The rest of 2023 will be quite busy for Skoda as the Czech automaker part of the Volkswagen Group intends to launch several refreshed or new products. The first order of business is to give the Kamiq subcompact crossover and Scala compact hatchback a mid-cycle facelift with design updates inside and out. The Enyaq large electric SUV will spawn a Laurin & Klement flagship trim level with all the bells and whistles.
Hiding beneath the green cover is the Elroq, an upcoming electric car positioned below the Enyaq. We mustn’t confuse it with Skoda’s equivalent of the recently unveiled VW ID.2all as that one won’t hit the market until 2025. During the Q&A session that followed the annual press conference, company chairman Klaus Zellmer said we’ll get to learn more about EVs during the Explore More 2.0 event.
In the second half of the year, Skoda is going to introduce the next-generation Superb and Kodiaq with plug-in hybrid powertrains. While the former has been available as a PHEV for several years, the latter has yet to receive a charging port. It’s worth noting the Superb won’t be built in the Czech Republic anymore as production is moving to Bratislava where it’ll be assembled alongside the mechanically related next-gen VW Passat.
Those interested in the facelifted Octavia should know Skoda’s best-selling product is due for a facelift in 2024 when the VW Golf is also expected to go through a nip and tuck. In the long run, three EVs will be out by 2026: Elroq, an entry-level car to replace the Citigo-e iV, and a seven-seat SUV previewed by the Vision 7S concept.
As for the company’s 2022 results, it delivered 731,300 cars, or 16.7 percent less than the year before. The drop was caused by multiple factors: semiconductor shortage, supply chain issues, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Germany was Skoda’s largest single market with 134,300 units, followed by the Czech Republic with 71,200 cars and India with 51,900 vehicles.
The Octavia remained a top seller with 141,100 examples while the Kamiq was second with 96,300 units and Kodiaq a close third with 94,500. The Fabia almost made it to the podium, with 92,700 superminis delivered throughout the course of last year.
