Hot new Skoda Elroq vRS to be revealed next week
Bright paint and more aggressive styling will mark the hot Elroq out
Skoda will reveal the new Elroq vRS next week as the second electric car from its sporting sub-brand - and it's set to be one of the company's most powerful cars yet.
To be unwrapped next Thursday morning (3 April) before a public debut at the Milan Deign Week a few days later, the Skoda Elroq vRS will be the latest entrant into a growing class of sporting electric crossovers, going up against the likes of the Mini Aceman JCW, Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and Abarth 600e.
The Czech firm has released a preview image that confirms the "most dynamic Elroq model" will be available in the vRS sub-brand's trademark Hyper Green paint and said it will be further marked out from the standard car by a raft of contrasting black trim elements.
No technical details have been given yet, but the Elroq is closely related to the Volkswagen ID 3 and Cupra Born, so the vRS version is likely to use the same powertrain components as the hot versions of those cars.
The Cupra Born VZ and Volkswagen ID 3 GTX are both equipped with the Volkswagen Group's new 'AP550' motor on the rear axle, providing up to 322bhp. That figure would make the Elroq vRS only very slightly less powerful than the dual-motor, 335bhp Skoda Enyaq vRS.
The rear-driven Born and ID 3 range-toppers can hit 62mph from rest in as little as 5.6sec, and while the slightly taller and longer Elroq is unlikely to quite match that, it could still come in at under 6.0sec to outpace the ICE Skoda Octavia vRS.
The fastest Elroq will be the fourth vRS model in Skoda's line-up, joining similarly conceived range-toppers for the Octavia, Enyaq and Kodiaq.
Skoda hasn't shared any official plans for more fast models beyond the Elroq, but CEO Klaus Zellmer recently told Autocar that vRS will remain an important part of its business.
"This is something that is our DNA," he said of the 24-year-old sub-brand. "We will keep it and you can't neglect that. You cannot get rid of that."
Another possible addition to the portfolio is a warmed-up version of the upcoming Skoda Epiq electric supermini, which would no doubt share its innards with the planned Volkswagen ID 2 GTI.
]]>
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Drive
13 hours ago
- The Drive
2025 Audi Q7 Pros and Cons Review: Proper German Luxury, Kid-Only Third Row
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Audi piques the interest of three-row luxury SUV buyers with a simple script: refined luxury that doesn't stand out and delivers solid build quality. As competitors continue to get gaudier with gaping nostrils or lit logos, Audi holds the line with temperate design, terrific road manners, and rock-solid build quality. But the 2025 Audi Q7 falls short with a small third row, a gruff turbocharged V6, and cupholders that drew complaints from my kids. In a time when BMW's twin-kidney grilles are getting bigger by the minute and the Mercedes-Benz logo is now larger than my hand, Audi stands alone from the German brands and in solidarity with Volvo with a tempered exterior design. It blends in sitting in a parking lot and doesn't radiate one-percenter vibes. Joel Feder Inside, the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster sits in a housing, and the central 10.1-inch infotainment and 8.6-inch climate and secondary control touchscreens are integrated into the dashboard. This is the opposite look and feel of the virtual tablets sitting on the dashboards of Mercedes and BMW SUVs. The slap-a-tablet-on-a-dash look is borderline lazy, but Audi's approach, like the rest of the Q7's design, is more elegant and grown-up. Sure, Audi spent time making it so users can waste time changing the LED daytime running light pattern, but that's not nearly as boisterous as the competition. Whether it's carving around a clover leaf, blasting down a highway, or inching along in the school bus drop-off lane, the Q7's a gem to ride in or drive. My loaded $88,790 (including $1,195 destination charge) Prestige model had the available $1,350 rear-wheel steering option that helped the Q7 virtually shrink while entering the neighborhood, going around tight corners, or maneuvering in tight parking spots. The Q7 drives smaller than it is. The steering is never too heavy, and the suspension balances road comfort with controlled moves. It's never jarring, even over broken Midwest pavement or highway expansion joints. Open the door to the Q7, and it clicks. Shut the door, and you can feel a thunk. This isn't a Mercedes-Benz G-Class, but it certainly sounds and feels like it's built better than the tinny (and more expensive) Lexus LX. Every knob, switch, and button in the cabin clicks into place with satisfying feedback. The Q7 is built with care and pride. Joel Feder Mercedes, BMW, and even Volvo have better third-row seats. While the Audi's third row does fold flat, it's a kid zone, at best, with limited leg, knee, and foot room. It's not ideal for regular use. Adults aren't going to want to sit back there for more than a quick coffee run, if at all. The current generation Q7, which is only the second Q7 in history despite launching in 2006, offers a choice of a 2.0-liter turbo-4, a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, or a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 under the hood. There's no hybrid to be found, which is a shame, and the turbodiesel is long gone. The turbo-4's fine, but it isn't going to raise anyone's heart rate. The twin-turbo V8 amounts to overkill. That makes the turbo-6 just right in terms of balancing power and efficiency, but it's not smooth. It's a little coarse compared to the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 the second-generation Q7 launched with. Turbo lag is present for a short time at launch, which means power delivery isn't as smooth as the supercharged V6 that's now dead. We miss that old engine, and the turbo-sixes in the BMW X7 and Mercedes GLS-Class are smoother. 'What are these, cupholders for ants?' Both my children loudly voiced their opinions that the cupholders, which are revealed from under a flip-up cover on the fold-down rear center armrest, were tiny and 'useless.' They didn't hold any water bottles or cups that my kids had during the week we spent with the Q7. Both kids were frustrated, and no father wants to deal with that. The Q7 is aging, but it's still a standout choice against flashier competition. That is, as long as your kids don't care about the rear seat cupholders. 2025 Audi Q7 55 TFSI Quattro Specs Base Price (as tested) $61,795 ($88,790) Powertrain turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 |8-speed automatic | all-wheel drive Horsepower 335 Torque 369 lb-ft Seating Capacity 7 Curb Weight 5,049 pounds Towing Capacity 7,700 pounds Cargo Volume 14.2 cubic feet behind third row | 35.7 cubic feet behind second row | 69.6 cubic feet behind first row Ground Clearance 7.3 inches 0-60 mph 5.5 seconds Top Speed 155 mph EPA Fuel Economy 18 mpg city | 23 highway | 20 combined Score 8.2/10 The Audi Q7 doesn't rely on flashy bits for its appeal, in fact that's part of its charm.

Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
The Hotter 2027 X5 Will Be Different In Every Single Way
When you're a kid, you think you want the best of everything, and certainly the fastest possible car, but in reality, you want something that doesn't draw attention from cops, isn't too expensive to insure, and won't drain a college fund every time you fill it up - something like the BMW X5 M60i. It still has a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 like the maniacal X5 M, but here, it's supported by mild-hybrid technology to improve efficiency. For the G65 X5, which will likely arrive for the 2027 model year, BMW will take things further by fitting a plug and making it a "real" hybrid. As a result, the name will become X5 M60e, but it comes with some compromises. Since the last time we spotted the next-gen X5, not much has changed, so we'll discuss the looks at the end of this article. What matters is what's happening under the skin, and today's 523-horsepower output won't cut the mustard. Unfortunately, justifying the V8 when trying to make a shift toward cleaner cars is tricky, and BMW Blog reports that the hottest 'regular' X5 will have to do without, switching to a plug-in hybrid six-cylinder like the current M760e limousine. At least it should have "over 550 hp," according to the publication. Even more evidence of Bavaria's ambition to see the X5 stand the tests of time and emissions legislation comes from a recent Autocar report, which cites "high-ranking sources" as saying that the next X5 may get range-extender tech, and it could spread up to the X7 and down to the X3, too. This makes sense. Scout Motors will offer EREVs, and so may the next Kia Telluride, showing that the market is clamouring for more efficient engines as well as EVs that can be used even when a charger isn't nearby. Along with more power and more miles per gallon, the new X5 will still be expected to handle like a BMW, which is how our photographers caught these images at a Nürburgring industry testing day. While little has changed compared to our last sighting, the glass roof is clearer, and these appear to be production wheels. Their design is unlike anything we've seen in the BMW stable before, but big blue brake calipers with the obligatory M logos will ensure we instinctively know what brand made them. Overall, it's very similar to the Vision Neue Klasse X concept, and we think that'll make for a handsome face. We can also see some slight boxing around the arches, which will add presence, and a the rear, a quartet of exhaust pipes achieves the same, though the eventual G95 X5 M will surely turn things up to 11. The sculpted mirror housings on this development mule look production-ready, too, and the camo over the windows might even indicate that this has a full interior, though it appears the driver is using instruments that won't be part of the Panoramic Vision infotainment system. This prototype looks like a set of production headlights and taillights away from being ready, but there's still plenty to be done. The G65 BMW X5's debut is only expected at the end of next year or early in 2027, so there's a lot more yet to be revealed. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Porsche Drops Truth Bomb on U.S. Production Plans Amid Tariff Negotiations
Porsche Drops Truth Bomb on U.S. Production Plans Amid Tariff Negotiations originally appeared on Autoblog. Porsche has dismissed a Bloomberg report stating that the automaker is considering moving some of its final assembly to the U.S. to ease tariff impacts. The initial report referenced Porsche possibly installing interior components or fitting tires in the U.S., where it currently has no production presence. Instead, Porsche restated its stance from April that U.S. production localization doesn't make financial sense due to its relatively low sales volume. In April, Porsche CFO Jochen Breckner added that U.S. localization wouldn't occur even if the automaker partnered with another brand from its parent company, Volkswagen Group. Still, Volkswagen Group is seriously considering expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint with another one of its subsidiaries, Audi. An Audi spokesperson reportedly told Automotive News 'We want to increase our presence in the U.S.,' while adding that the company is confident it'll finalize specific details with Volkswagen Group by the year's end. Volkswagen currently operates one U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and its competitors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, have factories in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, respectively. Porsche's problems in 2025 aren't limited to U.S. tariffs. During Q1, the brand's sales fell 42% in China. Four years ago, Porsche achieved its highest annual sales in China, at 95,671. Chinese consumers are gravitating away from Porsche and turning to newer companies like Xiaomi and BYD's high-end Yangwang brand. Xiaomi's first model, the electric SU7 sport sedan, thrived in China with its Porsche-inspired styling available at a lower price. The $72,591 Xiaomi SU7 Ultra variant with 1,548 horsepower received about 10,000 pre-orders in two hours, slightly exceeding Porsche's Q1 China sales this year. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said, 'We don't care about the volume,' and that the company was more concerned with keeping its prices at a high level, 'appropriate for Porsche,' Reuters reports. However, Blume also told Porsche investors at the company's annual conference on May 21: 'Our market in China has literally collapsed,' according to The New York Times. Last month, Porsche delayed its all-electric versions of the 718 Boxster and Cayman for the second time, citing difficulty sourcing the models' high-performance battery cells. In April, Porsche said drivers could expect the two electric vehicles (EVs) in 2026, but its most recent delay pushes the release to at least 2027. Porsche has scaled back its financial outlook for 2025 by about 2 billion euros ($2.28 billion), with an expected profit margin range decline of between 6.5% and 8.5% from 10% to 12%. Oliver Blume's desire to maintain Porsche's prices and keep the company's production out of the U.S. makes it likely that the automaker will raise its lineup's costs. Blume, who is also Volkswagen Group's CEO, confirmed he spoke directly to the U.S. commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, in Washington, D.C., but agreed with Lutnick to keep the conversation's details confidential. However, Porsche is far from the only company that could increase prices because of tariffs, and some of Volkswagen Group's other subsidiaries, such as Audi, can ease tariff impacts with increased U.S. manufacturing. Porsche's approach is more likely to hurt the company in its second-largest market, China, as the country's electric vehicle price war heats up. Porsche Drops Truth Bomb on U.S. Production Plans Amid Tariff Negotiations first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.