Skoda plans to launch a plug-in hybrid version of its Octavia RS liftback later on this year, which will sell alongside the gasoline and diesel versions.
The RS Hybrid will assume the top position in the Octavia range. No specific performance ratings are available right now, but it is generally expected that the car will get the same main gasoline engine as the Volkswagen Golf GTE and the Skoda Octavia iV. The engine in question is a 1.4-liter TSI unit producing 245 hp (182 kW). That said, the previous-gen Octavia had a specification called RS 245, which already had 245 hp (182 kW) at the crank, so the Hybrid can be expected to pack considerably more power than that.
Predictably enough, the PHEV will be heavier than the regular car, so its acceleration performance will not be much better than that of the normal RS. The battery will be rated close to 13 kilowatt-hours, which should translate into 50 kilometers (31 miles) of all-electric range at most.
The Skoda Octavia RS Hybrid will be unveiled this spring, the manufacturer says, in all likelihood referring to the Geneva IMS 2020 starting in March.