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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.'
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