As it turns out, the already well-received Octavia RS has much more to offer to its fans in India.
Skoda India had launched the performance version of its Octavia in September 2017 in order to bring back the RS brand to India, based on popular demand by the ever-growing community of RS enthusiasts in the country. However, no one had expected that the first lot of 250 cars allotted to India would run out within a few days of the car's launch. There was indeed no stronger sign of the RS brand's comeback in India. The initial units sold here were powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine which produced 227bhp and 350Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed DSG gearbox.
In July 2018, the internet was rife with rumours that Skoda India had begun accepting advance bookings for the next lot of the Octavia RS which is India-bound sometime in 2018. However, if we are to go by the international brochure of the Octavia RS, then potential customers are perhaps in for a wider smile. The brochure specifies that the 2.0-litre TSI motor-equipped version of the Octavia RS churns out 241bhp, 14bhp more than what's offered by the current Indian-spec model. Could this mean the next lot of the Octavia RS units headed here will arrive in the international state of tune? Well, while there is no definitive and confirmed news of the same, we do hope that it arrives with an increased power output.
While we are on the subject of differences, there are a few more worth mentioning. The Octavia RS offered in the international markets comes fitted with a 'Black Package' on the standard car which offers gloss black ORVM caps and a front grille cover. Also, the Indian-spec model has to make do with 17-inch anthracite alloys but elsewhere, it can be had with optional 19-inch alloy wheels (well, we know they won't be any good here!).
Moving to the interior, the international models feature an all-digital instrument cluster whereas the car available here comes with a multi-function display placed between two analog dials. What's more, other markets also get the Octavia RS with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, which is further available with an optional 4WD. Last but not the least, the Octavia RS, in a bid to be the perfect driver's car, also comes with a 6-speed manual transmission.
One can only imagine that if the Octavia RS has been a hit with customers in India sans all these features and styling bits, what will the response be like if these additional offerings manage to trickle down to the next lot arriving here? I hope Skoda India is listening to our collective plea...
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