Skoda Octavia RS ..
Read a lot of reviews before I went for a Test drive. Well I didn’t have to read anymore after that. Just bought a new one few months ago, it’s been awesome fun driving this power machine around..
Comfort:
I’m 6’ 3", when I went for the test drive, I was just hoping that I fit in this european beauty. I was over joyed when I felt very comfy with the sitting posture and the legroom, exspecially the height adjustable seats and the lumbar support. I tried the newly launched Civic before I got here, I felt a bit cramped in Civic, cos of the hand break that sticks to ur left thigh and the arm rest / door handle component which hinders your right leg movement.
Performance:
RS is a performance machine, I feel the only vehicles that can compete with it in terms of speed and pick up in Indian market are Accord, BMW and Mercs, which are of a different class altogether ! I simply couldn’t help noticing the surprised rather shocked look on the fellow car drivers when I zoom past their vehicles. And the TURBO sound is like a music to your ears, simply fantastic, keeps your adrenalin pumping.. The whistling sound makes you push it to it’s limits !!
Appearance:
Nothing like an RS :-)., stunning looks from all the possible angles .. sexy 16" alloy wheels, low profile tyres, rear spoiler, sun & moon roof, sporty front bumper and sporty exhaust, black - silver leather interiors, three spoke (height & depth) adjustable steering wheel. Looks like a big car from outside but you can easily manovoure it like a small car in the city.
Rough Side:
One disappointment : Didn’t get the YELLOW color which looks stunning and unique. The dealer said that the Yellow color has been discontinued from Jan 06’, I simply couldn’t believe that !! And the reason was: There hasn’t been much of sales for Yellow thru out India....Ahhhhrrgghh !! Come ooooooooon !! Never mind, I was able to get a red one ..
I didn’t like the bright floor carpet which can get dirty very easily and also not so good rare speakers which are meant to be replaced !
Pricing:
At 15.7 lakhs, if you are thinking whether you should go for an Accord / Honda CR-V / Embera / RS, I suggest you to go for an RS ONLY if you drive it yourself, love the sporty look, don’t care who sits behind you and you are young at heart to have some fun !!
Fuel Economy:
8 - 10 kms in the city, depends a lot on your driving style, whether you use it like a Rally Sport or Just Another Car.
Long Drive:
Had been on 800 kms long drive over the weekend, here’s my feedback:
Fuel Economy: 10 km/ lit with A/C, haven’t tried it without AC though and I use it like an RS ofcourse :-).
Ride Comfort, Road Handling, Braking: Simply UNBEATABLE, the ALL wheel disc break is simply fantastic though it scares the fellow passengers in the car !
Touched a top speed of 195 km / hr effortlessly on Bangalore-Mysore highway, waiting to hit the magic figure 219 !!
Dare To Drag feature: Screwed an Accord V6, Left-Center-Right, it simply beats the Accord on straight line speed and the turbo punch !! I must have spoilt that car owner’s pride :-P.. He He.