Skoda Octavia RS: First drive review

This was my first time being this close to gravel on a racetrack. And not just any racetrack – India’s only Formula 1 circuit, the Buddh International Circuit. Ironically, it wasn’t my first time driving here. I’ve driven on this track at least four times before, but never quite this close to making friends with the run-off. What saved me were the Octavia RS’ superb brakes and my instinct to correct instead of panic. Sounds confusing? Let me rewind a little and tell you how it all unfolded.

At the start of 2025, Skoda had dropped a hint that this was coming. At the Bharat Mobility Show, the brand confirmed that the Octavia RS Mk4 would make its way to India – and it kept its word. And they didn’t just keep their word by bringing the standard Mk4 Octy RS, but by bringing the facelifted version of the car, which was launched globally in February 2025. To give us a proper taste of it, Skoda picked the perfect playground: the BIC. Fast straights, flowing corners, and enough tarmac to test the car’s power, poise, and pedigree. India’s affair with the Octavia began in 2004 with the Mk1. It came as a sedan and a Combi (which, true to Indian tradition, almost nobody wanted). Both versions got the RS badge and a 1.8-litre TSI engine, good for 150bhp and 210Nm. Then came the Mk2, which Skoda decided to sell as the Laura so it could sell both generations side by side. The Laura RS looked sportier – bumpers, spoiler, seats, and all – but the engine stayed the same as the standard car – 1.8-litre TSI pushed out 158bhp and 250Nm. A few years later the Mk3 Octavia and its vRS version was launched. Peak Octavia era arrived with the Mk3 generation. Not only was the regular petrol and diesel version sold in high numbers, but also the vRS version was a popular choice. It had an EA888 2-litre TSI engine that made 227bhp and 350Nm, but the highlight was that the car was assembled in India. This meant a low price. It was launched in 2017 at a price of ₹24.62 lakh (ex-showroom). I know the figures sound funny, especially for those who have come to know of the Octy RS in recent times and have associated it with a high price. Few years later, the facelifted version of the Mk3 Octavia vRS was launched in India and that was called the vRS 245. It had more power – same 2-litre EA888 engine made 241bhp and 370Nm, and there were some more changes in the design and in the cabin. But what would make you skip your breath was the price. The car had become more than `10 lakh expensive compared to the previous version. This was because it was imported as a CBU, and cost `36 lakh (ex-showroom). Only 200 units were brought to India, and while this car had takers, it didn’t have 200 of them. It was a task for Skoda to sell the last few units and they were even offering discounts up to `8 lakh! Then the Mk4 Octy arrived – just the regular Octavia with a 2-litre TSI engine. By that time, India had caught the SUV bug, and sedans were falling out of favour. With prices stretching to `29 lakh for the top-spec L&K, the Octavia quietly bowed out in FY23.

That seemed to be the end of the RS story in India – until, almost out of nowhere, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Skoda somehow made sense out of the fact that the car needs to be sold in India, and decided to bring 100 units of it completely built and imported from the Czech Republic. And to test the Octavia RS lineage, see the brand and the car’s evolution, I called dibs to go for the first drive. How could I have not asked to drive one of the best known FWD cars on one of the best circuits in India?

The morning at BIC was electric. My excitement was impossible to hide – partly because Skoda had put every previous RS generation on display, a nostalgic walk through time. Among the new colours, Mamba Green was the instant head-turner and, unsurprisingly, sold out first. In fact, all 100 cars were spoken for even before the launch. Ashish Gupta, Brand Director of Skoda India, opened the session with, “I won’t explain the car because you all already know what it is.” Fair enough. Some cars don’t need introductions, only ignition keys.

Walking from the paddock to the pitlane, I decided to pick the Velvet Red car. The Mamba Green wasn’t available to drive on track, and if you’re going to drive a sporty sedan, it might as well look the part. The Octy RS still looks unmistakably Skoda – clean, taut lines, and a silhouette that’s evolved more than it’s changed. The Matrix LED headlamps, blacked-out grille, and RS badging give it a purposefully aggressive face. It rides on 19-inch aero-optimised wheels – though, frankly, I’d have traded a few points of efficiency for better-looking wheels. At the back, the hatch still opens with the rear glass, there’s a subtle spoiler, and a standard sports system exhaust. In its flesh, the Octy RS looks beautiful. What’s more beautiful is the way it drives. And I couldn’t wait to go out on the circuit.

In a few minutes, I was all strapped in and headed towards the pitlane exit. I took it easy on the first lap to understand how the car, tyres, suspension setup, steering wheel and power felt. This is the fastest Skoda in India yet, and features the VW Group’s famed EA888 2-litre TSI engine. The EA888 was also seen in the Mk3 Octavia RS, and is currently in many of the group’s cars like the VW Golf GTI, Audi A4, Skoda Kodiaq, VW Tiguan R-Line, Audi A6, Audi Q3, and more. It’s one of the best modern day engines, and is a really good base for modifications too. In this car, the 2-litre TSI engine pushes out 261bhp and 370Nm, and is mated to a 7-speed DSG. The Octy also shares its platform and engine with the VW Golf GTI. Both get the same state of tune, but the GTI is 0.5 seconds faster. It is also ₹3 lakh more expensive than the Octy RS.

From lap two, I was ready to unleash all those horses. I mashed the throttle pedal and continued till the kickdown switch. I accelerated for long, braked hard before a corner, turned in, hit apex, and continued to mash the throttle pedal again. It was all in harmony and I was getting better with each corner and lap. The exhaust’s valves open up when you wring out the engine and it sounds really good. The sports system exhaust also does the pop and bang ceremony when you start the car or during deceleration when there’s high back pressure. One of the best upgrades to make this sound better is to get a downpipe. To aid with driving, the sports chassis was brilliant – it features a rigid suspension with shorter springs, sportier shock absorbers and a 15mm lowered ride height as compared to the standard Octavia. All of these make the car handle better and make it much more fun to drive. The suspension felt firm enough for the track, keeping body control in check despite the big lateral loads we were putting through it. The car also features the VW Group’s VAQ – which is the electronic limited-slip differential on the front axle that detects slip and sends power to the wheel that has more grip. What the car does miss out on is the DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) or commonly referred to as adaptive dampers. That is a big miss, and the Volkswagen Golf GTI gets that too. The car felt good on the track however, I can’t comment on whether it will be comfortable (or not) while driving it on the road.

While I was driving there were some more things that I noticed in the car. First up is the Alcantara and carbonfibre trim on the dash, complemented by the red stitching. It looks great and adds to the sporty character of the car. The dash is dominated by a 13-inch floating central screen, which gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a 10.25-inch digital cluster, 11-speaker Canton sound system, and a 360-degree camera, 10 airbags, adaptive cruise control and a three-zone climate control. A big talking point is also the seats. There’s black sport seats with red contrast stitching and the RS badging. It also gets electronic adjustment with memory, heating and massage functions. Overall, the cabin also felt like a great and comfortable place to be in, and even long distances inside would be carried out with ease. Moving onto the part that you wanted to know about from the start. Talk about all the good points of a car and people may or may not be interested, but talk about a slight hiccup and everyone is all ears. Always.

I wanted to end on a high, maybe shave a second or two off. Everything was going perfectly until the last corner. It looks like a gentle left, but it tightens sharply midway. I turned in early, clipped it wrong, and for a terrifying second saw the gravel rushing closer than I’d like. Somehow, instinct and the RS’ brakes worked together to save the moment – and possibly my pride.

But that’s what the Octavia RS does to you. It tempts you to go a little faster, brake a little later, and push a little harder than you probably should. It’s not just quick; it’s involving, precise, and genuinely fun – qualities that have defined the RS lineage for decades. Would I buy one? Absolutely. Not as a track toy, but as an everyday companion that can double up as a weekend escape machine. Sadly, that dream will have to wait – all 100 units are already sold, each at `50 lakh (ex-showroom). That’s `14 lakh more than the previous RS, but exclusivity has its price. Still, hope isn’t entirely lost. A few months from now, some of these cars will inevitably appear on the pre-owned market. And when they do, best keep your wallet ready – because chances are, they’ll disappear faster than you can say Octy RS.