Skoda the low investment and Royal feeling in 2017 Skoda introduced the sport third generation of river Rs in India dubbed the Octavia Rs 230 wearing a mouth-watering price tag of Rs 24.62 lakh. Due to its explosive performance and value proposition this Limited as an sporty Sedan sold like hot cakes.220 2021 skoda Re introduce a more powerful version in India known as the of octavia Rs 245And this fully imported version price has been set as rs 35.99 lakh (it's ex showroom price in India) which is over rS 11 lakh higher than its old version. 
Based on the MQB modular architecture, the Octavia RS 245carries forward its transverse engine and front-wheel-drive layout. Its dimensions and styling are pretty much identical to the outgoing version, but one of the key new additions are its stylish 18-inch wheels, compared to the 17-inchers on the RS 230. Curiously, this RS 245 appears a lot higher above the ground than the outgoing version, with an ungainly gap in its wheel arches.
Skoda, however, claims its ground clearance remains identical to its predecessor, at 141mm, which is 15mm lower than the now- discontinued standard Octavia, but 15mm higher than theinternational RS version. On the inside, too, there are hardly any changes, and everything, including the part-Alcantara sports seats, flat-bottomed steering and faux carbon-fibre trim, is carried over from the outgoing version. The fully digital instrument cluster, withvarious customisable screens, is a new addition here and so is the new ‘RS mode’ button, which is a shortcut button for the various drive modes.
The well-appointed cabin remains spacious and practical; and at 590 litres, boot space is huge. It’s feature- rich too, with equipment like auto LED headlamps, 18-inch wheels, a slick touchscreen, ambient lighting, nine airbags, ESP and a lot more. Like the RS 230, this one uses the Volkswagen Group’s EA888,1,984cc direct-injection, four- cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which now makes 245hp and 370Nm of torque.
It gains 15hp and 20Nm over the RS 230 due to a revised camshaft, some software upgrades, a new turbocharger and other engine component revisions. With a wide spread of max torque from as low as1,600rpm till 4,300rpm, this engine feels extremely potent and eager to rev. Put your foot down and it scoots forward ferociously, reaching silly speeds in no time. Performance remains strong and the RS 245 dispatches the 0-100kph sprint in just 6.39sec, which is 0.26sec quicker than the RS 230. However, the gap further widens as the speeds increase. In-gear acceleration times are also a bit quicker than the outgoing version; even when drivensedately, there’s always ample power on offer.
Interestingly, in Eco mode, the gearbox engages neutral while coasting to save fuel, and it will immediately engage a gear as soon as your leg touches the accelerator pedal again. Overall, this motor is extremely smooth and silent, and it emanates a likeable intake sound when spun hard, but the sound from the exhaust feels too muted on this performance-oriented car. Power is transmitted to the front wheels by a new seven-speed dual- clutch transmission (the 230 used a six-speed DSG), codenamed the DQ381, not to be confused with the DQ200 seven-speed DSG that did duty in the Octavia 1.8 TSI.
This new transmission is seamless and the upshifts are lightning quick,but you will find yourself reaching for the paddle shifters for more immediate downshifts, as the transmission does take a second to react automatically, when you suddenly put your foot down.What helps put power down better is the new limited-slip differential, what Skoda calls ‘electronically controlled front axle inter-wheel lock (VAQ or Vorderachsquersperre)’. Compared to the RS 230’s XDS electronic differential lock, which worked in sync with the electronic stability programme to cut power to the front wheel that was losing traction, the RS 245’s limited-slip diff can transfer up to 100 percent of the power to the front wheel withgreater traction. In simpler words,the RS 245 now puts down itspower much more cleanly than theoutgoing version, and it feels a lotsharper and extremely agile whileattacking corners.
Direction changes are a lot moreconfidence-inspiring now and with so much mechanical grip on offer, the RS 245 claws on to the road like it is driving on rails. The steering feels direct and pointy, however a bit more weight, especially in Sport mode, would have significantly improved its overall feel.
Low-speed ride quality has takena bit of a beating due to the new18-inch wheels. It feels noticeablyfirmer than the outgoing car, and it tends to crash through sharpbumps. The good news, though, isthat, due to the stiff suspension, theThe beauty of the Octavia RS liesin its duality – it is just as practical,spacious and usable as the regular sedan, and it’ll plaster a wide grin on your face when you want to enjoy its explosive performance and dynamic characteristics on your favourite road or a race track without feelingintimidated. But, at Rs 35.99 lakh (which includes the full brunt of import customs duties), the Skoda Octavia RS 245 is clearly overpricedand treads into the rear-wheel-drive BMW 330i’s territory, which is just a Smart 18-inchers; ride is a bit harsh. few lakhs away. Driving enthusiasts, however, will still find value in the RS 245, which incidentally is much better equipped than the pricier,lower-spec BMW 330i. And it’s more fun to drive too. In conclusion, if you want a characterful car with stellar performance and exception handling capabilities, as well as a certain degree of exclusivity(it’s limited to 200 units in India), the pricey Octavia RS 245 is a very tempting offer. RS 245 is less prone to scraping its underbelly on regular speed humps, though you’ll need to be carefulover the unusually large ones, due to its 2,679mm wheelbase.
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