Skoda had its Annual Press Conference this week and made several noteworthy announcements about its immediate plans. 2021 is going to be a busy year as the Czech brand will introduce the all-new Fabia in May, but the supermini won't be followed shortly by the more practical wagon. In a somewhat surprising move, the Combi will not arrive until 2023.
The plan is to kick off production of the subcompact wagon in about two years from now at the Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic. It will only be possible after moving production of the Superb at the VW Group plant in Bratislava for the next generation of Skoda's flagship model. The new VW Passat – rumored to be offered only as a wagon – will also be built in Slovakia's capital alongside the mechanically related Superb. The two will be developed in Mladá Boleslav.
Meanwhile, 2021 will see the unveiling of the Enyaq iV Coupe, a swoopy version of Skoda's first dedicated EV and a sister model of the upcoming VW ID.5. The company's SUV portfolio will be freshened up furthermore with the unveiling of the Karoq and Kodiaq facelifts. The recently introduced Kushaq crossover will be launched as the first dedicated model for India, while China will be getting the long-wheelbase Octavia Pro.
In the long run, Skoda chairman Thomas Schäfer said the successful brand will get a smaller EV to slot below the Enyaq iV. He didn't go into details, but it is believed the model in question will be Skoda's equivalent of the VW ID.3 hatchback. There are also plans for a new entry-level electric car, presumably to replace the Citigo-e iV. The A-segment EV will likely be a Skoda version of the new affordable electric car SEAT is developing for a 2025 launch when we're also expecting to see the VW ID.1. Later on, there will be an Octavia-like EV.
Skoda's head honcho also promised to maintain the brand's value-oriented proposition by rolling out new entry-level trim levels for all of its existing models. Thomas Schäfer says "these have been costed down to the last penny and will therefore appeal to a larger target group." Speaking of keeping costs down, the new Fabia won't be electrified at all, not even with a mild-hybrid setup.
