Next-Generation Skoda Octavia RS On Track For Hybrid Version

When the next-generation Skoda Octavia RS arrives in Europe sometime in 2021, there’s a good chance it will offer a hybrid powertrain.

There’s nothing set in stone yet, but a hybrid Octavia RS seems to be something Skoda executives and engineers are seriously considering. When asked by Autocar at the Paris Auto Show about the prospect of a hybrid Octavia, the company’s R&D boss Christian Strube replied that was a “good possibility.”

He then went on to say that a hybrid Octavia would make the most sense in an RS version, as it would offer a good mix of sustainability and performance. “If you drive 70 km, you can drive every day to work electrified and if you want to have some fun at the weekend you have an RS version. It’s really nice,” Strube said.

That doesn’t mean the next Octavia RS will be hybrid-only, however. Gasoline and diesel powertrains will carry on, with the hybrid version to be offered as an alternative.

An Octavia RS hybrid would use a similar powertrain as the Vision RS concept unveiled at the Paris Auto Show. Nevertheless, it would need to produce more power to make it worthy of the RS badge. Currently, the fastest Octavia RS (pictured) uses a 245PS (242hp) 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that allows it to go from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 6.6 seconds.

Skoda will launch its first plug-in hybrid model in 2019 in the Superb, which will feature “more or less” the same powertrain as the Vision RS. The study combines a 150PS (148hp) 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine with a 102PS (101hp) electric motor for a total output of 245PS (242hp) and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 7.1 seconds.

Strube also said he would like to see the same electrified powertrain in the forthcoming Rapid successor that the Vision RS concept previews. The non-RS new Octavia is also set to get a plug-in hybrid version when it launches in 2020.