Skoda Octavia RS plug-in promises 55km EV range
Hotted-up Octavia RS hybrid produces more power than regular Volkswagen Golf GTIThe 2020 Skoda Octavia RS plug-in hybrid will deliver a new kind of performance for the inexpensive European brand.
Teased in a new video ahead of its 2020 Geneva motor show premiere, the hottest model in the Skoda range shows off a full-width LED brake light, black body-kit highlights and dark wheels.
Generating 180kW and 400Nm from its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain - a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine and 85kW electric motor - the amped-up Skoda can travel 55km in EV mode or combine both motors to deliver strong acceleration.
While the fourth-generation Czech hot hatch has more twist than the new eighth-generation Golf GTI – a 180kW/370Nm proposition – it won't be coming to Australia any time soon.
Skoda Australia confirmed that while the non-hybrid 2.0-litre turbo-petrol 180kW/370Nm version of the new Skoda Octavia RS is likely to arrive here early next year, the plug-in hybrid version is not expected to be offered here, not in the medium term at least.
Countries with stricter emissions regulations are the priority for the new hybrid hot hatch, said a company spokesperson.
The Skoda Octavia RS hybrid features the same powertrain as the Volkswagen Golf GTE – another vehicle unlikely to be sold in Australia – and is significantly heavier than the conventional Octavia RS, up to around 250kg more. Due to the extra mass, both the hybrid models will get a unique suspension tune.
A price premium is also expected when the car lobs in Europe this year.
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