Skoda Elroq RS delayed for Australia

BUYERS looking to get their hands on a Skoda Elroq RS will have to wait a little while longer, with the hi-po variant of Skoda’s medium electric SUV delayed until early next year

In March of this year at the local launches of the Elroq and Enyaq 60 Select variants and the Kodiaq PHEV, Skoda told local media that the Elroq RS was due to arrive in Australia in Q3 of 2026.

However, in the weeks and months following that event, fuel price surges, and fuel insecurity issues resulting from the Iran War took full effect on the Australian market, causing an EV sales rush.

Q2 of this year saw the highest sales volume quarter ever for electric vehicles in Australia according to the Australian Automobile Association’s Electric Vehicle Index.

With 69,414 sold, battery electric vehicles made up 21 per cent of all vehicles sold in Australia during the quarter. BEV sales more than doubled in Q2 compared to Q1 of this year.

Speaking at a recent media event in New Zealand, Skoda Australia’s head of marketing and product Kieran Merrigan explained that instead of introducing the Elroq RS while trying to meet demand, the Czech brand was focused instead on fulfilling customer orders.

“One thing that we said we were going to bring this year was the Elroq RS,” he said.

“We have delayed it slightly, not because we wanted to. It was more about during the high demand for electric cars we ran out of production of Elroq, but we wanted to focus on delivering the customer deliveries we’ve had, rather than introducing a new model just for the sake of it.”

Mr Merrigan went on to say that Skoda’s new plan is that by around “March next year, we should have this car in market”.

Skoda is yet to officially reveal Australian pricing and specifications for the Elroq RS, however, type approval documents reveal it largely matches its overseas specifications. It will be equipped with dual motor all-wheel drive with a combined system output of 250kW and will source electricity from an 82kW battery.

The Elroq’s overseas spec sheet suggests it will complete the 0-100km/h dash in 5.4 seconds and have a WLTP range of between 516km and 554km.

The arrival of the RS variant isn’t the only incoming change being made to the Elroq line-up.

In October of this year, order books will open for the Skoda Elroq Sportline 85, which will fill the gap left by last year’s 130 Years Edition and will sit in the range above the Elroq Select 85 and Select 60 model grades.

Like the RS, the Sportline’s pricing hasn’t been revealed yet, but assuming it’s positioned similarly to the variant it replaces, it will likely start around $70,000 – given the 130 Years Editions $69,990 driveaway asking price – with the RS expected to attract an even dearer premium.

Collectively, both the Elroq as well as its facelifted Enyaq stablemate have each done some heavy lifting for Skoda’s sales figures since landing in Australia last year.

So far in 2026, the EV pair’s sales total at 695 units – accounting for 29 per cent of Skoda’s total sales so far this year – with the Elroq making up 345 of those sales.

While Aussie buyers will have to wait until 2027 for the new range-topping Elroq, Skoda isn’t without a battery electric RS model in the Australian market, with the Enyaq RS having returned to local showrooms post the mid-size SUV’s facelift.