2017 Skoda Octavia RS launched at ₹24.62 lac

2017 Skoda Octavia RS launched at ₹24.62 lac

This could be the best value performance car in India so far

RS fans, rejoice, for the badge has returned to India after far too long. The new Octavia RS is here, and the big story is the price: ₹24.62 lac ex-showroom is relatively inexpensive for a 230PS/350Nm four-door sedan with enough boot space for the heist of the century, and enough seats for your entire crew.

Compared to the standard car, the RS — understandably — gets nifty bits to set it apart. There’s an electronically regulated “XDS+” limited-slip differential up front. The car will automatically brake the inner wheel around a corner to help the turn along. The chassis sits 15mm lower to the ground and the steering is variable-weight, and feels nice to till. Top speed is 250kmph and 0–100 comes up in 6.8s. Transmission is a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic only, so some cause for complaint for the purist.

The inside is where the real flash is. Seats are leather and Alcantara, with red contrast stitching and a very sporty race-style profile. The steering wheel gets the same treatment, and is flat-bottomed. Most of the dash appears the same as on the standard car, but you can pair your phone with the car and use Skoda’s app to show you your lateral Gs and all sorts of fun stuff. The MFD even does lap times!

The exterior is more or less the same as the standard Octavia. There’s a new grille, a new rear bumper, chrome trapezoidal exhaust tips and a small spoiler. the 17" “HawkAnthracite” wheels are just aggressive enough. We think Skoda has erred on the side of caution here, and that’s a good thing. This is a well-sized sedan and trying to make it overtly sporty would be a step too far.

Skoda officials were happy to point out that while other Euro luxury sedans such as the Jaguars, Mercedes’ and BMWs may be tenths of a second quicker, they can cost twice as much or more. There’s a lot of bang (and pop) for your rupee here.

We had a quick blast around the Raymond racetrack in Thane, and were impressed by the car’s response. Revs build quickly, boost is well-controlled and the electronics do the job — and let you feel it. The engine sounds nice inside the car and outside, and it does some dramatic crackling and popping on high-rev shifts. The clever traction control and ESP appears to allow heroic four-wheel drifts even in the hands of idiots. Of course, nothing is idiot-proof, as the idiot in the white car found out just before bunting something hard and putting it out of action.

In the Indian context, the 2017 Octavia RS is an honest performance car for Toyota Fortuner money. Entirely different segments, yes, but there’s some perspective there of just how many of us could have something just a little more special in our limited urban parking.