The Czech Volkswagen subsidiary is expanding its range of SUVs to include the Kamiq and, in addition to the world premiere of the next Octavia, is preparing to enter electromobility.
SUVs have followed a fixed rule at Skoda since 2016. Their names must begin with "K" and end with "q". The Kodiaq started, followed by the Karoq 2017. And now Kamiq. Model names such as "Artic" and "Polar", as they have been haunted by the media for a long time, are now a thing of the past for the third SUV. Even the “Yeti” familiar to Skoda drivers had no chance of being taken over by the marketing strategists. With a length of around 4,24 meters, the Kamiq is the smallest in the triple bundle and is based on the MQB A0 architecture. This week it celebrates its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. The city SUV will be launched in the fall and will be built in Mlada Boleslav, Skoda's headquarters in the Czech Republic.
The daytime running lights on the Kamiq are very striking. They sit above the headlights, unique in the model portfolio so far. The large and confident name lettering on the rear can be seen as a new design language at Skoda. It replaces the brand logo. Skoda implemented this change for the first time in mid-December at the Scala - successor to the Rapid Spaceback. Little by little, all Skoda models will bear their names. The idea came from China.
In terms of drive technology, nothing revolutionary happens in the Kamiq. Well-known three and four cylinders from the group shelf are used. The performance range is between 70 kW / 95 PS and 110 kW / 150 PS. All gasoline engines have a particle filter, the only diesel in the range (1,6-liter TDI with 85 kW / 115 hp) runs with SCR catalytic converter and Adblue injection. There will also be natural gas drive, but not plug-in hybrid, 48-volt is planned for a later date. You save four-wheel drive. Firstly, this does not give the platform, secondly, the Czechs call their Kamiq "Urban Crossover", because it does not require expensive and heavy 4 × 4 technology.
In late summer, Skoda shows the next generation of the Octavia. By far the best-selling model in the range grows to an impressive 4,70 meters and will therefore drive in the middle class in the future. First you want to send the Combi to the market, which is the most popular version anyway. The sedan will follow in early 2020. The plug-in hybrid drive of the VW Passat GTE will not be available at the market launch, it will probably be available for the first facelift.
The first part-time Stromer will be the Superb this year. The brand's flagship is said to create an electrical range of 70 kilometers. Skoda's smallest, the e-Citigo, is four times the distance. The blueprint here is the VW e-Up, which is said to cover almost 300 kilometers using a new battery. Because this model at VW and, corresponding to the e-Citigo at Skoda (and the Seat e-Mii), can provide enormous leverage in reducing CO2 fleet consumption, Skoda is also planning to offer the e-Citigo at a very low price Market press. Motto: Better not earn anything than pay a fine to Brussels. Rumors are growing that the little Czech could only cost around 17.000 euros. Deducting the premiums from the state - provided the theoretical environmental bonus expires in summer - and from the trade and minus the 0,5 percent company car regulation, such a city electric car would be a highly attractive temptation not only for many companies to switch to e-mobility ,
Skoda's first electric car based on the newly developed MEB architecture will be on sale in 2020. The “Vision E” study has already specified the design and size. Design boss Oliver Stefani will probably stick to this in the production model to a large extent - only to hand in a sportier coupé version on the same platform a year later.