Right from the moment we broke the news of its launch, the Skoda Octavia RS 245 has generated a lot of buzz in automotive enthusiast communities across India. The car made its India debut at Auto Expo 2020 and went on sale at a not-inconsiderable Rs 35.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The relatively high asking price, however, didn’t seem to be a deterrent with all 200 units of the car allocated for India finding buyers soon enough. We’ve been made privy to the booking details and there’s an interesting insight; nearly 1 in 2 Octavia RS 245s is destined for South India.
Bengaluru, known for its enthusiast community, leads the charts with 44 cars going to buyers in the city. Chennai comes in second with 22 orders, while Hyderabad is set to become home to 20 new RS 245s. Kochi will also be welcoming 12 new Octavia RS 245s soon. Together, the four southern cities will have 98 of the 200 Octavia RS 245s.
Deliveries of the Octavia RS 245 will officially commence after the lockdown is lifted and Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) begin functioning. However, most dealerships have already received the cars.
The RS 245 marks the swan song for the outgoing Octavia in India. And what a way to bow out. The Octavia RS 245 is powered by a 245hp/370Nm, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, features an uprated suspension, and being a full import, gets all the bells and whistles of the Euro-spec car. A 0-100kph time of 6.6sec and an electronically limited top speed of 250kph are some other details of interest.
Image credit: Raj Tendulkar
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
