Škoda: A information to all the things you could know

Skoda has a comparatively quick historical past in Australia of lower than 20 years, however abroad it’s one in all Europe’s longest-lasting producers.

It presents a variety of small vehicles, sedans, wagons, and SUVs, most of that are set to obtain updates massive and small inside the coming yr.

Given the model is a part of the Volkswagen Group, you additionally get tech and tools that aligns Skoda’s fashions with tried and examined vehicles just like the Golf and the Tiguan, whereas nonetheless sustaining a aggressive value.

If you happen to’re contemplating a brand new European automobile and aren’t afraid to go for one thing much less mainstream, right here’s all the things you could know concerning the Skoda model and the way it received to the place it’s at present.

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What’s Skoda?

Skoda was established in 1925 and is headquartered in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. In 2023, the corporate recorded 866,820 unit deliveries worldwide, although Germany remained its largest market with 157,837 deliveries.

Skoda is without doubt one of the 10 European manufacturers inside the Volkswagen Group umbrella, which delivered a complete 9,239,512 world items final yr. That makes Skoda the third highest-selling model inside the group, trailing solely Volkswagen Passenger Automobiles and the Audi Model Group Progressive, which itself encompasses Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Ducati.

The Skoda title may be traced to 1859, when Czech engineer Emil von Škoda based the Skoda Works firm within the former Austrian Empire. That firm grew to become one of many largest European industrial conglomerates all through the 1900s.

In a separate improvement in 1896, a bicycle restore store (and later producer) was based within the Czech Republic by Václav Laurin and Václav Klement known as Laurin and Klement. It was manufacturing cars by 1905, making it the second-oldest Czech producer after Tatra.

After the First World Warfare, Laurin and Klement started producing vehicles however quickly bumped into issues together with a manufacturing unit hearth, after which the corporate started searching for a brand new associate.

The Skoda Works firm after the warfare grew to become the biggest industrial producer in Czechoslovakia, although regardless of its institution as an arms producer needed to enlarge its operations in different non-arms industries.

Because of this, the struggling Laurin and Klement firm was acquired by Skoda Works in 1925. Most of its later manufacturing occurred underneath the Skoda title, and the corporate started utilizing an meeting line for manufacturing from 1930.

In the identical yr, automobile manufacturing was moved to a brand new formal spin-off firm, although that firm remained a wholly-owned subsidiary of Skoda Works and continued to promote vehicles underneath the Skoda title.

Whereas Skoda Works continued to function its automobile manufacturing unit in Mladá Boleslav, the brand new manufacturing firm housed the model’s car illustration, gross sales places of work, and a central workshop in Prague.

As a enjoyable reality, the phrase Skoda interprets from Czech as “Too dangerous!”; like an announcement of pity.

One of many firm’s first automobiles was the Skoda 422 of 1929, adopted by the Skoda 932 prototype in 1932. The latter was a streamlined four-seater, two-door automobile with a rear air-cooled flat-four engine, which nearer resembled the small vehicles to return.

Through the Second World Warfare, Skoda Works grew to become a part of the German warfare effort producing army automobiles, planes, and different weapons. Following the warfare and a rebuild of its head manufacturing unit within the Czech Republic, it retained an excellent popularity regardless of unfavourable political circumstances within the nation.

The primary of its most recognisable nameplates was launched in 1959, although not in the identical type as we all know at present. That was the Octavia, which in its first iteration was produced till 1971 alongside different fashions just like the Spartak and Felicia.

Because the Chilly Warfare progressed, it grew to become more durable for Skoda to promote vehicles in markets like the US, particularly because it was nonetheless producing vehicles relationship again to the Nineteen Sixties. Because of this, a lot of the firm’s efforts have been shifted to goal primarily on the western European market.

Nonetheless with largely outdated vehicles (apart from the front-wheel drive Favorit of 1987), a state-issued tender for privatisation of the Skoda model went out in 1990. After a prolonged decision-making course of with Renault and Volkswagen on the shortlist, the latter was chosen by the Czech authorities.

A three way partnership started in 1991 with the Volkswagen Group proudly owning 30 per cent of Skoda, which elevated to a 70 per cent majority by the top of 1995. In 2000, Volkswagen purchased the remaining 30 per cent to make Skoda a completely owned subsidiary.

The 2000s and 2010s have been vital development durations for Skoda, because it boosted its manufacturing and unfold operations to greater than 100 nations – together with Australia in 2007.

Skoda now operates factories within the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, India, and China, whereas additionally being energetic within the decrease ranges of the World Rally Championship.

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Which manufacturers are Skoda competing in opposition to?

In Australia, Skoda is primarily competing with the likes Volkswagen, Volvo, Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia.

Volkswagen is a key competitor given its relationship with Skoda, which implies vehicles from each manufacturers share most of the identical elements and mechanics underneath the pores and skin.

Although Volkswagen has a wider vary of decisions in Australia, key fashions just like the Golf, Tiguan, and Tiguan Allspace compete carefully with vehicles just like the Scala, Karoq, and Kodiaq.

Volkswagen offered a complete round 15,000 of these three fashions alone in 2023, whereas Skoda offered 7999 whole vehicles in the identical time.

Outdoors of European rivals, Skoda competes with Toyota within the Australian market. Because the native best-selling producer with a broad mannequin vary, many Toyota fashions just like the Camry and RAV4 are powerful competitors for Skoda’s sedans and SUVs.

Within the context of spacious medium and huge SUVs, Hyundai’s present and future mannequin vary brings powerful competitors for Skoda.

Hyundai delivered 75,183 items in 2023, nicely away from Skoda’s whole. Its hottest mannequin, the Tucson, offered in 21,224 examples in comparison with the best-matched Skoda Karoq’s document of 1405 in the identical time.

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What are you able to presently purchase from Skoda?

Skoda presently sells seven fashions in Australia, starting from small hatches to massive SUVs.

Skoda’s Australian line-up is as follows:

All costs are drive-away. Click on on the automobile’s title to be taken to its touchdown web page on our website.

Skoda’s lineup is obtainable with a wide range of engines, which features a 1.0-litre three-cylinder, 1.4-litre 4, 1.5-litre 4, and a pair of.0-litre 4.

They’re produced in varied states of tune, which implies entry-level fashions are provided with much less highly effective variations of the identical engine, whereas efficiency vehicles like Skoda’s RS fashions get extra punch from the identical displacement.

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How common is Skoda in Australia?

Skoda recorded 7999 deliveries in 2023, putting it among the many lower-selling Volkswagen Group manufacturers in Australia.

Its best-selling stablemate was Volkswagen, which recorded 43,821 deliveries final yr. It was additionally outsold by Audi with 19,039 deliveries.

Of the non-luxury Volkswagen manufacturers, Skoda ranked larger than solely Cupra on 3765 deliveries. The remaining manufacturers are Lamborghini, Bentley, and Porsche, which delivered 241, 229, and 6052 items respectively.

The Kamiq was Skoda’s best-selling mannequin on 1985, adopted by the Kodiaq (1555), Karoq (1405), and Octavia (1395). Its lowest-selling mannequin was the Very good on 278, although it was just lately confirmed its latest technology can be offered in Australia subsequent yr.

Towards the likes of its rivals, Skoda is behind Volkswagen, Volvo, Toyota, and Hyundai by some margin.

With 215,240 deliveries in 2023, Toyota stays Australia’s best-selling marque. Hyundai additionally posted robust figures, promoting 75,183 items final yr.

Skoda has delivered 3408 Australian automobiles to the top of July 2024, with the Kamiq nonetheless its best-selling mannequin at 837 deliveries. Its whole gross sales determine is down 25.3 per cent on the identical time final yr.

For context, Volkswagen has offered 21,407 items to the top of July 2024, which is a ten.6 lower on the primary half of 2023.

At the beginning of 2023, Skoda outlined a gross sales goal of 12,000 items for the yr. Midway by the yr, Skoda Australia managing director Michael Irmer wound again that purpose, citing a lack of quantity and altering shopper behaviours.

The revised purpose was 9185 – Skoda’s 2021 benchmark – nevertheless it fell quick. A part of the problem was put down to produce chain shortages from 2022 and into 2023, together with an absence of semi-conductor chips.

Skoda stays a powerful vendor in Europe, notably Germany and the Czech Republic, and is on the verge of a number of updates to its native mannequin vary.

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What’s subsequent for Skoda?

Skoda just lately outlined its plans for a collection of reveals, updates, and additions, all of that are presently anticipated to happen inside the subsequent yr.

Already revealed this yr have been the facelifted Kamiq and entry-level Fabia Choose, whereas a facelift for the Scala small hatch is due in September.

In November this yr the facelifted Octavia will break cowl, adopted by the arrival of the all-electric Enyaq SUV in December.

Kicking off 2025 would be the arrival of the next-generation Kodiaq, adopted by a efficiency RS model of the facelifted Octavia.

Could will convey the reveal of the next-generation Very good, adopted by the reveal of the brand new electrical Elroq in July. In the identical month, the new-generation Kodiaq RS can even arrive.

It’s not but identified what platform will underpin the Elroq, however count on it to supply smaller batteries than the bigger Enyaq, which makes use of lithium-ion packs starting from 52kWh to 77kWh.

The Elroq is predicted to switch the Karoq when it arrives, although there are a choice of different electrical Skoda automobiles on the best way as a part of Skoda’s earlier plans to have six electrical automobiles by 2026. Most of them have been revealed as ideas, and so they’ve been detailed right here.

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