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Auto Express
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Hot new Skoda SUV aims for performance on a grand scale
Skoda is planning an onslaught of hot hatchbacks and SUVs led by the recently launched Elroq vRS and Enyaq vRS, but soon to be bolstered by a go-faster Epiq and flagship Eviatiq, Auto Express can exclusively reveal. With almost half-a-million vRS-badged models (referred to as 'RS' in other global markets) now on the road, Skoda is soon set to fully exploit the potential of its sporty sub-brand with a host of new variants that span all bodystyles from superminis to seven-seaters. Speaking from the dynamic launch of the Elroq vRS recently, Bjorn Kroll, Skoda's head of product marketing, told us: 'The cars we are launching, very likely, will also have a vRS version; people like it.' The deluge of hot products began with the Elroq vRS and facelifted Enyaq vRS, but will continue with a racier version of the Epiq small SUV, itself due in 2026. The Epiq has been designed alongside the forthcoming Volkswagen ID.2, meaning the vRS model will likely share much of its battery and motor tech with the hotly anticipated ID.2 GTI. While production specifications are yet to be announced, we expect the Epiq vRS to boast at least 220bhp from a single, front-mounted electric motor, ensuring the downsized performance car is good for 0-62mph in less than seven seconds. Skoda's engineers will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the newly revealed Peugeot E-208 GTi, which was shown at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race earlier this month. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Following close behind will be Skoda's future flagship, thought to be called Eviatiq. We know much less about this model, but given its size and weight, any vRS version is all but certain to boast dual motors producing more than 350bhp combined, plus bespoke, lowered suspension and bigger brakes. Such a model is at least two years away, however. While the majority of Skoda's new vRS models will be electric, we're still holding out hope for a hot version of the firm's range-topping Superb saloon and Estate model. When asked whether such a car was in the plan – as we've reported previously – Kroll's excitable smile spoke a thousand words: 'You are not the only one,' he said. 'I can only tell you this.' Future vRS models should turn the performance dial up a notch, too. Previous examples have often been criticised for their occasionally lukewarm demeanour, but Kroll referenced the Enyaq RS Race concept as a testbed for future technologies including sound generators and software that can mimic a combustion car's automatic transmission. 'Everything that is missing in terms of old emotions,' Kroll admitted, 'what we are used to from the good old days, it's in [the Enyaq RS Race concept]. You see it, and you hear it. We will use this kind of recipe. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below 'We have to bring more emotion to it. Here you have the torque – that gives a certain amount of emotion – but the rest is what's missing. Then you have to add, you know, the sound, and the changing of the gears… That kind of thing. 'What you see on electric cars today, on RS, is just the beginning,' Kroll insisted. 'We will, for sure, try to push even more – going in the direction of what we are used to from the ICE [cars].' Whatever happens, vRS is set to remain a Skoda staple. Previously, CEO Klaus Zellmer, told us: 'vRS is absolutely part of our future. 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. 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.' Auto Express Find A Car can help you find the best deals out there on a new Skoda Elroq or top prices on used Skoda Elroq models... Find a car with the experts New Volvo EX60 electric SUV: latest details and confirmed reveal date New Volvo EX60 electric SUV: latest details and confirmed reveal date The upcoming, all-electric Volvo XC60 alternative is designed to 'keep learning and evolve with time' BYD and Octopus Energy team up for 'all-inclusive' EV deal BYD and Octopus Energy team up for 'all-inclusive' EV deal Octopus' 'Power Pack Bundle' includes a leased BYD, a wallbox charger and charging all for less than £300 per month New Skoda Epiq baby SUV could be a Tardis on wheels New Skoda Epiq baby SUV could be a Tardis on wheels The new Skoda Epic will sit below the Elroq and Enyaq in the brand's ever-expanding SUV range and is set to offer plenty of space despite its compact …
NZ Autocar
4 days ago
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
New baby Skoda to offer epic amounts of space
Skoda's new small crossover, Epiq, that sits below the Elroq and Enyaq, will offer class-leading space in the city car sector. Arriving next year, and previewed in production-ready concept form last year, the 4.1m Epic was snapped testing on public roads, albeit in camouflage. See the preview from over a year ago. Featuring Skoda's latest 'Modern Solid' design language, it will arrive with stacked headlights and daytime running lights. Said lights connect via a 'Tech Deck' face. This comprises a gloss-black panel housing many of the car's sensors and radars for its ADAS gear. Design and dimensions The slashes and vents as seen in the concept look to be making it into production, setting the little EV apart from its bigger sibs. However, the familiar clamshell bonnet also makes an appearance here. Epiq features a short wheelbase, and minimised front and rear overhangs. An upright tailgate should help with luggage space, at a suggested 490L, more than its rivals and as much as 4.5m long Elroq. This suggests the motor will be up front driving the leading axle. Epiq shares the VW Group's MEB-Small platform and electrical architecture with incoming Volkswagen ID.2 and Cupra Raval. Whether or not Skoda is also working on a vRS version is unclear. Interior and tech Skoda hinted that the concept car interior would be carried over to the production version. Expect then a large central screen with a row of shortcut buttons for ADAS features and drive modes. A smaller digital instrument cluster provides the driver with key data. The steering wheel will come with physical switches as well, eschewing capacitive touch-sensitive controls. Expect 'Simply Clever' features, including plenty of oddments storage, and likely use of vibrant colours to appeal to younger, urban buyers. Batteries and range The Epiq will almost certainly utilise the same 38 and 56kWh batteries that the Group family has, with up to 450km of range. Given ID.2 will charge from 10-80 per cent in around 20 minutes using a 125kW charger, Epiq should be similar. The top model, possibly a vRS, will have up to 166kW of power at its disposal, and sprint to open road speed in under seven seconds. Most models, however, will have between 112 and 134kW for a mix of efficiency and pace. Prices and on sale date Pricing has not yet been set but is expected to be around 25,000 Euros. Production will probably be from VW's Pamplona facility in Spain, east of Bilbao. It only produces EVs. Rivals include Citroen e-C3 and upcoming BYD Atto 2, along with Mini Aceman and Volvo EX30. Expect a formal reveal of Epiq in around 12 months' time. First though, Skoda is launching Octavia-sized EV at the Munich Motor Show based on VW's SSP architecture. Epiq will go on sale not long after VW ID.2.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Visa, Mastercard $5.5B settlement advances
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Communication regarding problematic merchant claims arising from a $5.5 billion card fee lawsuit settlement with Visa and Mastercard has declined, following the February deadline for businesses to file for compensation, lawyers for the merchant plaintiffs told a federal court Friday. The claims administrator, Epiq Systems, has clients' lists from 685 third-party claim filers that purport to represent at least 10 claimants, according to the class counsel's 19th monthly report to the court. Those third parties say they represent 991,665 tax identification numbers, the report said. Neither the plaintiffs' attorneys nor Epiq have said when merchants can expect to see payment from their claims. The class counsel recommend checking the settlement's official website periodically for updates. Epiq is also sending notifications and requests to merchants via email. The $5.5 billion settlement partially resolved a long-running antitrust case in which card network giants Visa and Mastercard were alleged to have overcharged merchants by imposing excessive interchange fees, often known as swipe fees. The class includes any U.S. business that accepted Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards between Jan. 1, 2004 and Jan. 25, 2019. The deadline to file a claim was Feb. 4; claim notification forms were sent to about 18.6 million U.S. merchants. The claims 'process is progressing as expected,' a spokesperson for the class counsel's public relations firm, Wright On Communications, said in a May 9 email. The process has been marred periodically by fraudulent, incomplete or noncompliant claims, many of them solicited by third parties. Class lawyers have repeatedly asked the court to address various issues with third-party filers, which offer to file a claim for merchants in exchange for a percentage of their recovery. Last month, U.S. Magistrate James Marutollo held a conference call to hear evidence about a third party filer called Pacific Travel and Services, which allegedly took money from 80 class members, many of them small businesses, to help process their claims. Pacific Travel's fees to the merchants were not based on their expected recovery, according to court filings. Marutollo recommended that the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York require repayment of the funds and for Pacific Travel to send all 80 class members letters in English and Vietnamese explaining that Epiq will assist class members at no cost and that Pacific Travel lacked the authority to file claims. In July, law firm Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman agreed to pay $25,000 to the claims administrator for filing more than 115 fraudulent documents in which it claimed to represent businesses seeking part of the settlement. The firm said a 'problematic third-party referral source' was to blame for the fraudulent filings. Lawyers for the merchants didn't respond to a question asking for an update on the number of claims submitted. There were 18.6 million forms sent to potential plaintiffs in 2023. Third-party filers can help to increase the number of claims filed in a class-action. They are allowed to operate if they are not misleading class members, Payments Dive reported in May 2024. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
