Skoda has offered multiple cars over the last two and a half decades in the Indian market. However, nothing has been more special than the Octavia which is considered as the finest benchmarks of a perfect sedan by many enthusiasts across the world. Even more special than the Octavia is its performance-spec version — Octavia RS.
For a long time, the new Octavia RS has been speculated to launch in India, especially since the fourth-gen Octavia first landed in India more than two years ago. Earlier in June this year, under the new leadership of Ashish Gupta, it was confirmed that Skoda will bring the new Octavia RS sometime later this year.
It has now come to light that the new Octavia RS is coming to India in November this year, although the exact launch date still remains in the dark. Like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Octavia RS will be brought to India as a fully-imported CBU model and will be available in limited numbers upon launch. Therefore, expect it to carry a stiff price tag of around Rs 50 lakh (ex-showroom).
Skoda Octavia RS: Expected Design
The exterior styling of the Octavia RS features a blacked-out front grille, sporty bumpers, dual exhaust outlets, and a rear lip spoiler. The sedan rides on standard 18-inch dual-tone machine-cut alloy wheels, with an option to upgrade to 19-inch rims. Inside, the cabin is equipped with sporty bucket seats, a three-spoke steering wheel, a large central touchscreen, and dashboard trim finished in carbon fibre and Alcantara.
Skoda Octavia RS: Expected Features & Safety
In terms of convenience and technology, the Octavia RS offers a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, a 13-inch touchscreen with integrated ChatGPT AI Assistant, ambient lighting, a ventilated wireless smartphone charger, powered, heated, and massaging front seats with adjustable lumbar support, as well as dual-zone climate control.
The international-spec Octavia RS offers safety features like ten airbags, electronic stability control, all wheel disc brakes along with a comprehensive Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) suite including driver drowsiness detection, auto emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. It’ll be interesting to see if Skoda decided to offer ADAS in the India-spec Octavia RS as well.
Skoda Octavia RS: Expected Powertrain
Powering the new-generation Octavia RS is the familiar 2.0-litre TSI EVO turbocharged petrol engine from the standard model, re-tuned to produce 261 bhp and 370 Nm of peak torque. This engine is paired exclusively with a 7-speed DSG automatic transmission sending power to the front wheels. Performance figures include a 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. Twin sports exhaust outlets are now offered as standard.
