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Škoda Auto has provided a first glimpse of the successors to its Superb flagship model (hatchback and Combi estate versions) and its top SUV, the Kodiaq. As part of its “Let’s Explore” event, the Czech car manufacturer has released the first official silhouette images of the new-generation vehicles. The Superb and Kodiaq will be among the brand’s highlights of the year, marked by separate world premieres this autumn. Both cars will offer modern, efficient petrol and diesel engines, as well as plug-in and mild hybrid options.

„The Superb and the Kodiaq are two important cornerstones of the Škoda model range, which is why it’s so special for us to introduce the new generations of both model series this autumn. The Superb is the flagship of our ICE portfolio and will continue to set standards in terms of comfort and space in its fourth generation, in both hatchback and Combi estate formats. The second-generation Kodiaq will take safety, technology and versatility to the next level. We continue to offer the best of both worlds and meet our customers’ needs, so both models will also be offered with plug-in and mild hybrid options.“

Klaus Zellmer, Škoda Auto CEO

New features, improved technologies and redesigned interiors
Autumn 2023 will see two important Škoda Auto world premieres, with the Czech brand presenting the fourth generation of its Superb flagship model as well as the second generation of its Kodiaq SUV. Škoda has published official silhouette images as part of its “Let’s Explore” event to provide a first glimpse of the new vehicles. In addition to a new exterior, each model comes with new features, improved technology and a completely redesigned interior. The fourth-generation Superb will once again be available both as a hatchback and as a supremely spacious Combi estate. The new generation of the flagship model will be manufactured at the Volkswagen Group plant in Bratislava, Slovakia. The new generation of the Kodiaq will be built at the Škoda plant in Kvasiny, Czech Republic, also the home of its predecessor.

Two success stories
The Superb and the Kodiaq are Škoda’s top hatchback/Combi estate and SUV models respectively, and both have been outstandingly successful. The name ‘Superb’ was previously used back in the 1930s for Škoda’s range-topping luxury car. Almost 137,000 first modern-generation Superbs were sold between 2001 and 2008, and it was the first Škoda model to introduce high tech features such as bi-xenon headlights, the automatic Tiptronic transmission and the Coming Home function. Right from the start, the first-generation Superb collected numerous prestigious awards, including ‘Best Import Car’ from the German Auto Bild car magazine. The second generation appeared in 2008 and was the first to offer customers the choice of all-wheel drive. The Superb Combi estate version, introduced in 2009, sparked even greater demand. In total, the second-generation Superb recorded 618,000 deliveries to customers. The third generation, introduced in February 2015, offered increased space for passengers and luggage in both body styles. It was also more economical, had lower emissions, and added innovative assistance systems for enhanced safety. The flagship was again updated in 2019, with the Superb iV variant becoming the first Škoda plug-in hybrid model. So far, over 777,000 units of the third generation Superb have been delivered to customers.

The Kodiaq, launched in 2016 to spearhead Škoda’s successful SUV campaign, has already sold more than 740,000 units. Optionally available with seven seats, it introduced Škoda’s exciting, crystalline design language to the SUV segment. The sporty Kodiaq RS followed in 2018, while the entire model range was updated in 2021. More than 40 international awards are visible proof of the large Škoda SUV’s outstanding qualities and extraordinary popularity.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

The new infotainment app ‘Powerpass Map’ enhances the Škoda iV ecosystem. Available for Enyaq iV family vehicles, the infotainment app shows public charging points along with detailed information about them on the central infotainment display. Users can also rate charging points and post comments, which are displayed as recent ratings and feedback. The Powerpass Map can now be downloaded free of charge from the In-car Shop in any Enyaq iV or Enyaq Coupé iV running the ME3.0 or newer vehicle software.

Charging points are shown on a map on the central display
The Powerpass Map allows Škoda Enyaq iV or Enyaq Coupé iV drivers to intuitively access comprehensive, up-to-date information on public charging points for electric cars such as operating hours, the number of charging points currently available, maximum charging power and prices. The map displays available charging points within and outside the Powerpass network, which includes over 500,000 charging points across Europe. Charging stations within the Powerpass network are easily identifiable thanks to a special symbol on the map. In addition, charging point searches can be filtered according to the driver’s requirements. The in-car app is available to download free of charge from the In-car Shop, provided the vehicle is running the ME3.0 software. Additionally, users can search for and display charging points in the MyŠkoda or Powerpass mobile apps.

Infrastructure information and rating charging points
For the first time, the infotainment app also features a real-time rating and feedback function; users can rate charging points with one to five stars and leave comments for other users. In addition, drivers can see what facilities there are nearby, such as shops and restaurants. Future updates will bring even more features to the infotainment app, allowing users to manage their Powerpass account, select tariffs and review their charging history. They will also be able to use Powerpass Map start the charging process from there.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

On 3 March 1998 Škoda lifted the curtain on the first Octavia Combi of the modern generation at the Geneva International Motor Show. Serial production of the future bestseller had already started a couple of weeks earlier, in February 1998, in a modern production plant in Mladá Boleslav. Over the past 25 years, the legendary model has become one of the most successful station wagons in its category in many countries. The current fourth generation also offers electrified versions: a plug-in hybrid drivetrain in the Octavia Combi iV and an Octavia Combi e-TEC with mild-hybrid technology. Some of the traditional strengths of the practical Škoda Octavia Combi include an excellent price/performance ratio, a wide variety of assistance systems and a top level of active and passive safety. This was once again confirmed in December 2022 by the most demanding Euro NCAP tests, valid until 2028.

Tradition obliges
Already since 1959, the Octavia range has represented a milestone in the more than 127-year history of Škoda. An even more practical version, the Octavia Combi, with a spacious and variable “combination body” offering both the advantages of passenger and light commercial vehicles, was launched on 11 September 1960. With a length of just 4065 mm, a width of 1600 mm and a height of 1430 mm, the Škoda Octavia Combi could carry 690 liters of luggage in addition to five passengers, and up to 1050 liters when occupying two seats. There was also a sleeper arrangement and a number of other practical equipment features. Between 1961 and 1971, 54,100 of these cars left the Kvasiny plant. As a basis for the Octavia, Škoda used the traditional concept with a backbone chassis frame and a front-mounted four-cylinder petrol engine driving the rear wheels. The robust construction combined with a ground clearance of 175 mm has proven itself even in demanding operating conditions.

Modern career
Another and even more successful chapter began in 1992, shortly after the integration of the Czech car manufacturer into the Volkswagen Group. The newly developed Octavia was the first Škoda based on the Group’s A4 chassis platform and the design team led by Dirk van Braeckel was already working in a digital CAD environment. The production of the Škoda Octavia, initially with a liftback body, began in September 1996 in a completely new assembly hall of the Mladá Boleslav plant, one of the most modern in Europe. From September 1997 onwards, about 200 units of the new Octavia Combi were produced as part of the pre-production. The so-called zero series had not yet been delivered to customers. Production started in February shortly before the official world premiere on Tuesday 3 March 1998 at the prestigious Geneva International Motor Show. The first buyers took delivery already in May 1998. The four-and-a-half-meter wagon had a wheelbase of 2512 mm, was six millimeters longer and 26 mm taller than the liftback. The 548 to 1,512 liters of luggage space was among the largest in the class.

The timeless elegance of the bodywork scored with experts and customers alike, as evidenced by the Czech National Design Award (1999) – but mainly by sales statistics. In 1998, the Combi version accounted for 15 percent of sales of the Octavia model range. In 2001 the percentage had already gone up to 40.5 percent. During its 13-year career, 470,600 cars were built.

A video provides period footage of the first modern generation of the Octavia Combi at Škoda Storyboard.

Growing popularity
From summer 2004, the second generation of the Octavia Combi was produced alongside the first modern generation (internally called A4). The purposeful coexistence lasted for six years, as the two cars complemented each other perfectly on the market. The modern shapes of the succeeding Octavia A5 were designed by a team of designers led by Thomas Ingenlath. By 2013, 881,200 customers had opted for the estate, accounting for 33% of global Octavia sales.

The third Octavia Combi (A7), launched on 7 March 2013, was even more successful. The range has gradually expanded to include an Octavia Scout, an outdoor version with an advanced 4×4 drive, automatic transmissions and many other modern features. Between 2012 and 2020, 1,195,500 units of the third generation of the Octavia Combi left the Škoda production plants.

Fourth generation: electrification
Launched in November 2019, the fourth generation is Skoda’s first-ever series production model with mild-hybrid e-TEC technology. For the first time ever, Škoda is also offering a plug-in-hybrid Octavia Combi iV which is available in the sporty Octavia Combi RS iV too. The fourth modern generation of the brand’s bestseller surpassed the quarter of a million units delivered to customers. The Škoda Octavia Combi thus reached more than 2.8 million customers in total over the past quarter of a century.

From March 1 to May 17, the story of the Octavia will be recalled by an exhibition at the Škoda Museum in Mladá Boleslav.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

90 years ago, in April 1933, Škoda came up with the perfect answer to the world economic crisis – the progressive people’s car 420. For the first time, it used a concept with a backbone chassis frame and independent wheel suspension, which was ahead of its time and remained competitive for almost half a century thanks to continuous innovations. The lightweight and rigid “steel backbone” of the modular construction has proven itself in two- to eight-cylinder Škoda cars with 4×2, 4×4 and 6×4 drive. These included the legendary Popular, Rapid, Superb, Octavia and Felicia models. Until 1980, proven Czech chassis were used for the production of Turkish Škoda 1202 Kamyonet pick-ups.

A trump against the crisis
Škoda’s journey to the position of the largest Czech car manufacturer and exporter, which it has been from 1936 to the present day, began as early as April 1929. The successful brand with a tradition since 1895 started efficient belt production in a modern factory in Mladá Boleslav. Initially, models of the classic concept with a ribbed chassis frame and rigid axles rolled off the line; from the spring of 1930, the four-meter-long Skoda 422, whose complete chassis weighed around 730 kg, formed the basis of the range.

A year later, after an eight-year working stay abroad, the experienced designer Ing. Josef Zubatý returned to Czechoslovakia. From the summer of 1932 he worked in the Prague office of Škoda on a completely new concept of cars with a longitudinal spine chassis frame. Originally, it was a beam of rectangular cross-section. At the front, the frame was forked to accommodate the engine flexibly. The rear-driven semi-axles were highly resistant to the stresses of gravitational forces, eliminating the weakness of some contemporary competitors. At the front, a rigid axle was used. First prototype went into service in September 1932, and production of Škoda 420s reached customers in April 1933. It was then that the world economic crisis reached its bottom in Czechoslovakia.

The foundation of the extended family
The ingenious backbone frame concept brought several significant benefits to customers. The 420 weighed about 200 kg less than its conventional predecessor, the Škoda 422, including bodywork only about 730 kg. A more durable chassis did reduce stresses on the bodywork. The independently suspended rear wheels followed the road surface better than the rigid axle, thus increasing the driving comfort noticeably. In April 1934 sales of the successor, the legendary Škoda Popular, started. The rectangular beam finally gave way to a tubular spine protecting the drive shaft. All four wheels already have independent suspension. The “steel backbone” was inherently very variable, and so during the 1930s alone, it was used in various designs on cars ranging in wheelbase from the 2.30m of the first Popular to the 3.40m of the eight-cylinder Superb 4000, not to mention the military special Škoda 903 with a 6×4 drive configuration and a wheelbase of 2470+920mm.

The progressive concept of the chassis has proven itself even in the most demanding operating conditions, including the journey of the Škoda Rapid car around the world (1936) and racing specials. From 1952, these chassis carried the new all-metal Škoda 1200 Sedan body, and seven years later the legendary Škoda Octavia and Felicia models began their careers. The last Czech representative of this successful extended family was the Škoda 1202 (1961-1973). But the modified chassis of the Octavia Super and 1202 also became the basis for several localized products, be it the New Zealand Trekka (1966-1972), the Pakistani Skopak (1970-1971), or the Turkish Škoda 1202 Kamyonet pick-up (1971-1980). Since 1964, Škoda’s large-scale production has been dominated by self-supporting bodies without a backbone chassis.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

The ninth Škoda Student Car will be more electrifying than ever while embracing Škoda’s explorer spirit. This year’s 29 apprentices are building a multifunctional camping and mobile-office vehicle based on the all-electric Škoda Enyaq iV SUV. Their dream car lives up to modern-day explorers’ needs and expectations. Backed by the Škoda Design team, the students have recently drafted their own initial design sketches for the Škoda Student Car.

Oliver Stefani, Head of Škoda Design, says: “We, at Škoda Design, are very happy that, as part of this fantastic project, we can give these young talents such a tangible insight into our everyday work and get them excited about it. The Student Car project combines three of Škoda’s great strengths: its can-do attitude, hands-on approach and tremendous team spirit. We at Škoda Design are already looking forward to the moment we get to behold the finished Student Car.

Designing a mobile home from home
Since 2014, Škoda Design has been one of the first stops on the journey of those vocational students participating in the project. Working with Head of Škoda Design Oliver Stefani and his team, they first come up with exterior and interior sketches of their dream car – which they will then go on to build themselves, from the initial concept to the finished product. The ninth Student Car is set to be a multifunctional mobile-office camper based on the Škoda Enyaq iV, the first Škoda production model built on Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB).

“Explore More” through the eyes of students
In their design sketches, the students have already defined the personality of their dream car. As a battery electric office camper, the first ever Student Car based on an Enyaq iV is intended to be a companion on journeys to new horizons. A personal space for experiences and discoveries, it also underlines Škoda’s commitment to electric mobility. As is typical for the brand, the upcoming Student Car will benefit from iconic “Simply Clever” features and state-of-the-art technology, while also incorporating a wide array of sustainable materials. The aim of the car is to let its owner become a digital nomad – working without being tied to a desk, free to move wherever and whenever they want to. It’s a perfect match for Škoda’s new “Explore More” concept and precisely the right vehicle for modern explorers and independent adventurers.

Jiří Hadaščok, Exterior Design Coordinator at Škoda, says: “Students of Škoda Vocational School are doing an amazing job. Personally, I always enjoy being involved in the project, supporting the apprentices and reaping my own benefits from them, too. It’s great to look at the design process from a different angle and to explore new approaches. The way our students are translating the ‘Explore More’ concept into concrete ideas, and seeing how they put them into practice, is really impressive.”

Agáta Fraňková is a painter in the second year of her apprenticeship. Her sketches impressed the Škoda Design team so much that she became the first participant since the inception of the Student Car project to be offered an internship at the department. She adds: “The Škoda Student Car is an amazing project. In the beginning, we were particularly exicted about the support from Škoda Design. I am really happy to be part of this team and I am looking forward to getting to know the designers’ work up close – learning about different modern design techniques and further developing my skills.”

Škoda Student Cars – exceptional projects since 2014
Since 2014, members of each year at the Škoda Vocational School have designed a striking concept car which they have then built themselves. The first Student Car, in 2014, was the Citijet, which was based on the Škoda Citigo. This was followed by the Funstar, a pickup version of the Škoda Fabia, and the Atero coupé, based on the Rapid Spaceback. In 2017, the apprentices completed their first electric car, the Element, two years ahead of the electric Citigoe iV production model. The Sunroq of 2018 was a convertible version of the Karoq SUV, followed a year later by the spectacular Mountiaq pickup concept, based on the Škoda Kodiaq SUV. In 2020, the students presented the Slavia Spider, derived from the Scala. In 2022, after a year’s hiatus during the covid pandemic, Škoda Motorsport entered the fray for the first time by supporting the Škoda Afriq, a car that was built for rallying and was based on the Kamiq’s City SUV model.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

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