The Czech Volkswagen subsidiary Skoda plans to launch three more electric models by 2026. Which conventional combustion engines are left behind depends, among other things, on the Euro 7 emissions standard.
The history of Skoda since its incorporation into the Volkswagen Group more than 20 years ago is well known. Comparable success stories are rare in the industry. Across the board, Skoda delivers a lot of car for the money, in good quality, with an attractive design and with a clever package. Many people drive Skoda today who have never had anything to do with the Czech brand before.
A particularly high conquest rate went hand in hand with e-mobility. The mid-size SUV Enyaq, which has been on the market since spring 2021, is considered the best buy in the segment. One can confidently assume that the Skoda strategists will also bring plenty of new customers to the brand with future electric vehicles. However, until the next electric car celebrates its debut, something remains idle. An SUV below the Enyaq will not come until 2024. Whether the currently circulating name Elroq – as the study was once called – will be adopted for the production model is open.
On the other hand, it is certain that Skoda is putting its new compact SUV (length: almost 4.40 meters) on a shortened MEB architecture. This should definitely be beneficial for the crisp proportions. The Karoq, on the other hand, could fall by the wayside. His replacement would actually be in 2024. But depending on the severity of the Euro 7 emissions regulations, Skoda may either discontinue the Karoq or let the model continue to run for as long as possible over its normal life cycle.
The Elroq will be the first model to drive around with the new brand logo. In the future, the round image emblem will be missing on the hood. Instead, there is only a large Skoda lettering, in the S of which the Czech accent Hatschek has been integrated. Compared to the first draft, Skoda has also revised the front again, with design elements from the Vision 7S study, which was presented a few weeks ago. With its five meters and seven seats, it is positioned above the Kodiaq.
The Vision 7S will be the brand’s future flagship SUV and will be launched in 2026. It has the largest battery (89 kWh) in the line-up and is said to cover over 600 kilometers on one charge. A name for the maxi SUV is still pending, but it should again be one that begins with E and ends with q.
Before that, however, Skoda will be active at the lower end of its electric scale. An entry-level electric vehicle is planned for 2025 at the latest, based on a simplified MEB platform with less battery capacity and only front-wheel drive. Seat/Cupra in Martorell/Spain is responsible for the development of this entry MEB. The biggest challenge is keeping costs under control. Skoda would like to offer the model, which tends more toward a crossover than a classic hatchback small car, at a starting price of 20,000 euros.
Whether the electric compact car will prematurely replace the Fabia – the next (fifth) generation would be in 2028 – is far from clear and also depends on Euro 7. However, the new CEO Klaus Zellmer recently emphasized that “there could still be a conventional Fabia”. Without such a model, Skoda would lose too many customers who need a cheap and good entry-level model and who cannot or do not want to afford an electric car in this class.
A similar mind game can be done with the Kamiq and Scala models (new generations coming around 2026). Small cars only have a chance of survival if the emission laws are not too restrictive.
Conventionally, the Czechs will continue in autumn 2023 with the next generation of the Kodiaq. The mid-range SUV remains true to its lines and its customers, who value space and versatility. In terms of drive, diesel, petrol and the new, then last, plug-in hybrid generation from the Volkswagen Group are used. This should make electric ranges of over 80 kilometers possible.
In the same year, the replacement of the Superb is still on the agenda. The sedan will continue to be available as a sedan and as a “combi”, as well as with conventional engines and with a plug-in hybrid. The same applies to the brand’s core model, the Octavia. It will get a facelift in early 2024. A successor is not expected until the end of 2026 at the earliest.
