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Skoda's latest electric car has been given the high-performance RS treatment, with quicker acceleration – and faster recharging – than any other model it has built.
Electric Cars
The 2025 Skoda Elroq RS – a high-performance version of the company's BYD Atto 3 competitor – has been revealed with more power, faster charging and sportier styling than the regular version.
The Elroq RS is powered by dual electric motors – one front, one rear for all-wheel drive – developing 250kW, good for a claimed zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 5.4 seconds.
It is the same power output as the larger Enyaq RS, which shares much of the Elroq's bodywork but with a longer rear overhang for more space – and more weight, adding 0.1sec to the 0-100km/h time.
Skoda says the Elroq RS is the quickest-accelerating car it has produced, 1.2sec ahead of the regular Elroq 85, and one second faster than an Octavia RS turbo sedan. The top speed is 180km/h.
The RS has a slightly larger battery than other Elroqs – 84kWh vs 82kWh gross, or 79kWh vs 77kWh usable – so driving range in European WLTP lab testing is rated at "more than" 550km.
It compares to a maximum of 581km for the rear-wheel-drive 82kWh Elroq 85 in Europe – or 540km in Australia on bigger wheels – and 562km for the Elroq 85x, which is all-wheel-drive but less powerful than the RS.
Also improved over the standard 82kWh Elroq is the peak DC charging power, now 185kW rather than 175kW, trimming the 10 to 80 per cent recharge time from 28 to 26 minutes, despite a larger battery.
On an 11kW AC home charger, Skoda says the Elroq RS' battery can boost from empty to full in eight hours.
Underneath, the Elroq RS rides on sports suspension that is lower by 15mm at the front and 10mm at the rear, with the option of adaptive dampers with 15 stages of firmness.
There is also retuned steering, larger front brakes with two-piston calipers – but unchanged rear drum brakes – drive mode selection with a 'Traction' setting, and two "external" driving sounds, Sport and Futuristic.
Differentiating the Elroq RS from the regular version is a new front bumper with body-coloured details, a reshaped rear bumper with a full-width reflector strip, RS badges on the front wheel arches.
Also included are unique alloy wheels up to 21 inches in diameter, black finishes on the side window trim, roof rails, Skoda lettering and mirror caps, and a model-specific Mamba Green colour.
Inside, there are heated front sports seats with Suedia microfibre upholstery, an RS-branded steering wheel, green contrast stitching, stainless steel pedal covers, and carbon-fibre-look highlights.
Other additions include RS graphics for the 13-inch infotainment touchscreen, 5.0-inch instrument display, and optional head-up display.
Available in Europe is a power-adjustable driver's seat with massaging, three-zone climate control, a 12-speaker Canton stereo, 45-watt USB-C ports, a hands-free power tailgate, and matrix LED headlights.
Adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist and blind-spot monitoring are standard in Europe.
There is even technology allowing owners to move the Elroq in and out of perpendicular and parallel parking spaces from their phone while standing outside the car and holding the key fob, via a Bluetooth connection and the MySkoda app.
The 2025 Skoda Elroq RS is due in European showrooms later this year.
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
