The ŠKODA ENYAQ COUPÉ RS iV: the first all-electric car in the sporty RS range

› Following the OCTAVIA RS iV, the ENYAQ COUPÉ RS iV represents the next stage in terms of electrification
› RS stands for ‘Rally Sport’ and has been identifying ŠKODA’s sportiest production models since 2000
› ŠKODA looks back on 120 years of motorsport heritage and has used the RS abbreviation since 1974

Mladá Boleslav, 31 January 2022 – With the launch of the ENYAQ COUPÉ RS iV, ŠKODA is writing the next chapter of its successful RS story. Following the ŠKODA OCTAVIA RS iV plug-in hybrid, the SUV coupé is the first all-electric car of the brand’s sporty RS line-up. Its coupé shape resembles that of the 180 RS and 200 RS rally prototypes, for which ŠKODA introduced the abbreviation RS (Rally Sport) in 1974. In 1975, ŠKODA presented the 130 RS, which achieved a 1-2 finish in the legendary Monte Carlo Rally in 1977. Since 2000, the RS emblem has also marked out the sportiest ŠKODA production models.

ŠKODA RS – the abbreviation has been synonymous with international motorsport victories for 47 years and with the Czech manufacturer’s sportiest production models for more than two decades. ŠKODA used the designation RS – the abbreviation of ‘Rally Sport’ – for the first time in 1974, for its rally prototypes ŠKODA 180 RS and 200 RS. One year later, the legendary ŠKODA 130 RS made its debut. The coupé, weighing just 720 kg, secured numerous wins at international rallies as well as race tracks until 1983. In 1977, the ŠKODA 130 RS finished first and second in its category at the ‘Monte’ and also won the Acropolis Rally. On the track, it then took the overall win in the European Touring Car Championship in 1981.

From 2000 onwards, ŠKODA continued the success story of its rally models by adding performance-oriented RS production cars to its portfolio. The first RS production model – launched in 2000 alongside the OCTAVIA WRC, which marked ŠKODA’s entry into the World Rally Championship – was the OCTAVIA RS, fitted with a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine producing 132 kW (180 PS). The first-ever OCTAVIA COMBI RS followed just one year later. The second-, third- and fourth-generation OCTAVIAs also included RS variants in both body styles, as well as with powerful diesel engines, and 2020 saw the introduction of the first-ever electrified OCTAVIA RS, a plug-in hybrid with a power output of 180 kW (245 PS).

In 2003, ŠKODA added the FABIA to its RS line-up: a homologated model of the new FABIA WRC rally car presented at the same time. This was fitted with a 1.9 TDI delivering 96 kW (130 PS). In 2010, the RS variant of the second-generation FABIA was unveiled, equipped with a 1.4‑litre petrol engine producing 132 kW (180 PS) with combined turbocharger and compressor. As a first, this model was also offered as an estate. The first SUV to enter into the ranks of the RS models was the KODIAQ RS, launched in 2018. The 2.0 TDI developing 176 kW (240 PS) set a lap record for seven-seater SUVs around the Nürburgring’s legendary Nordschleife, completing the 20.832‑km‑long lap in just 9:29.84 minutes. The model’s biturbo diesel was replaced with a 2.0 TSI petrol engine producing 180 kW (245 PS) in summer 2021. The new engine is 60 kg lighter and provides the KODIAQ RS with even greater driving performance and dynamics.