Non-VW Performance Models at the Geneva Motor No-Show

The Touareg R, Golf GTI, GTD, and GTE weren’t the only performance variants to make their debuts at the sadly canceled Geneva Motor Show this year: Cupra and Skoda had their own performance variants ready for the world.

The Czech Brand had its own version of the Skoda decided to stick with the Octavia’s 1.4-liter 4-pot but paired it to an electric motor for a total system output of 245 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

The whole thing allows for 37 miles of pure-electric range but, rather disappointingly, it takes 7.3 seconds to hit 62 mph. That’s odd because electric motors deliver their torque instantly, and therefore tend to accelerate quickly.

On the plus side, it comes in both sedan and wagon variants, so that’s fun. Like the GTE, don’t expect to see any part of this is the States. Volkswagen US believes that the US won’t be willing to pay the premium for this level of performance and frankly, that 0-60 split kind of has us agreeing with them.

Skoda’s Spanish cousins, meanwhile, have been working on something called the Formentor and we think it might foment a revolution, haha. The hot SUV can use the same hybrid drivetrain at the vRS to make the same amount of power, or it can use the 2.0-liter gas engine to make a healthier 306 hp.

Either way, power is sent to all four wheels via a 7-speed DCT. No word yet on 0-60 times, but this one might eventually possibly maybe someday perhaps if we’re really good and we promise to do all of our chores have some relevance in the US.

This is speculation of the worst kind, but a roughly Tiguan-sized SUV with a 2.0-liter 300 hp engine and AWD does sound like the kind of thing VW might sell as the Tiguan R. Volkswagen US did tell us, remember, that it wanted more performance models for the US market, and performance SUVs are so hot right now.

Whatever the case, we’ll be sad not to be able to see anything this wild on US streets.

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