After its rollout at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in the early part of this year, the highly-awaited Skoda Octavia RS is finally ready to be launched in India as a CBU.
However, prospective customers should be quick off the mark—allocations are likely to be scarce. Famous for its fanatically loyal enthusiast base, especially for the RS series, the Octavia is still a cult favorite amongst performance car enthusiasts in India.
The last-gen RS 245, produced in only 200 units, sold out even with a price tag to match, affirming its popularity.
The fourth-gen Octavia RS will be powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine good for 265hp—the same as the new Volkswagen Golf GTI's mighty motor. We got to try the new Octavia RS on Croatian roads and on the track. You can read our reaction [here].
Since the car comes in as a full import, its prices will be higher, and it is expected to have an ex-showroom price higher than ₹50 lakh. The car will be in the same ballpark as the Golf GTI, hence positioning itself as a niche product only for brand enthusiasts and performance hounds.
Though this launch is a welcome news to fans, Skoda had also been mulling a more multi-model strategy that includes the likes of the Kodiaq RS, the Superb, and even the regular Octavia. There were even hints at bringing back diesel engines with the Superb and local assembly of the Octavia. But these have been put on the backburner for now owing to current vagaries.
Detailing the circumstances, Skoda India Brand Director Piyush Gupta stated, "With discussions of the FTA agreement, new policies and tariffs, the market is quite unsure. Even though I would like to introduce a framework for my future product lineup, the variables are so numerous that each strategy is now riddled with risks. Though we do have an idea of what cars can reach India and must reach India, all these uncertainties do not permit us to make decisions."
As of now, Skoda will shift its strategy towards consolidating its locally produced products, particularly the Kylaq SUV. The compact SUV is a mainstay for the company in India, selling around 5,000 units every month consistently. Skoda is also working on lifecycle facelifts for the Kushaq and Slavia models.
The company is also scaling up its dealership points and customer outreach, as it hopes to expand its presence in the country. "We certainly wish to concentrate on models from our worldwide line-up, but I wish to do so in an orderly fashion. I don't wish to carpet-bomb the market and ourselves. I wish to concentrate on the things that are important at this juncture, and that is the Kylaq and the existing portfolio that we have. Our goal is to have a portfolio that is consistent and ever-visible.". I’d rather have less and be consistent with it than have more and not be consistent with it,” Gupta explained.
Following the Kylaq’s introduction, Skoda has risen to the seventh spot among carmakers in India and recorded its highest-ever monthly sales in March 2025, clocking 7,422 units.
