In news that will be music to an enthusiast’s ears, the Skoda Octavia RS could just be back on sale in India. And the version headed here could be the even more powerful RS245. In a nutshell, the RS245 gains 15hp over the 230hp version that was on sale in India. Peak torque also see a jump to 370Nm from the 350Nm on the earlier model.
The current-gen Skoda Octavia RS, first launched in September 2017, proved to be a sensation among India’s enthusiast community, which quickly lapped up the initial allocation of 300 units. An additional 200 cars were brought in later to cater to pent-up demand. After the run of 500 cars, dealers were asked to not take further bookings.
It’s the government’s relaxation of import rules that got Skoda thinking of ways to bring the Octavia RS back. As per the new import regulations, carmakers can import 2,500 units per year, either as a CBU (completely built unit) or CKD (completely knocked-down), without the models having to undergo homologation, provided they meet the homologation criteria for the international market. As we recently reported, the Skoda Karoq will be the first model to be brought to India via this route. And the Octavia will likely follow suit, being brought in as a full import rather than in CKD form as before.
Interestingly, the Octavia RS that will be imported to India will be the fully-loaded European-spec model. This means it could be 15mm lower and get the option of larger alloys (18-inches vs 17-inchers), but, more importantly, it would come with adjustable dampers and performance modes. The European-spec Octavia RS also gets a customisable 10.25-inch touchscreen, with an additional ‘Sports View’, and Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display.
However, the catch this time around is likely to be the price. Whereas the previous locally-assembled 230hp Octavia RS was launched at Rs 25.48 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the 245hp version could cross the Rs 40 lakh mark, on account of it being a full import. Will enthusiasts be happy to pay the extra money is something only time will tell.
Would you consider the Skoda Octavia RS245 for Rs 40 lakh? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also see:
Next-gen Skoda Octavia India launch by end-2020
Skoda Superb facelift India launch in mid-2020
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