When Skoda revealed its Elroq electric SUV last October, it omitted to tell us anything about the version enthusiasts really care about, the Elroq vRS. But today we got to see the hot Skoda inside and out, and find out that it’s the company’s fastest-accelerating production car ever.

Base Elroqs come with a range of single-motor, rear-drive powertrains that top out at 282 hp (286 PS / 210 kW), though a dual-motor Elroq 85x is planned. But the vRS earns its three letters by adopting the 335 hp (340 PS / 250 kW) dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain from sister brand VW’s ID.4, which rides on the same MEB architecture.

Related: Skoda’s New Elroq EV Aims For The Mainstream Sweet Spot

A zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time of 5.4 seconds makes the Elroq vRS a tenth faster than its Enyaq vRS big brother, previously the brand’s fastest model. The petrol-powered 261 hp (265 PS) Octavia vRS and Kodiaq vRS are much slower, both needing 6.4 seconds to hit the same marker, while the most potent non-RS Elroq takes 6.6 seconds.

A mid-five sprint time isn’t particularly mind-bending for a modern performance EV, but it’s enough to let you tease hot hatches like the Honda Civic Type R from the lights. Don’t expect to hang with the Honda when the road gets twisty, though, with its revised steering, bigger brakes, available DCC adaptive shocks, and stiffer suspension that’s dropped 15 mm at the front and 10 mm at the back, the vRS ought to be more fun than the RWD Elroq 85.

Visual upgrades include sporty black accents on the mirror caps, badges, and window trim, and wheels measuring up to 21 inches across. But even if pedestrians don’t notice them as you glide by, they might notice the synthesised soundtrack. Inside, you get Suedia microfibre upholstery with lime green contrast stitching, carbon-effect trim, a perforated-leather steering wheel and sport seats with an optional massage function.

If there’s a downside to all this vRS fun, it’s the inevitable reduction in driving range all performance EVs suffer from versus their slower stablemates using the same battery. In the Elroq’s case, the battery has a 79 kWh net capacity and a range of 340 miles (547 km)  – not bad, but a non-vRS Elroq Edition 85 stretches a charge another 20 miles (32 km), admittedly helped by having only one motor to lug around.

To make amends, the vRS gets a charging speed upgrade. Depending on the model, the Elroq charges at 145, 165, or 175 kW, but the vRS can chow down on 185 kW, dropping the 10-80 percent charge time from 28 minutes to 26 minutes.

Bouyed by a Car of the Year win for its A290 hot hatch, Alpine is building up a buzz about the next car in its reinvention plan. The Renault performance division just dropped a load of images of the A390 crossover undergoing winter tests ahead of a May 27 reveal.

Our own scoop photographers have snapped disguised A390 prototypes before, but never in such detail. These official shots give us up-close views of the aero bridge at the front end, showing how air is drawn in between the horizontal light bar and Alpine lettering and spat out across the sunken hood.

Related: Alpine A390_β Previews 2025 Electric Fastback That Really Doesn’t Want To Be An SUV

They also show the spine running across the hood and roof, the LED taillight design, the small trunk lip spoiler and give us our first glimpse of the A390’s cockpit. The single interior image reveal a chunky flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel that appears identical to the one on the little A290, which takes inspiration from Alpine’s F1 car.

In addition to the usual spoke buttons for cruise control, volume and voice control functions it features three switches designed to help you tailor the driving experience. A red button marked OV for ‘overtake’ on top of the right spoke and activated with a thumb press operates the power boost function (though on the A290 you can also get the same response by kicking the throttle past the detent).

There’s a five-setting Drive mode button slung underneath the same spoke and, below the opposite one, a rotary dial to tweak the amount of regenerative braking. Just visible in the footwell in the background is a pair of sporty metal pedals, but annoyingly we can’t make out the shape of the dashboard or see the screens or seats.

These pictures also give us our first look at the the torque-vectoring capabilities of the A390’s triple-motor setup, many of the shots showcasing the crossover’s oversteering capabilities, which bodes well for its chances of giving the Porsche Macan Electric a run for its money.

Dimensions released by Alpine tell us that the 4,615 mm (181.7 inches)  long A390 is a little shorter, narrower and lower than the more SUV-shaped Macan, but the Alpine claims it will offer room for five passengers.

Slower than expected EV sales have forced both Porsche and Mercedes to renew their commitment to combustion powertrains, but that strategy shift won’t prevent the two companies delivering a couple of new electric flagships. And our spy photo team has just snapped AMG’s contender taking part in winter tests ahead of next year’s debut.

AMG released a ‘spy’ shot of its own and a brief video last December, both taken at the company’s test track. But this latest set of images show the electric super-SUV testing for real in northern Europe and give us a better chance to see the EV from multiple angles.

Related: First Look At Mercedes-AMG’s 1,000 HP Electric SUV Flagship

Like Ferrari’s V12-powered Purosangue, the unnamed electric AMG is more of a crossover than an SUV. It has a relatively low roofline, modest ground clearance, narrow glasshouse and a sporty rake to its rear window. Unlike the AMG-badged GLS63, the most expensive SUV in the company’s current lineup, the EV should only have room for two rows of seats.

Every one of the AMG SUVs you can buy today is a pumped-up version of a regular Mercedes product, but this one will be unique to AMG and was developed in-house at Affalterbach. It should measure around 5.1 meters (200 inches) in length, and offer plenty of room thanks to a circa-3 m (118 inches) wheelbase.

This prototype has placeholder lights at the rear and the fronts are shielded by camouflage but still give us a glimpse of the star motif DRLs below. It’s possible that rather than being built into a traditional cluster the individual light elements could be set directly into the bodywork, as seen on 2022’s Mercedes Vision AMG concept.

That concept previewed a Porsche Taycan-rivalling successor to the four-door AMG GT which will be built on the same AMG.EA platform as the SUV and share battery and motor tech. Fast charging courtesy of 800-volt electrics means fill-ups will be brief, as will zero to 60 mph (97 kmh) runs if the rumours of more than 1,000 hp (1,014 PS / 746 kW) are true. And we’re sure they are.

Mercedes-AMG could debut the SUV in 2026 with sales starting in 2027, which would potentially put it on the street fractionally ahead of its Porsche K1 rival.

Images: Baldauf

Mercedes is getting ready to unleash an army of new cars over the next couple of years, including 17 EVs, and one of the most important is this, the all-new GLC EV. The compact electric SUV is due to launch in 2026, where it will engage in a showroom showdown with BMW’s Neue Klasse iX3, and spy photographers have just spotted it wearing very little camouflage for the first time.

Earlier prototypes of the replacement for today’s EQC featured a brain-scrambling black and white camo wrap under which were hidden various artificial lumps and bumps designed to make it hard for us to imagine how the finished SUV will look.

Related: Mercedes To Roll Out 19 New ICE And 17 EV Models That Will Ditch The Egg Shape By 2027

But these latest images show a more production-ready prototype with none of the disguise blocks on the doors and hood, and a stylish, calming camouflage pattern that looks like wind or running water. Strangely, it also manages to make the front end look a bit like an Acura’s. As our spy photographer says, the SUV seems to be dressed for some teaser photos to be taken, so maybe Mercedes is getting ready to start drip-feeding content like it has with the CLA.

We still can’t see the shape of the window line at the C-pillar, but this new dressed-down test car displays smooth sides, pronounced hips and what appears to be a large traditional-style Mercedes grille that rises above the line of the headlights and creates a bulge in the hood. It looks like Gordon Wagoner and the design team have been looking at Benz’s 1960s sedans and coupes for inspiration.

The brand’s new star-shaped DRLs are evident at the front, and though they’re not illuminated at the back, we’re sure they’ll make an appearance there, too, as they will on the 19 new or facelifted combustion Mercedes cars debuting by 2027.

Unlike models like the revised petrol-power GLE, however, the EQC replacement rides on a very different platform, the new MB.EA architecture. The upcoming electric C-class sedan gets the same gear, but the smaller CLA that debuts this year uses the MMA platform instead.

We’re still expecting commonalities between the two, however, including 800-volt electrics and the ability to handle 320 kW charging, meaning a 10-80 percent fill will take less than 18 minutes. The most efficient models should also be capable of traveling well over 400 miles (644 km) before needing to find one of those chargers.

Images: Baldauf