Used Car Buying Guide: Skoda Octavia vRS
The Skoda Octavia vRS has had a cult following between the enthusiasts in the Indian market. The car made its debut across generations and with the new one on the horizon here is a buying guide.
The Skoda Octavia vRS has been for long, one of the best enthusiast cars in India. It provided incredible value and performance and the tuning scene was immense as well. Skoda sold three generations of the Octavia vRS in India and with rumours suggesting that a new one is right here, it might just be the right time to get a pre-owned one.
One needs to be careful in what they are getting into. While these vehicles are pretty robust in stock form, there were a lot of cars which were modified and have been abused throughout their life. It is incredibly rare to find a stock Octavia vRS but there are some tastefully done-up cars which are worth taking a look at.
The first generation of the Octavia vRS was loved by many. It had clean lines and it came with a 1.8L turbocharged engine which had 150 bhp. This was running a lower tune than the international models but it was still plentiful for Indian roads. The first-generation car did have a lot of issues especially when they were not modified correctly.
When looking at cars, make sure you look for oil consumption on these models. There could be potential carbon buildup and vacuum leaks. Since these cars are pretty old now, you have to be careful with their service history. It is best to stay away from poorly kept cars.
The first generation vRS however comes for very cheap. They are all under Rs 5 lakhs but in varying conditions. The very rare Combi vRS is a unicorn in the Indian market but they are the most sought after ones.
Skoda played a quick one with us Indians with the second-generation Octavia. They called it the Laura and the vRS version was introduced only on the facelift version. Sadly, Indians had to do with another toned-down version of the vRS, and instead of the 2.0L TSI engine, we got the regular 1.8L TSI. It was essentially a body kit over the regular Laura. It had ample power still and people modified these as well to massive power levels.
A Stock Laura vRS is an incredibly rare find in this gen. Modified ones are way too expensive and we would want you to stay away from them. Most of the Lauras are priced around Rs 5 lakhs as well and buying the regular TSI models is as good as buying the vRS for this generation.
This is where things get interesting and also expensive. The Skoda Octavia got a third-generation vRS as well in its facelift. It was initially launched in the vRS 230 form. These featured the 2.0L TSI EA888 engines and a 7-speed DSG. The DSG was mostly reliable in stock form but look for vehicles with mods as the DSG is a common failure point in those. Most people want a lot of money for these versions but some good ones can be found for Rs 20-22 lakhs.
There was a vRS 245 as well which was Rs 10 lakhs more expensive than the 230. It comes with a little more power but more importantly, a front differential which is pretty sought after. The vRS 245 models are incredibly rare and most of them are highly priced. Many people are trying to sell them for as much as they bought it for but a stock vRS 245 for good money should be an instant buy as they are pretty good cars to drive and work on. We also believe that one should just wait for the new one to come out as many existing vRS owners will be moving to the newer one and the prices of the 245 should come down.