Skoda Octavia vRS
Skoda Octavia vRSSkoda Media

Czech automobile manufacturer Skoda Auto, which is already working to launch the Rapid sedan facelift this year in India and plans to launch the Kodiaq SUV in 2017, is also expected to launch Octavia vRS soon.

The vRS versions of the previous-generation Octavia and Laura have had a decent fan following in India. RS fans eagerly started waiting for the launch of the new Octavia vRS soon after the regular Octavia was launched in the country in 2013. However, the plans were put on hold over homologation-related issues.

Now reports indicate that the path is clear for the Octavia vRS, as the industry is open towards performance cars. The Octavia vRS will be powered by an in-line four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that develops 217bhp at 4,500-6,200rpm and 350Nm of torque at 1,500-4,400rpm, mated to a six-speed DSG gearbox with Tiptronic manual gear changing.

The car is capable of reaching 100kmph in 6.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 245kmph. The Octavia vRS is also available with a diesel engine in some European markets with a good 182bhp of power. This engine need 8.1 seconds to hit 100kmph and has a top speed of 232kmph.

Visually, the Octavia vRS features slight differences over the regular Octavia. The car features an aggressive-looking front bumper with wider air dam, a darker grille with vRS badge, new alloy wheel design and trunk spoiler. It also runs on bigger wheels. The interior gets sporty bucket seats in black shade. vRS embossing can be seen on the steering wheel, door sills and gear knob.

Skoda is not expecting the sales of the Octavia vRS in huge numbers. It will be a halo car in the product portfolio of the car maker. The Octavia vRS will be priced around Rs. 30 lakh.