Skoda Octavia vRS

SKODA;

Skoda recently launched the Octavia sedan for the Indian market and it has been doing pretty good numbers for the German-owned Czech automaker thanks to its extensive feature list and engine options. However, in the tradition of the Octavia/Laura for the Indian market, Skoda is expected to bring to the Indian market (next year) a high performance version of the D-Segment sedan called the Octavia vRS. The car was unveiled at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed and finally launched at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Exterior

The Skoda Octavia vRS features the same overall design as the standard car but with much sportier overtones. It gets black headlights, sporty bumper with a mesh grille and a different design for the fog lamps. The Skoda moustache grille seems to flow into the front of the car and adds to the overall sporty appearance. On the sides, the Octavia vRS has a similar profile to the standard car but gets sportier alloy wheels and consequently bigger tyres. The rear profile includes dual quad-shaped exhausts and a small rear wing that has been fitted to the boot door.

Interiors

The vRS gets all the features of the standard car in addition to sports-style bucket seats, a three-spoke steering wheel and ambient lighting. Dual-zone climate control and a touchscreen infotainment system also come as standard in the vRS. We also expect features like paddle shifters, traction control and ESP to be standard on this car.

Engine options

The vRS version for Europe is powered by two engine options; petrol and a diesel. The petrol motor is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 220bhp power hitting 100kph in 6.8 seconds. The diesel engine is also a turbocharged 2.0-litre unit that develops 184bhp power and 380Nm torque aiding a 100kmph drag time in 8.1 seconds. The UK spec Octavia is also offered with the 1.2-litre TSI and seven-speed DSG box found in the Polo. It is likely that for the first time that such an engine option may be offered here too. Both these engines are sourced from VW, who use it to power the performance variants of the Jetta and the Golf. We also expect that Skoda has tuned the suspension and directed the handling to focus on the sportier side

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Price and when can we expect the car in India

The Skoda Octavia vRS is likely to be priced in the range of Rs 18 lakh to Rs 21 lakh and will be unveiled at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo. We can expect a launch in India a few months after the unveiling.

Expected Launch: April 2017

Expected Price:Rs. 18 - 21L