Skoda is lining up a high-performance version of its newest small SUV, the Karoq – and it could use an electrified powertrain to give it the potential to match SEAT’s forthcoming Ateca Cupra.
The Karoq is an indirect, slightly larger replacement for the Yeti – a car that was never provided as a vRS. but speaking at the recent Frankfurt motor Show, the Czech brand’s research and development boss Christian Strube revealed that he is already pushing for a high-performance variant of the new arrival, previewed in our exclusive images.
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When asked if there was potential for a Karoq vRS, he replied: “Yes, of course. I’m combating for it. just as I was combating for the Kodiaq vRS. in some cases I’m successful, and in some cases I’m not. but yes, we are in discussions about it. It would fit absolutely perfectly to this car, I believe. even much more than Kodiaq, I would say, because it’s compact, it’s agile. It would be perfect.”
SEAT’s Ateca Cupra is expected to use a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with around 300bhp. but Strube suggested that Skoda could make the hot Karoq one of its first electrified models – part of the company’s push to have some form of electrification in a quarter of the cars it sells by 2025.
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“Next year we will offer our Sportline in the Karoq, which already goes in this performance direction,” Strube said. “So if we were to talk about a vRS version, it would also be interesting to talk about whether it is a pure petrol or it is something else.” It’s not clear if an electrified Karoq vRS would feature plug-in hybrid systems – as seen in VW’s Golf GTE and Passat GTE – or a 48-volt ‘mild hybrid’ set-up that could use a smaller battery simply as a performance aid.
But electric support would allow Skoda to fit the car with a much more modest petrol engine – possibly with no much more than 200bhp – and then increase its performance when required. It’s believed that prototypes of the car are being evaluated. While Strube declined to confirm that he has already driven a Karoq vRS, he stated: “The engineers of Skoda are really creative, really car guys.
“And of course, they are often building cars that I can drive. If you want to convince somebody, you should always do it with hardware.”
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