Skoda's freshly minted electrified sub-brand, iV, will have a delayed start in Australia, with the brand’s local arm ruling out a launch of the Superb plug-in hybrid and all-electric Citigo e that were just revealed at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
The iV brand is home to just those two cars at the moment, but Skoda executives were busy talking up its bright future, with the brand planning a two-billion-euro investment in electric vehicles and other mobility services.
“Under this one umbrella, the company bundles the development of its own family of electrified cars sporting an emotive design, a future-oriented interior and state-of-the-art technologies, and the establishment of a special ecosystem for mobility solutions,” Skoda says.
But just when the brand will arrive in Australia remains in doubt, with local executives ruling out the first two releases for a local debut.
“City cars just don’t sell in Australia,” says VW Group PR manager, Kurt McGuiness. “And regarding the Superb, it just makes no sense to bring in a hybrid that requires the same infrastructure as a pure EV.”
The Superb and the Citigo are the first two electrified vehicles from Skoda. The flagship Superb pairs a petrol engine with an electric motor that will deliver up to 56km in all-electric range, while the VW Up-based Citigo makes use of a 61kW electric motor to deliver 260km in range.
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Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist
Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold.
But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul.
And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard.
When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House.
But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others.
More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.
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