| |||||||
 |
| Search this Thread |  81,101 views |
25th February 2018, 01:37
| #1 |
| BHPian  | Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Executive Summary!! What I love: -------------- * The special feeling I get every time I sit behind RS steering wheel. What I really like: --------------------- * The muffled roar generated by the 2.0 TSI motor when it comes to life * The flat bottom steering wheel holding which gives me a feeling that it is a live thing. * Paddles which allows me to instantly tap into the huge reservoir of power/torque * Excellent front seats which hug you and kind of massage as well * Adaptive head lights which works like a charm especially in the office and home parking lots What I dislike: ----------------- * Lack of thigh support for the back seats * Lack of sufficient storage space in the front, especially misses the Sun glass holder * The sensitive boot which doesn't close that easily, need to apply optimum force to close it * Kind of booming sound that seeps into the cabin while going fast What I hate: -------------- * Every time I take the car out, I am worried about some crazy bike/Auto guys scratching it. * People inquiring about the price of the car and then giving a look which probably means "what is so special about this car having only 5 seats?" or "Why can't you buy an Innova?"  A bit of Background:- Since last couple of years, I was looking for a worthy successor/upgrade to my ageing (but still elegant and super quick) Laura TSI. The Octavia TSI of 2013 with the 7 speed DSG box(wet clutch one) was a bit tempting, but cannot be called a real upgrade as there was no major jump in power or features compared to my Laura TSI. Soon, we started hearing about the arrival of Octavia RS from many magazines and websites, but its launch was never confirmed by Skoda for quite some time. So when Skoda finally confirmed its plan to bring the legendary RS here, I was overly excited just like many others from the TBHP/enthusiastic community. Because we all knew that this version of Octavia RS is a "real deal" unlike the Laura RS which was almost similar to a regular Laura TSI. But the million dollar question most of us had in our mind was about the price of this cult automobile! Finally, the speculations became reality with the official India launch of RS, and price was quite reasonable (if I can say so!) for what it was offering. Bookings were open, Still (to be honest) price was the only deterrent in bringing one home immediately!! The legend of RS:- Unlike many other buyers, I never had any kind of confusion or dilemma about my choice. I didn't test drive any other car (obviously there was never any test drive available for RS!). Oh sorry!! Not deliberate, but forgot to mention about the Jeep Compass test drive I had couple of months back. Compass was quite impressive with its super flexible suspension that can tame some of the toughest roads we have here. But I never had any real interest in buying an SUV unless it is a certain Urus or even an FPace!!. Again unlike many other recent launches, experts were uni-vocal in showering praises on the RS. That could be because of its stunning looks enhanced by the 4 special exterior colors namely Blue, Red, Steel Grey and White. Or due to the sporty and super comfortable interiors in black crafted with a delicate mix of leather and Alcantara. Or is it because of the elegant and beautiful flat-bottom steering which is a treat to hold? That could also be because of the unbelievably quick-shifting 6 speed dual clutch auto or even the lowered ride height with beefed up springs which makes the car so much fun to drive. To top it all, RS has a unique trick in its armor to impress experts and commoners alike namely the "limited slip differential" feature. This allows the car to gently break the inner wheels while cornering, thus achieving greater control while negotiating twisty roads. In summary, all those Who could lay their hands on the RS steering wheel (including our own TBHP reviewers) were left flummoxed by its pace/agility and overall sporty nature. So, there was not a bit of doubt on the fact that this is a true, true enthusiast's car and nothing comes anywhere close to it. Of course, unless you are ready to pay more than 5 Million in Indian Rupees. Booking:- While I was still gathering courage to book the vehicle, first lot of of vehicles were sold out in no time and soon Nikhil had published his ownership story which was very encouraging and exciting for people like me. That is when one of my friends (Chris) went ahead and booked a Race Blue RS. I took another couple of months to actually take the plunge. So it was on 13th Jan, a regular Saturday when I dared to go to TAFE's new showroom at Silk Board (accompanied by couple of my close friends) and cut the cheque for 1 Lack Rupees thus booking the RS!!!! Frankly speaking, I couldn't really believe that I have done it!! It was Mr. Vaishakh and Arun from TAFE who were managing this deal and it was overall a very satisfactory experience. Color of the Car:- Oh, I didn't tell my choice of color, right? It's Red!! I was not a fan of Red color and even I was more attracted to the Race Blue which is probably the most popular one for RS this time. But I was worried that the Blue color being a little more unique (compared to Red), would invite mote attention everywhere and also it may appear a bit overwhelming soon. White is a big no for me, and steel grey is different and interesting, but too dull to be called my color. And I had a chance to see a Red RS once near our office which appeared unique and very attractive. So Red it is!! Another RS:- As there wasn't any test drive available for RS, I was eager to Check out an RS from close quarters. Then I had this idea of contacting this person from a near by society who owns a blue RS (I had seen this car couple of times). So, I first made one of friends who is staying in the same community introduce me to this RS owner (Praveen) and later talked to him (he was too nice) to have a quick look at the vehicle. We made it to Praveen's house one Saturday. Car was simply gorgeous in flesh and blood. We drooled over it for quite some time and came back home with a stronger urge to get our hand on this beauty/beast of a car!! The Wait (rather lack of it)!! :- While booking the car, I was told by the dealer that car can only be available by end of March. I was OK to wait as that means more time to arrange money!! It was exactly 2 weeks past the booking day and on my way back from Jayanagar, I did a casual visit to dealership (TAFE). My idea was to check on what is going on and also inquire about SKoda's finance options. While talking to Arun (sales manager), came to know that delay in getting the car would mean spending more as I wouldn't be getting loyalty bonus (scheme ends by 31st Jan) and there are good chances of an increased "CESS" and even a price revision.So I told Arun that I can arrange money if he gets the car immediately (somehow). Arun promised to get back to me in case of any immediate availability. In between, I had a quick discussion with Mr. Jagannatha, the financial manager at TAFE also. He was very proactive and explained me the loan options and also assured a quick processing once documents are provided. Within an hour of reaching home, Arun called me to inform that he can arrange a red RS (if I can arrange money by Monday evening)!! Wow, now this is of course is a great news, at the same time I also started looking at various options of arranging the money by Monday evening !! Meanwhile shared all the documents for the loan as advised by Jagannatha. Sunday, Jaganntha called me again to tell that Loan (from SBI) is processed and approved!! That was definitely music to my ears and quite a bit of relief!! Monday was eventful as I made multiple trips to Banks (Corp Bank, SBI- for loan) and Dealership. And, eventually I handed over the entire money (minus loan amount) to Vaishakh on the same day. Car came to the yard next day (along with my friend's one also) itself and things were happening at an unbelievably fast pace!! I could not visit the yard, but couple of my friends (Chris and Amith) somehow made time to see the cars in the yard (photo shared below). As I was quite busy at work, Saturday (3rd Feb) was decided to be the RS-day!!  The red Butterfly coming out of its Cocoon!! The (Un)forgotten Hero:- In all the noise around new RS, I absolutely don't want to be forgetting another true hero who served me "powerfully" for more than eight years. Yes, I am talking about Laura TSI, the Black beauty which was almost as good as current as for its time. That car can still shame many of the cars above its segment by supreme performance achieved by the Turbo petrol motor capable of 160 Break horse power and 250 Newton meters of torque and the supremely calibrated and sleek shifting 6 speed manual gear box. In my countless trips to native, Chennai, in and around Bangalore, this gem of a car was my loyal and dependable companion.     Bringing "The Car" home!! :- Saturday (3rd Feb) was a very busy day for me!! There were many things to be taken care that day, but 3.30pm was the most important time of that day (and even for this year). By the time I reached TAFE at Silkboard junction (by 3.45pm or so), some of my dear friends had already reached there. Though I knew few friends are going to be there, it was very heartening to see 7 of them present at the dealership. Presence of family and these friends made this event a very special one for me!! Touching/feeling a new car is definitely a special experience and I (and family) was obviously in an elated mood. Jithin explained features of the car briefly and made me sign few papers. After fixing number plates and cleaning the car thoroughly, Keys were handed over by Vaishakh. That is it, now I can claim myself to be a proud owner of an Octavia RS!!! Though I have driven few automatic cars recently (a 6 speed Diesel Octavia and another 7 speed Rapid), I was not very comfortable driving the brand new car home (from Silk board junction to electronic city). Hence I was overly careful while negotiating some of the crowded areas at silk board and also near my home. Even maneuvering the car into my parking-lot appeared quite challenging as I was a bit nervous and was worried about touching the pillars.  The grand Entry!!      Climbing down backwards is safer!!  An over-excited family!! First Impressions:- Though I was very slow and careful, first impressions while driving this car was nothing short of magical!! Now I know why this car is termed as (arguably) the best driver's car (this side of 50lacks budget)! With body hugging and super comfortable Alcantara seats, the supple steering wheel, (best in industry) dual clutch auto box, humongous boot, auto adjusting LED lamps & DRL and to top it all the stonking 230BHP engine, this car is so special and a dream to drive. Car is so responsive even in normal mode, Sports mode makes it a real beast. I was actually concerned about two or three features/aspects of this car based on the feedback received from other owners. * First complaint was about the supposed to be harsh ride. But I felt car's suspension is calibrated to perfection, trust me, I am not joking!! Roads near my home is pretty bad these days and I was pleasantly surprised by the feel car gave while negotiating some of these pot holes and humps. I don't mean to say car is soft sprung, not at all. And suspension travel is much less compared to most of the sedans I am familiar with, but it gives a firm and smooth (definitely not harsh) feel while negotiating bad roads. I really love it!! My friend Chris who took his RS couple of weeks later had the exact same feedback on suspension. * Second (probably more serious) worry was about the Ground clearance. At some 140mm, I was scared if the car would scrape most of the monstrous humps we have all around Bangalore. Again, I was entirely wrong, car never touched any of the humps (even with full load) despite appearing very low slung. I had specifically tested the car on couple large humps within electronics city (where Laura definitely scrapes), RS came clean for my utter surprise. * Third aspect was the engine start-stop feature, this shuts down the engine when you come to a complete stop while driving. But the moment you take your feet off the brake, engine springs back to life and moves forward. This feature was described as quite irritating by some RS owners. But I felt the seamless start and stop feature was so good in the typical city traffic (knowing that this doesn't happen unless the engine temperature and many of the parameters are optimal). Posting few photos of the car taken near Bingipura lake (behind our apartment complex):       Doing "Puja" and a test drive:- Doing "Puja" for the car has almost become a ritual these days and typically priests are happy to do Express "Vaahan puja" service thus gaining some quick money. This time, I thought of going to Thimmarayaswami temple in the village behind our apartment complex. So the first thing I did during Sunday morning was to take the car to this temple accompanied by my elder Son, Saarang. Priest was a young person probably in his early twenties. I was mighty impressed with this guy's positive energy and overall approach to everything. First he ensured that I take the car really inside the temple complex. Reason being we need to do Puja within the temple complex where deity's power/influence is maximum! That means, I had to do some off-roading on top of the rocks. I somehow managed to take the car into the temple complex and then started the elaborate procedure by the priest. It took around 1 hour to complete the Puja, but I was so happy interacting with this young priest who was very convincing in his actions and speech!! Best part was the way he controlled my hyper-active Son!! He made Saarang obey him without any scolding or pleading, that was amazing!!! Normally people test drive cars before deciding the make/model. But a special car needs a special test drive! ie After buying it!! My friend, Chris (who has also booked the car, but waiting for the delivery)was as eager as me to take the car for a spin . So we decided to go for a quick drive, and we were joined by couple of other enthusiastic friends, Amith and Jaison too!! I thought of taking the NICE road, but Amith suggested Hosur road instead which turned out to be a good decision! We drove the car till Shoolagiri which is some 40Kms away from electronic city on Bangalore-Chennai road. All four of us drove the car taking turns and each one of us were thoroughly floored by this "fantabulous" automobile. The way it builds speed is literally scary, but the outstanding breaks gives you enough confidence. Among the four of us, I would have driven it the slowest while Jaison ripped it producing the RS' unique "Brrrp" sound from exhausts!! Amith was clinical in his driving while Chris did a great job carving corners on the super smooth Hosur road. We had a great time that afternoon, it was very satisfying to drive this very special car. Some initial observations (Sorry, I can't help comparing it with Laura TSI on most aspects) :- Interiors (positives): ---------------------- * When you sit in the car, you definitely feel special. My Laura TSI was special too, but this one with all black interiors and the combination of Alcantara and leather provides a very soothing feeling and overall makes it extra special. * Front seats are very supportive with additional bolstering and good thigh support and Leg room is clearly couple of notches above my Laura. * Sunroof adds lot of style and some fun aspect also. It works seamlessly, but using it in Bangalore city is not really advisable. But this is the feature my younger son loved most. * Boot is slightly larger compared to Laura (590 instead of 560 ltrs), but the layout and overall features remain exactly same. * Of course, the touch screen is super good and various buttons are of much higher quality compared to Laura TSI which had only bare minimum features in this front. Touchscreen is very intuitive and overall quality is first class. * Sound quality again is just superb which is expectation from a car like this. I am yet try the SD card slots hidden inside the glove box. * Pairing the phone (iphone)was quite easy and works seamlessly every time. Interiors (Sour points): ------------------------ * Skoda could have easily improved the thigh support in the back to make it perfect. * Lack of support for Google maps (understand that this is more to do with Apple rather than Skoda) could become a real issue. Skoda gives MapMyIndia which could be useful but most of us too much used to Google. * Pedals are aluminium ones which is quite attractive, but the accelerator pedal is of conventional type unlike Laura which had floor mounted ones which I was loving so much. * Compared to Laura, Octavia lacks sufficient storage areas for your essentials. I really miss the Sun glass holder (roof mounted) and also the excellent storage space at the center of the dashboard. * Another area where Laura scores better is on the soft touch plastics used throughout, not dashboard alone as in Octi. Exteriors (positives): ---------------------- * The lower stance and the aggressive grill makes RS, one of the best looking cars around according to me!! Also I felt the car looks very compact compared to Laura and cars like Corolla * The split headlights (which I didn't like initially)blends very well to the RS's overall character. * Again, I was not very happy with the look of the alloys (after seeing them in pictures/videos), but when I actually saw it on the car, they were looking quite nice. But of course the ones Nikhil has looks sexy! * I originally had plans of changing the tires (Hankook to Michelin), but later better sense prevailed eventually (from my perspective) as Hankooks are good enough unless you are planning some high speed maneuvers on a regular basis. * LED head lamps and tail lamps add to the cool quotient of the car. Especially the self adjusting(adaptive) features of the headlights is very useful. Exteriors (Sour points): ------------------------ * Let me highlight one minor but irritating issue. The boot doesn't close as effortlessly as Laura (an d probably many other cars). In Laura, you just leave the boot from a height (even from 1-2 feet), it closes without any fuss. But for RS (may be the same for the regular Octi also, owners can comment), you need to close it a bit carefully applying optimum force, else it will sure give you some trouble!! Drive (positives): ------------------ This is something I need not tell much as most of you would have read enough from experts. Still with my couple drives (One to Shoolagiri and other one to Vellore both on Bangalore-Chennai highway), I can tell you you can pretty much do what ever you want with those super quick gearbox and paddles and of course the Sport mode (which is not really needed for regular drives even if you drive fast). * Laura being manual, definitely gives you a feeling that you are in control. I mean, you push the pedal and you get what you want in a very predictable manner. * In case of RS, you are little overwhelmed by the technology/electronics (that could be because I am new to modern automatics). What ever the case be, the additional 70 BHP and 100 NM of torque makes a huge difference when pedals pushed hard. The presence of paddles makes the drive very enjoyable. I was able to use it very effectively during my trip to Vellore. * Also in Laura, steering is relatively heavy even at lower speeds, but RS steering is quite light at low speeds and weighs up well at higher speeds. It is similar case with accelerator also, RS has it too light and much more sensitive. At higher speeds, you actually feel more comfortable in RS as it overall gives a shrunken/compact feel. Drive (Sour Points): ---------------------- * When you are going a bit fast, you get a kind of booming sound inside the cabin, guess it is the engine sound mixed with some tire noise. Rupee Matters: --------------------- Delay in deciding on the car costed me around 1 lack rupees I guess. People who took the car at the very beginning got it around 31.5 lacks I guess. My price was 32.3 lacks (after loyalty bonus). Now it is probably going up further. Default warranty is good for 4 years which definitely gives lots of peace of mind. And I have not opted for the PMS (maintenance) package. Another interesting thing I have noticed is that they have reduced the insurance to 70K instead of the 107K listed earlier. Again the Essential kit amount is reduced from 12999 to 7999. In summary, dealership probably play with these different components of car price to ensure they take care of their margin. As mentioned earlier, Skoda people can help you with a loan from Skoda finance directly or from SBI (which I have lot of trust on)My loan happened at super quick pace and SBI people were very helpful and courteous. Putting money on your passion is never understood by many around us and few cannot even believe that a car like this can cost so much and why some one should pay so much money for a small looking sedan. So I typically don't tell people the actual price of the car. Else there are very good chances I may face this question "For that price you can buy an Innova"!! What they actually mean is "What a dim wit! Buying a 5 seater car instead of the great 7 seater Innova"  FE also matters!! ----------------- When I took the car, odometer was showing 40KM and now it reads 1000+ Km. So far I have been filling normal petrol only. So the first fill at ESSAR, next one was from BP (both in electronic city) and last one was from an HP outlet on Bangalore-Chennai highway (near Vellore). * FE at 2nd tank fill : 7.99 Kmpl. This was mostly involving stop-and-go traffic and one trip to Shoolagiri which again was in quite an aggressive style. * FE at 3rd tank fill : 11.49 Kmpl. This involved a trip to Kunigal and one way trip to Vellore apart from 1 week of pure city traffic. Bangalore-Kunigal trip gave me around 13Kmpl and Bangalore-Vellore clocked 13.4 kmpl (as per info. cluster of the car). Overall my feel is that you shouldn't expect more than 7-8Kmpl within the city and around 11-14kmpl on highways depending on how aggressive you drive. Posting few more photos: You might have noticed one very interesting thing from the photos. The Red color of Octi RS appear different (different shades of Red) in different photos depending on the amount/angle of light falling on it   Near my office:  At the temple.  At Shoolagiri. Last edited by sivadas : 28th February 2018 at 23:51. |
|  (35)
Thanks
|
| |
|
28th February 2018, 00:55
| #2 |
| BHPian | re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Breakfast combo - Thatte Iddli, Vada and some RS!! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kunigal is almost 100 Kms away from Bangalore. But I really don't mind driving all the way to this place just to have breakfast!! And that is what exactly I have done on last Sunday along with couple of friends!! But this time, there was another agenda too, that was to do a photo shoot for the new (big)kid on the block, namely my Octavia RS. We started by around 6.30am and it was an effortless drive for RS to reach Kunigal by around 8 in the morning. Now let me tell you why I don't mind driving all the way to Kunigal just to have breakfast. The reason is a small, overly unassuming single room shop selling Thatte Iddli and few other items. Yes, the Thatte Iddli served along with Chutney and Potato Saagu at this shop in Kunigal is mouthwatering tasty!! Forgot to tell you, their Udin Vada is also simply outstanding!! This shop comes exactly on Kunigal main roan just after the bus stand on the right hand side. Unless you really look for it, very easy to miss this shop. So after filling our stomachs with Thatte Iddli and Vada, we settled down near a small lake for few photos. Though we were not very convinced about this particular location, had no choice as we didn't do any planning for the photo shoot. But I think the Red mean machine has enough presence to make any location beautiful                         Last edited by sivadas : 28th February 2018 at 00:57. |
|
| (44)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 13:29
| #3 |
| Team-BHP Support   | |
|
|
|
1st March 2018, 13:53
| #4 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: KA 01-09
Posts: 1,246
Thanked: 2,443 Times
| Re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Let me be the first one to congratulate you sir! (Provided no one prior to this has a post that precedes mine) Car looks absolutely fantastic in RED! No complaints over the colors offered by skoda. All the color just smacks you in the head and no doubt about the explosive 2 Ltr TSI motor with mind boggling 230 horses. May I suggest you to take up the PPF from 3M to save the car from unwanted problems from our very own people who either can’t stand or do not know to mind their gap between themselves and the car? Reason being our renowned member Nikhil has gone through a heartbreaking ordeal that’s already on this forum. Please do take sometime to think over this. Better to be safe than sorry when we have sick minds sharing the same world as we do alongside our lovely possessions. Anyways Congos again and have a wonderful time with the car |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 14:04
| #5 | |
| BANNED Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 4,287
Thanked: 2,811 Times
| Re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Quote:
Welcome to the ever growing tribe of people who are finally buying cars with their hearts and are proud of having done so. Wish you a million exhilarating miles with the Czech stallion.  BTW, some interior pictures wont hurt. | |
|
| (3)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 14:10
| #6 |
| Team-BHP Support  Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: S'pore/Thrissur
Posts: 7,263
Thanked: 12,365 Times
| Re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Well-written review, thanks for sharing! Great choice of color; not seen much of Red vRS here and I must say that it looks brilliant – this indeed is my favourite choice of color for the vRS. Do keep updating the thread regularly… I guess a few more pictures won't hurt Happy driving!  Last edited by vb-saan : 1st March 2018 at 14:11. |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 15:20
| #7 | |
| Senior - BHPian  | Re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Quote:
Ironically, I have spotted every single shade of the 2017 Octavia vRS in the last 4 days, in and around Koramangala. So I think its safe to assume: - There is no dearth of enthusiasts in Bangalore. - Give a Car that justifies the price, and manufacturers will sell out every batch in Bangalore. Wishing you many Blisteringly Quick Kilometres and a fun-filled, fuss-free ownership. Happy motoring. | |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 15:28
| #8 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: AHMEDABAD GUJ.
Posts: 98
Thanked: 206 Times
| |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 15:41
| #9 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Anand(GJ23)
Posts: 1,572
Thanked: 5,951 Times
| |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 18:11
| #10 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 329
Thanked: 531 Times
| Re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Welcome to the tribe! I would 2nd the opinion of getting 3M PPF for the additional peace of mind as the world seems to converge when one is driving the RS  |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 18:33
| #11 | |
| Distinguished - BHPian   Join Date: May 2007 Location: bangalore
Posts: 3,089
Thanked: 22,031 Times
| Re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Fantastic choice, congratulations! Quote:
Have fun, drive safe! | |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
| |
|
1st March 2018, 19:50
| #12 | ||||
| BHPian | Quote:
I have just done a 9H ceramic coating and hope that helps this cause. Will do another post on it with details. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Last edited by GTO : 4th March 2018 at 18:26. Reason: Merging back to back posts | ||||
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
1st March 2018, 21:02
| #13 |
| BHPian  Join Date: May 2016 Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 288
Thanked: 543 Times
| |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
2nd March 2018, 14:52
| #14 |
| BHPian  | |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
2nd March 2018, 22:20
| #15 | |
| BHPian | Re: Life is too short not to drive a Skoda Octavia vRS! Another vRS story Quote:
| |
|
| (1)
Thanks
|
|
Most Viewed