Electric Skoda of 25,000 euros is coming, followed by Octavia-like station wagon

Last year, the Skoda Enyaq iV was the best-selling electric car in the Netherlands. But this year, the best-selling Skoda was suddenly a completely different model. In the first three months of 2023, the Kodiaq was number 1, with 1145 registrations compared to 847 for the Enyaq iV (source: Bovag). A remarkable result, because this colossal and pricey SUV – which is already seven years old – does not like electrification at all. Even a fuel-saving starter generator (mild hybrid), which gives the petrol engine a boost under heavy load, is not offered in the Kodiaq.

That will change later this year: Skoda is currently finalizing the new Kodiaq. This SUV will appear next autumn, together with the new Skoda Superb, a spacious business car that – as a hatchback and station wagon – was developed simultaneously with the new Volkswagen Passat. However, electrification can no longer be avoided for these models; Skoda also needs the CO₂– close tap.

In the new Kodiaq and Superb, this is done with the help of hybrid technology: both models come in a plug-less version with a mild hybrid system and a plug-in hybrid with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. A fully electric Kodiaq or Superb is not in the pipeline, the new models are intended for buyers for whom the switch to an EV (Electric Vehicle) is still too early. The Superb and Kodiaq bridge the time span that Skoda has set aside for the (gradual) transition to full electrification. From 2030, 70 percent of all Skodas sold in Europe must be fully electric. To achieve that goal, the Czech brand will invest 5.6 billion euros over the next five years.

An important part of that amount will be invested in the development of four completely new, fully electric models. The first result will appear on the market next year: the Skoda Elroq. This midi SUV has a length of about 4.5 meters and stands on the modular electric MEB platform of the Volkswagen Group. The Skoda Enyaq iV, the Cupra Born and Tavascan and the entire Volkswagen ID family also use this.

The Skoda Elroq can be regarded as the prelude to Skoda’s first really affordable EV, for which an entry price of 25,000 euros is mentioned. This small SUV will be slightly longer than 4 meters, about the same size as the current Fabia. It will use the same technology as the production versions of the Volkswagen ID.2 and Cupra Urban Rebel. The small electric Skoda will arrive in showrooms in 2025.

The third new EV from Skoda will be a station wagon with the same format as the current Octavia Combi. This model is planned for 2026. In the same year, the production version of the Vision 7S study model, which Skoda showed last August, will be released. This large SUV offers space for seven occupants and will compete with the Kia EV9. Judging by the specifications of the Vision 7S, the car will have a battery pack of 89 kWh and a range of more than 600 kilometers.

Speaking of the Vision 7S: all new electric Skodas follow the design course that has been taken with this study model. This also heralds a metamorphosis for the Skoda dealer organization. To switch to the new corporate identity, Skoda takes plenty of time. Only in 2025 will all Dutch Skoda dealers be dressed in the new brand colors.

Skoda’s new electric models will initially be offered alongside the existing combustion engine cars. Martin Jahn, head of marketing and sales at Skoda: “In some parts of Europe, the transition to electric mobility is slower than in other areas. But here too we want to continue to serve our customers, which is why we are taking the transition to electric mobility so gradually. The current Kodiaq and Superb are still in high demand. We therefore see plenty of success opportunities for the new generation of these cars. Even though the demand for EVs in the segments where the Kodiaq and Superb operate is increasing more and more.”

For Skoda itself, the transition to electric mobility is very drastic. Currently, the electric Enyaq iV is produced on the same line as the Octavia, but that does not automatically mean that the electric Elroq can also be built in the same factory as the Karoq. “We currently have three factories in the Czech Republic, that’s all. Because we are currently working at maximum capacity, it is very difficult to determine when the right time is to switch to a new model.”

Other aspects also come into play, such as the final content of the new tightened Euro 7 emission standard, which is expected to be introduced in 2025. “If it requires too large an investment to make models such as the Fabia, Scala and Karoq comply with Euro 7, it will mean an early end for these models.”