Latest news with #SkodaElroqvRS
NZ Autocar
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
New Renault 4 fronts with twin-motor AWD concept
Renault's new 4 compact SUV is likely to gain a 4×4 variant with the unveiling of a new off-road-influenced concept dubbed Savane. Reprising a name from the history books, this new concept rides 15mm higher than the standard car. It also features bespoke utility-style wheels wrapped in chunky Goodyear tyres. Inside are 'deep brown' textiled fabrics. Off -oad potential is suggested by wider tracks and contrasting black body cladding. The 4×4 badging strongly suggests a second motor driving the rear axle. The FWD car comes with 112kW so the 4×4 would produce around double that. It would therefore be a rival for twin-motor Skoda Elroq vRS. While a production version is not yet signed off, it shows that its Ampr Small architecture can produce a dual-motor set-up. A spokesperson said Renault is 'currently studying the technical feasibility and the financial equation'. However, they added: 'We can't confirm anything yet about the arrival of a production 4×4.' If it reaches showrooms, the 4×4 will be among the smallest electric cars available with a twin-motor powertrain. Its existence also means its lower-riding Renault 5 sibling may adopt a similar set-up. However, it is unclear whether the 5's small body and floorpan would allow a rear motor. The original 4 was a more rugged offering than the contemporary Renault 5 city car. So their electric descendants are continuing that theme. While a twin-motor concept of an AWD 4 was signalled by a Trophy concept in 2022, Renault has never suggested a twin-motor 5 was even a possibility. But if it did come to pass, that has significant implications for the 5-based Alpine A290 hot hatch. It could then undergo a substantial power boost and could take advantage of torque vectoring across its two axles for added agility and responsiveness.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
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. ]]>
