2017 Skoda Octavia RS unveiled

Skoda revealed the facelifted Octavia a couple of months back. The Czech automaker has now unveiled its high-performance sibling - the Octavia RS. It features a revised front-end that is similar to the facelifted Octavia, and is equipped with 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines. The Octavia RS is available in two body lines - sedan and estate.

The petrol model is powered by a 2.0-litre TSI engine that is rated at 227 BHP and delivers a peak torque of 350 Nm. This translates to a 9 BHP bump in power, as compared to the earlier model. It is available with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard, while a 6-speed DSG is offered as an option, both of them delivering power to the front wheels. Skoda claims that the new Octavia RS petrol can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, before hitting its top speed of 250 km/h.

The diesel model gets the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from the pre-facelift variant, which delivers 181 BHP and 380 Nm of torque. The diesel RS is available with a front-wheel drive as well as all-wheel drive setup; the former available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed DSG, while the latter only gets the 6-speed DSG. Skoda claims a 0-100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds for the Octavia RS diesel, while its top speed is rated at 232 km/h.

The car shares most of the design cues with the new facelifted Octavia, including the characteristic split-headlights. Major changes include a new front bumper with wider air dams, redesigned front grille, a new black diffuser element on the rear bumper and standard LED taillights. The interiors feature an all-black theme, with RS-Sport seats, a multi-function sports steering and standard ambient lighting.

The new Octavia RS also comes with many driver assistance technologies like Trailer Assist, Blind Spot Detect and Rear Traffic Alert. A new Crew Protect Assist feature is also being offered which closes windows and sunroofs in case of an imminent accident. It also tightens driver and passenger seatbelts to minimise occupant injuries, and works with the Front Assist system to avoid the crash using city emergency braking system.