REALLY SPORT!

'Sold Out' is a strong advert. Usually. And if it is about a car, definitely so. If you remember the press release, it said twenty minutes was all it took to finish the India allocation.

- WORDS KRANTI SAMBHAV

Surprising? Maybe not. For context, it is a) a Skoda Octavia RS and b) just 100 units were opened for booking. We all know how, the moment any car goes out of production or is discontinued in the Indian market, a disproportionate amount of love starts pouring in online. And in this case, it was the Skoda Octavia RS, which wasn't just any forgettable car. Indian enthusiasts have admired this car for a long time, and the Octavia RS is one of those rare badges that have consistently made it to the Indian market. So, the Octavia RS wasn't a one-way affair. That is why the sold-out tag wasn't all that surprising or shocking for me.

Even the non-RS Octavia enjoyed a very popular image in the Indian customer's mindset—one of those rare cars that balanced value with offerings. Many suspected that this loyalty and brand equity prompted Octavia's price positioning at the time of its comeback, a couple of years back. However, this story is not about that version. This is about the RS.

The Numbers

Let's begin with the numbers. The Octavia RS is fitted with a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine that produces 265 PS and 370 Nm of torque between 1,600 and 4,500 rpm. The 0-100 km/h sprint takes 6.4 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 7-speed DSG transmission.

This is a 4.7-metre-long car with a width of 1,829 mm and a wheelbase of 2,677 mm, placing it in the sedan territory properly, with adequate space for second-row passengers. And that's not all—it also offers a luggage capacity of 600 litres, which expands to 1,555 litres with the rear seats folded. Good enough to carry a dishwasher or a medium-sized refrigerator (I am not into golf).