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Skoda has reopened bookings for the Octavia RS, but the second chance is even smaller than the first. Only 50 cars have been allocated for the new batch, compared with 100 units offered last year. Pre-bookings require Rs 2.5 lakh, and deliveries are expected around the festive season. The latest booking window runs only until 5 pm on August 19, adding another layer of urgency for anyone who missed out last time.

The more important number is the queue already behind the car. Skoda had collected roughly 350 booking requests when it offered the first 100 cars in 2025. The company is expected to honour those existing customers before taking fresh orders, which means the effective number available to completely new buyers could be much smaller than 50.

The answer is that this is not a regular Octavia with a body kit. The RS uses a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 265 PS, or about 261 bhp, and 370 Nm. A seven-speed DSG sends power to the front wheels. Skoda claims 0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds and an electronically limited 250 km/h top speed.

It also gets progressive steering, a sports chassis and an RS-specific exhaust. The appeal is unusual because the car combines those performance numbers with the space and usability of a large family sedan. The cabin has sports seats, a three-spoke RS steering wheel, a 12.9-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, head-up display, three-zone climate control, a 360-degree camera and ADAS.

The Rs 49.99 lakh ex-showroom price still looks steep when the badge on the nose says Skoda. It overlaps with conventional luxury cars. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe currently starts at Rs 45.80 lakh, while the Audi A4 begins at Rs 46.88 lakh. Volkswagen’s Golf GTI, the Octavia RS’s closest mechanical relative on sale here, is listed at Rs 50.91 lakh.

Those cars explain why the Octavia RS has a niche rather than a mass audience. A BMW or Audi offers the premium badge that many Rs 50 lakh customers want. The Golf GTI is quicker to 100 km/h and has the classic hot-hatch appeal. The Octavia counters with something neither gives in quite the same combination: strong performance, a full-sized rear seat and the practicality expected from an Octavia.

That formula has worked here before. The previous Octavia RS 245 also found buyers despite being a costly import, and the 2025 car sold out its 100-unit allocation rapidly. The current model comes to India as a completely built unit, which is one reason the price is far removed from locally assembled Skodas such as the Slavia and Kushaq.

For Skoda, limiting the second batch reduces inventory risk and keeps the RS special. For enthusiasts who missed the first allocation, it creates the opposite problem. If a large part of last year’s roughly 350-name list is still active, these 50 cars may simply clear a fraction of the backlog.

That also makes the booking decision unusually simple. There is no new engine, facelift or major feature update to wait for. This is essentially the same 265 PS Octavia RS launched at Rs 49.99 lakh last year, returning in a smaller allocation.