The Czech car company Skoda , under the auspices of the Volkswagen concern , would like to sell more than a million cars this year. Even in 2018, he wants to reach the sales target of 1.5 million cars . Currently, sales revenues are slowly but surely approaching the 7% mark , which many car companies can only dream about. And it must be said that Skoda is also doing well in Germany , on the motherland of the Volkswagen concern. However, if Skoda wants to achieve the aforementioned plan, it must change its model portfolio within a few years.
According to the German AutoBild , it seems that Skoda is not really afraid of this and basically bets everything on crossovers and SUVs . Currently, the " winged arrow " portfolio will offer a total of six models – Citigo, Fabia , Rapid , Octavia , Yeti and Superb. The management of the car company would like to reach eight to nine models in the coming years. Of course, all technology and engines will be taken from Volkswagen, which is no surprise and always happens.
The top representatives of the domestic brand are clear, they don't just want to increase sales numbers with new models, but also improve the image of the car company itself . The new five-door Octavia Coupé should become such a first swallow, which will have slightly less space in the cabin than is available in the Mercedes CLS or the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé. We don't know the starting price yet, but the premiere should take place at the end of 2015 . Unfortunately, the era of six-cylinder engines is slowly coming to an end, so under the hood will be a new turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder engine with an output of around 300 horsepower . Fans of diesel engines will also get their money's worth, the Octavia Coupé will offer the most powerful two-liter TDI with an output of over 200 horsepower. Honestly, we in the editorial office are very much looking forward to the new version of Octavia!
On the other side of the barricade, more precisely in the category of affordable models, the current small Citigo with three cylinders and the third generation Fabia will stand out, whose weapons will be economical engines and, of course, a low price. In the future, the Rapid Spaceback , the upcoming Octavia Coupé and the new Superb should become the main sales blockbusters. At the beginning of 2015, the new Fabia Combi will be introduced, which will arrive with a shortened rear, but the interior space will be preserved. Chief designer Jozef Kabaň also promises an extended roof through the rear window, as currently offered by the Rapid Spaceback. However, even under the hood of the new Fabia, we can expect a three-cylinder engine with more power and lower fuel consumption.
The management of the Czech car manufacturer also agreed that nowadays MPVs are out of the game and the fashion trend is crossovers . In practice, this means that the Roomster model will not get a successor, as there is no room for it in the portfolio. The segment of crossovers and SUVs is developing at literally cosmic speed, so it is not surprising that Skoda is planning a successor to the Yeti model . It should grow a little, and of course it will again be built on the foundations of the Volkswagen Tiguan. In addition, we should also expect rounder body shapes and a new name for the car – the name Sherpa is currently being talked about a lot.
As for the seven-seater Snowman , it will arrive in 2016 on the platform of the Tiguan XL and should rank alongside the Honda CR-V, Hyundai ix35 or Nissan Qashqai in size. But do not rejoice, it will be intended mainly for Russian and Chinese customers . Thanks to the enlargement of the Yeti, respectively the launch of the Sherpa model, there is a gap in the portfolio that needs to be filled. Specifically, a crossover will be placed under the medium-sized SUV, which will be a sibling of the Volkswagen Taigun and thus become a new entry-model that will compete with, for example, the Nissan Juke , Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008 or the recently introduced Honda Vezel .
Literally, a revolution will occur at the Skoda flagship . The current Superb model will offer luxury and a large portion of space, but the successor will push the boundaries a little further. Of course, the new flagship, which will arrive during 2015, will be built on the platform of the eighth generation Volkswagen Passat . Compared to the existing Superb, its successor will primarily offer an extended wheelbase, a lowered roof and a larger car width. In short, it should stand out with similar proportions to the aristocratic Jaguar XJ . The upcoming flagship will become a competitor for, for example, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class or the BMW 5 Series, and it must be said that it will really have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, the well-known six-cylinder will retire, but it will be replaced by a plug-in hybrid system (taken over from the Passat), which will have low fuel consumption and almost identical performance to the outgoing six-cylinder .
To be honest, Skoda pleasantly surprised me with this vision, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it achieved the announced sales target of 1.5 million cars in 2018. After the launch of all the planned models in serial form, in my opinion, the prestige of the car company will rise greatly and it will finally not be the " trodden " brand. However, I'm still missing a more sporty model in my portfolio, maybe I'll get one eventually…
Source: Autobild
