Skoda’s RS performance sub-brand will continue into the electric era, with the forthcoming Elroq likely to be the next performance model.
Skoda is pushing ahead with bringing its RS performance sub-brand into its expanding range of electric cars – and that could well mean a hot version of the first addition to the line-up, the Elroq.
Designed as an electric alternative to the Karoq – the name is a portmanteau of Electric and Karoq – the Elroq is a 4.5-metre-long family SUV. It will lead Skoda’s EV expansion in the second half of 2024, with a range of battery sizes and a choice of single and dual-motor variants.
Skoda has not detailed plans for any further performance models since the launching the first of its first all-electric RS vehicles, the Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe. But speaking exclusively to Automotive Daily, Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer said that reaction to those cars has “legitimised” the idea of faster zero-emissions technology carrying a badge and brand built on hot hatchbacks.
“vRS (RS – the v is ‘silent’ in Australia) is absolutely part of our future,” Zellmer told us. “If you look at what we’ve done with Enyaq, it’s a fabulous top-of-the-line vehicle – arguably the most aspirational car in our line-up, with four-wheel drive, around 300bhp (224kW). The price is higher, but it’s still a value proposition in terms of performance for the money.
“People are more proud of their cars than ever these days, and yes, they’re willing to spend more,” Zellmer added. “Which means a good [profit] margin, from our perspective. So I think we have to continue along the vRS path as we move towards an electrified future.”
Zellmer stopped short of confirming an Elroq RS, but given that the model, in general, will share many key components with the two Enyaqs – including its MEB platform with the same wheelbase as the Enyaq, as well as the motors, batteries and even some body panels – it seems inevitable that it will be offered in higher-performance form.
The shared underpinnings mean similar specs for the Elroq RS, too – not least because the car will arrive before the VW Group’s planned update of the platform, called MEB+, which is expected in 2026.
As such, we should expect an Elroq RS to have a 77kWh battery and two motors producing a combined 220kW and 460Nm of torque. It should be capable of 0-100km/h in about six seconds and given the Elroq’s smaller dimensions, it ought to beat the Enyaq’s official range of almost 500km. That more compact footprint may also give Skoda’s engineers a chance to correct one criticism of the Enyaq RS by improving the Elroq’s agility and driver involvement.
The adaptation of proven systems should speed up development of the Elroq RS, making a debut feasible within a year of the regular model’s arrival. That would give it a 2025 debut.