metallic paint, satellite navigation and leather trim, though.

So it's a guilt-free performance car that won't break the bank, either to buy or to run. Given the storming performance it's hard to see why anyone would bother with the petrol version.

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 2.0-litre turbodiesel
Max power: 170bhp @ 4,200rpm
Max torque: 350 Nm @ 1,800rpm
Top speed: 139mph
0-62mph: 8.6 seconds
Average fuel consumption on test: 44.3mpg
CO2 g/km: 157
COMFORT & CONVENIENCE: Reach/hght adj steering wheel, air conditioning, electric windows, 6- disc CD, alloys
SAFETY: central locking, power steering, driver/passenger airbags, side airbags, centre 3-point safety belt, traction control.