Europe is no match for the flamboyant police car fleet of the UAE or even Australia. However, occasionally, we come across something more exciting than the typically mundane police vehicle that roams the streets of the Old Continent. Skoda offers a dedicated lineup of vehicles converted for emergency services—not just for police squads but also for medical teams, fire departments, and rescue units. In the UK, the hot Octavia RS reports for duty.
Just so we're clear, the Czech automaker doesn’t handle the conversions itself. Instead, the more practical counterpart to the Volkswagen Golf GTI is modified by approved partners that have Skoda’s blessing. This service is described as a "one-stop shop conversion package" designed to make it as easy as possible for authorities to order specialized vehicles for various purposes.
The Octavia RS shown here is based on the fourth-generation model, which underwent a mid-cycle facelift about a year ago. Echoing the Golf GTI, it packs more punch than before. The turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine has been massaged to deliver 261 hp, a 20-hp boost. Torque remained unchanged, at a GTI-matching 272 pound-feet (370 Newton-meters).
While the GTI comes exclusively as a hatch, the Octavia RS can also be ordered as a more practical wagon. VW still comes out on top by offering a Golf R Variant with well over 300 hp and all-wheel drive. But I digress. The Skoda is sold exclusively with a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission and hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.4 seconds. The slightly heavier wagon takes an extra tenth of a second to get the job done.
This isn’t the first Skoda RS to receive the police car treatment in the UK. Back in 2019, the Kodiaq RS–still holding the record for the fastest seven-seat SUV around the Nürburgring–was outfitted with emergency lights and livery. A year later, the high-performance SUV was repurposed as part of an air ambulance service, responding to emergencies during the night when helicopters weren’t in operation.
Skoda specialized lineup
Skoda even has a dedicated page on its official website about specialized vehicles. The Kodiaq has been transformed into a mobile pen for transporting four-legged members of the police force. The large SUV features two separate, air-conditioned boxes in the back. Beyond Octavias and Kodiaqs, the Fabia supermini, smaller Rapid sedan, Karoq compact crossover, electric Enyaq SUV, and the flagship Superb have all morphed into police cars.
