Well nothing conclusive in the article but Autocar have run a piece around a discussion with the Skoda R & D boss who hints there could be a MK4 VRS Hybrid alongside traditional petrol or diesel only variants.

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/next-skoda-octavia-vrs-go-hybrid

 

Personally, I think this would be fantastic. I cover nearly 50 miles a day in my petrol VRS and it would be great to be able to cover most or all of my commute on electric. Of course if the electric could also be combined with the petrol for more power and torque (at cost of range) for weekend fun, that would be great too!

 

What are your thoughts guys? Would you like to see a Hybrid VRS in the next Octavia?

The BMW 330e is a popular company car where I work, my workmates who have them typically find they get about 20 - 25 miles on the batteries. I'd rather they announced an affordable full electric variant but realistically that's a generation off.

Edited 5 October, 20187 yr by ian_feel_keepin_it_reel

Agree, definitely still another generation off, at least for Skoda. 

Hybrids are a compromise for me. Why lug 2 engines about? On electric power alone, you are asking the batteries to lug about a heavy IC engine, and vice versa. 

 

I was seriously considering a hybrid when I bought my vRS, but I came to the above conclusion. 

 

Of course, it depends on your commute / overall car usage. 

 

I’m of the view that our next family car should be a powerful petrol (before they die out!!), and the next second car (12 miles each way commute) a full electric car. 

 

My thoughts FWIW. 

The GTe ranges don't seem that bad from what I can see and given you can switch between or combine the two power sources to reach some impressive figures, only makes sense.

 

I however would prefer to stick to one or the other at the moment purely due to maintenance etc. 

 

Once the Tesla model 3 comes out, I'm hoping we'll see more affordable electric cars to compete.

1.5 petrol I have heard....

I'd be more interested in a hybrid that replaced the complete mechanical transmission with an electrical one. IE rip out the clutch, gearbox, differential, drive shaft, alternator and starter motor etc and replace it all with a generator-motor system that allowed the engine to always run at its most efficient speed and loading. Most hybrids seem to keep the conventional mechanical transmission.

17 hours ago, dunc69 said:

 

I’m of the view that our next family car should be a powerful petrol (before they die out!!)

 

I came to the same conclusion when the announced the date of death. 

 

Keeping my current Octy for a few more years as it’s great, in the meantime I’m trying to convince the missus that we need something with over 300hp and luxurious such as a Porsche Panamera or the like in our lives.

 

I just need to get saving!  

3 hours ago, Rodge said:

I'd be more interested in a hybrid that replaced the complete mechanical transmission with an electrical one. IE rip out the clutch, gearbox, differential, drive shaft, alternator and starter motor etc and replace it all with a generator-motor system that allowed the engine to always run at its most efficient speed and loading. Most hybrids seem to keep the conventional mechanical transmission.

Porsche was a big fan of that. His design for the Tiger used an electric transmission.  Germany didn't go for it because they couldn't get enough copper to take it into production and the prototypes were unreliable.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VK_4501_(P)

 

I don't know why they don't do it on cars but it's going to either be reliability, efficiency or cost.

the additional cost is what ends up putting a lot of people off the hybrids. Plus with the road tax being a flat rate for any car producing fumes, you've got to do a lot of sums to work out if you've got an advantage getting one. Band B used to be £20 and C (which manual VRS TDI's are) is £30. Now they're all £140. There's no real encouragement any more, for the average Joe, to get a lower emissions car.

 

Certainly the advantage will come to those who either drive or live in low emission zones or those who do a lot of bumper to bumper city driving.

4 hours ago, Rodge said:

I'd be more interested in a hybrid that replaced the complete mechanical transmission with an electrical one. IE rip out the clutch, gearbox, differential, drive shaft, alternator and starter motor etc and replace it all with a generator-motor system that allowed the engine to always run at its most efficient speed and loading. Most hybrids seem to keep the conventional mechanical transmission.

 

100% Agreed

Imagine chucking a heavy electric motor and loads of heavy batteries in the boot to be able to drive 30 to 40 miles under electric power then when you go on a long distance drive you are carrying hundreds of extra kilo's of weight along for the ride which will harm fuel economy and wear out your tyres and brakes quicker don't forget. For me all hybrids are a compromise and also my current car at 1,370kg is very nimble when cornering and changing direction which is where most of the fun comes behind the wheel. If your commute is short then pure electric surely makes more sense. For me while I can get 500miles (800km) from 50litres of petrol on a cruise not planning on changing until technology makes switching financial sense and keeping the fun factor.Can't imagine ever enjoying hearing the whine of an electric motor despite rapid acceleration.

Fantastic cars, amazing Golf, Passat or A3.

So with the 1.4 TSI / TFSI discontinued can we now go and order these Hybrids with the 1.5 TSI engines, all WLTP / RDE Approved, 

or when can we?

VW love to spin and use Autocar / Auto Express to do that for them.

 

So if they just build stuff people will buy or lease them! 

 Just sort out the Battery charger issues they are having. & Implausible / Irregular CO2 g/km.

 

 

16 minutes ago, Offski said:

Fantastic cars, amazing Golf, Passat or A3.

So with the 1.4 TSI / TFSI discontinued can we now go and order these Hybrids with the 1.5 TSI engines, all WLTP / RDE Approved, 

or when can we?

VW love to spin and use Autocar / Auto Express to do that for them.

 

So if they just build stuff people will buy or lease them! 

 Just sort out the Battery charger issues they are having. & Implausible / Irregular CO2 g/km.

 

 

Wow a 270litre boot VERY PRACTICAL compared to my 590litre current car.

6 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Wow a 270litre boot VERY PRACTICAL compared to my 590litre current car.

 

Do you play top trumps with everyone in real life?

 

Which part of the quoted post or topic was about practicality?

& if VW were not just proving concepts and building Loss Leaders they could have a Golf Estate GTE as well as Passat's.

 

As it is they need to get on and have Euro 6d temp vehicles, maybe Hybrids with 1.0TSI engines.

Starting with the Fabia / Rapid / Maybia.

 

The CEO of Skoda did say there would be 19 new models by the end of 2020.

Or is that really 9 new models.

As it is the Bread & Butter 2.0TSI & 2.0TDI's FWD or AWD seem to be an issue for them to get built and delivered by 2019.

 

ShyVRS245, 

how much do you carry about day to day in your Octavia now, are you a rep or sometime tramping the roads with 300ps and a 500 mile range.

Brushes and cleaning materials is it that you are a traveller with?

Edited 6 October, 20187 yr by Offski

2 minutes ago, ahenners said:

 

Do you play top trumps with everyone in real life?

 

Which part of the quoted post or topic was about practicality?

Major drawback of all hybrids is a smaller boot compared to the car they're based upon. No to your first question but most Skoda buyers put practicality fairly high on their requirements or we would buy less practical cars(all other vehicles).

You are unreal.   If a small quick car does not suit your needs there are other Airport Transfer / Taxi sized quick cars, a Tesla might do you.

1 minute ago, Offski said:

You are unreal.   If a small quick car does not suit your needs there are other Airport Transfer / Taxi sized quick cars, a Tesla might do you.

Can you buy a new Tesla for £28,000 that can cover 500miles on one charge? I think we know the answer to both of those as we all live in the real world. See Eon Musk has left Tesla, probably the supply issues they are currently suffering from had something to do with his departure. Lots of promises made but in the real world they were simply unable to deliver!

12 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

Major drawback of all hybrids is a smaller boot compared to the car they're based upon. No to your first question but most Skoda buyers put practicality fairly high on their requirements or we would buy less practical cars(all other vehicles).

 

The Golf GTE loses 98 litres over non GTE variants. Your reply is much clearer in making your point, but I'm not sure how comparing the boot of a GTE to your Octavia is remotely relevant. I suspect plenty of Octavia owners could lose 100 litres from their boot and still get by fine. It would still be 110 litres larger than a standard non-hybrid Golf, which many people get by fine with.

 

It's pretty simple, if the boot isn't big enough your needs, you don't buy one and you buy something else. I don't have a Fiat 500 for exactly this reason.

Edited 6 October, 20187 yr by ahenners

shyVRS245,

there are plenty around that do 500 mile trips several times a week with ICE vehicles that carry people or goods.

Oddly they likely take the same time to do journeys as you do them in and with 150ps or less.

 

The real world seems to be different from the parallel universe that some live in when driving.

 

If VW Group can do a Hybrid Golf / Passat then surely they can do a Octavia, Superb, Karoq, Kodiaq, Leon, Ateca etc etc.

 

As it is the UK Chancellor and City Councils might not be conned by Hybrids that are running petrol engines in the City or Towns.

The low VED or nil or BIK is just a nonsense.

10 minutes ago, ahenners said:

 

The Golf GTE loses 98 litres over non GTE variants. Your reply is much clearer in making your point, but I'm not sure how comparing the boot of a GTE to your Octavia is remotely relevant. I suspect plenty of Octavia owners could lose 100 litres from their boot and still get by fine. It would still be 110 litres larger than a standard non-hybrid Golf, which many people get by fine with.

 

It's pretty simple, if the boot isn't big enough your needs, you don't buy one and you buy something else. I don't have a Fiat 500 for exactly this reason.

I test drove a 1.6litre Mini in 2001 and even with just 90bhp it was great fun and the TLC servicing deal was great value, the tiny boot I could not live with even though I was single at the time. My wife loves her Karoq 1.5Tsi SEL but she prefers driving mine and you probably can guess why.

2 minutes ago, Offski said:

shyVRS245,

there are plenty around that do 500 mile trips several times a week with ICE vehicles that carry people or goods.

Oddly they likely take the same time to do journeys as you do them in and with 150ps or less.

 

The real world seems to be different from the parallel universe that some live in when driving.

 

If VW Group can do a Hybrid Golf / Passat then surely they can do a Octavia, Superb, Karoq, Kodiaq, Leon, Ateca etc etc.

 

As it is the UK Chancellor and City Councils might not be conned by Hybrids that are running petrol engines in the City or Towns.

The low VED or nil or BIK is just a nonsense.

Skoda have always waited near the back of the queue for VW Group technology. Look how long it's taken for Virtual Cockpit to arrive as an option in a Skoda. However useful tech like LED headlights/rear lights are standard on both our Skoda's whereas lots of VW and Audi models still have to make do with inferior Xenons and even halogen lighting.

?

Have you driven a Hybrid, or a EV?   

Some are really quite quick off the line, quicker to 62mph from a standstill than remapped TSI's in some cases.

Skoda has not always been at the back of the queue and neither have SEAT with new tech / engines.

There are many times that new tech was tried out first with SEAT or Skoda to save VW paying customers or more important Audi being Road Test Dummies.