India-bound Skoda Octavia vRS revealed with petrol, diesel and AWD guise

-         Gets a diesel vRS treatment for the first time

-         Available with both sedan and estate body style

Earlier this year, Skoda revealed the Octavia RS iV – the first-ever plug-in hybrid derivative of the sports sedan. Now, after many delays, the conventionally powered Octavia RS is here and it is joined by a souped-up oil burner as well. And there’s also an optional all-wheel-drive version on offer

The Octavia vRS petrol is powered by a 2.0-litre TSI making 245bhp and 370Nm. This motor can be had with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic but interestingly enough, it’s only available with a front-wheel-drive layout. But that doesn’t mean it’s a slouch at all as it can hit 0-100kmph in just 6.7 seconds and go all the way to hit the limiter at 250kmph.

Debuting in vRS is a 2.0-litre TDI which packs in 200bhp of power and 400Nm of twisting force. It too is available with FWD as standard, but customers can opt for the all-wheel-drive layout with power channelled only through the DSG. The Octavia RS TDI can sprint from zero to 100kmph in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 243kmph.

Under the skin, the Octavia vRS also comes fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control system as an optional extra. It can alter parameters such as suspension, damping and steering characteristics or the operation of the DSG to be adjusted to suit individual preferences. In TSI engine, an electronic VAQ limited-slip differential adds to the handling prowess as well. Braking responsibilities are taken care of by 17-inch discs up front and 15-inch at the back.

There’s the usual vRS recipe offered with the pair (sedan and estate). So there’s a 15mm lower ride height, blacked-out finishes on the grille, lip spoiler, ORVMs, and deck-lid spoiler. Even though the gorgeous 19-inch wheels are carried over from the older vRS, they still look gorgeous on the sports sedan. On the inside, there’s Alcantara upholstery complementing the plethora of vRS logos all around. The contrast stitching in red or silver-grey can also be found on the leather steering wheel along with silver-finished inserts inside the cabin.

We also expect Indian debut of the new Octavia vRS after the new-gen model reaches our shore sometime next year.