After the Octavia facelift, Skoda is all set to bring in three new cars to Indian shores this year
Just last month, Skoda brought in the facelifted Octavia to Indian shores. Now it seems like they have a few more cars waiting to be launched in India this year. It has been out in the open for a while that the Czech car maker will be bringing in its flagship SUV Kodiaq to India in the last quarter of the year.
When launched, the Kodiaq will be the first 7-seater Skoda to be sold in India. It will compete against the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour. Skoda first unveiled the Kodiaq in September last year and commenced production soon after that. In the international market, the Kodiaq is offered with two diesels and three petrol engine options ranging from 1.4-litre to 2.0-litre. In India however, the Kodiaq is likely to go on sale with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor that produces 177bhp and 320Nm. Of course, the Kodiaq will also be sold with the option of Volkswagen group’s bread and butter 2.0-litre diesel motor. This engine is good for 147bhp and 340Nm. While both engines will come mated to a 7-speed DSG, neither of the engines will come with a manual transmission option. Expect the Skoda Kodiaq to be priced around the Rs 25-30 lakh range.
Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo
Although there is still a few months before the Kodiaq comes to Indian shores, we will get to see some new launches from Skoda in the interim. Skoda tells us that they will be adding a new variant to their C-segment sedan offering in the form of the Rapid Monte Carlo. Skoda says that the Rapid Monte Carlo will be launched in India by mid-August. The Monte Carlo edition of the Rapid will come with heavy cosmetic upgrades and some additional features too. The rapid Monte Carlo gets jet black treatment to the grille, alloy wheels, and tail light casings. To give it a sporty appeal, the Monte Carlo edition also gets protruding front lip and side skirts. On the inside too, the Rapid Monte Carlo will get an all-black treatment with contrast upholstery and stitching. Other features include sport aluminium pedals, touchscreen infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Although Skoda didn’t comment on the engine options, it is safe to assume that the car will be launched with the 1.5-litre diesel motor and the 1.6-litre petrol option from the standard model. Expect the Rapid Monte Carlo to be priced marginally higher than the regular trim.
Skoda Octavia RS
While the Kodiaq and the Rapid are for the folks who want practicality, Skoda also has something for the enthusiast kind. After making us wait for a long time, the Czech car maker has finally announced that the Octavia RS will be launched in India towards the end of the month and deliveries will commence soon after. Globally, Skoda took the wraps off the punchier Octavia in December 2016. While the overall silhouette of the Octavia RS is similar to the standard model, the real magic is under the hood. Globally, Skoda offers the Octavia RS with two engine options – a 2.0-litre TSI and a 2.0-litre diesel. The gasoline powered Octavia RS churns out 230bhp and 350Nm. The diesel, on the other hand, makes 184bhp and 380Nm. Both these engines come with a 6-speed manual and 6-speed DSG option. In fact, the TDI can also be bought with a 4-wheel drive option. Skoda hasn’t officially declared which of the variants will be launched in India.
So far, Skoda has sold more than 2,00,000 units of the RS and vRS variant. The company says the vRS and the RS models amount to 13 percent of Octavia sales.
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