Skoda Superb News

Chinese auto giant Chery may have kick-started the Chinese push into the Aussie new-car market, but in recent years a slew of other challengers from China have joined it.How’s this for a laundry list of newcomers within the last few years? BYD, Deepal, Foton, Geely, a ramped up GWM Haval, JAC, Jaecoo, LDV, Leapmotor, MG, Omoda, Smart, XPeng and Zeekr, with Aion, Avatr, GAC, Jetour, Lepas, Lynk & Co, Skywell and others waiting in the wings.Phew! Talk about an onslaught… and that’s not even taking into account other arrivals like Cupra from Spain, a reinvigorated Mahindra from India and a reborn Smart from Germany (via China).So, as an established competitor in this market do you adopt a siege mentality, pull the doona over your head and hope it all goes away or embrace the fluidity and look for opportunity in chaos?Clearly Skoda Australia Director Lucie Kuhn is an opportunity seeker because when recently asked about the dynamics of the current market, she told CarsGuide, “The Chinese will be with us. We can’t avoid it.“I think it is obvious that for every OEM in the Australian market right now the situation will be quite challenging. “But it will be for everyone, it’s not only for Skoda. It will also be for the big players a challenge to face mainly an influx from China.“It’s a matter of how you take this topic. Do you perceive it as a threat or an opportunity?” she said.And Kuhn sees Skoda’s relatively small scale as a potential advantage.“When you operate in rather niche volumes the threat of getting somehow harmed is smaller than maybe for the brands that have really significant market share.“The Chinese will grow pretty strong and get their market share; this is obvious. The next three years will be intensive for everyone.” And when asked if the brand’s ‘clever’ positioning still does enough to stand the Czech brand apart with so many new players coming in, her position is clear.“We believe so. I think in (the next three years) we have something to offer, to empower the brand, to increase the awareness, to offer this European value, consistency in products, safety, servicing, the customer experience that is around it. “I am quite sure that we will keep going and growing our sales, as well,” she said. And with a recent product refresh up and down the local Skoda range her confidence appears to be well placed.New products coming into the local Skoda portfolio include the recently launched MY26 Kodiaq (now with a flagship RS version), updated Octavia RS, fourth-gen Superb and the just-arrived Elroq compact EV SUV arriving in tandem with the updated Enyaq medium EV SUV.And soon enough they will be joined by the city-sized Epiq EV SUV and a production version of the large three-row Vision 7S, both confirmed for Australian sale by 2027.

Skoda Australia Head of Marketing & Product Kieran Merrigan has confirmed a raft of new pure-electric and hybrid models for local sale over the next three years, including high-performance RS EVs, two plug-in hybrids and production versions of recently unveiled high-profile concept SUVs.

The latest safety assessment results released by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) have confirmed maximum five-star results for a trio of recent arrivals - the Kia Carnival, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Skoda Superb.

After years of ruling out plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology locally, Skoda Australia is gearing up to potentially roll out two PHEV models as early as the end of this year.The Czech carmaker is currently testing its new Superb PHEV locally ahead of a potential launch either in late 2025 or early 2026.Speaking to CarsGuide, Skoda Australia head of marketing and product Kieran Merrigan said local testing for this model has been underway for a month.“The Superb everyone’s asking about, the plug-in hybrid that’s available in Europe, is under evaluation ,” said Merrigan.“Maybe two things to note with that is, first thing we actually have a car here doing some local testing.“We’re about a month into that, and some really, really positive results so far. There’s probably a couple months to go.“Just to highlight … it is important for us to do local testing on our cars.“The second part is we need to evaluate and get the pricing nailed for the current market.“So those two things are happening in parallel, but we do hope to have Superb PHEV offered in market toward the end of this year or early next year," he said.In addition to the Skoda Superb PHEV, the brand is also currently evaluating the new Kodiaq PHEV as another model to launch locally.Both of these models are equipped with the Volkswagen Group’s second-generation plug-in hybrid system for vehicles built on the MQB platform.They have a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that’s capable of producing 110kW of power, as well as an 85kW electric motor integrated into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that’s fed by a 25.7kWh battery pack.Claimed range for both the Superb and Kodiaq PHEVs is over 100km.The reason why these PHEVs did launch at the same time as the turbo-petrol range is apparently down to lack of testing, according to Merrigan.“We did some overseas testing, and it’s just that our climate is different to some of the European markets,” he said.“So there was some testing done in South America or Central America, which … was the first tick, and then that gave us the ability to actually fly some cars out from … a European market and test locally.”Beyond PHEVs, Skoda has confirmed it’s currently evaluating mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrains for a number of models and could launch them locally as soon as 2026.It’s these new powertrain technologies, along with a refreshed vehicle line-up that Skoda expects will help uplift its slump in local sales.In the first five months of 2025 a total of 1784 Skoda examples were sold in Australia, which is down 22.0 per cent year-on-year.The current best-seller is the Skoda Kodiaq (572 sales), which was recently launched in new-generation guise, followed by the Kamiq (311 sales) and Octavia (291 sales). The latter recently launched in mid-life updated guise.

Skoda has announced significant saving on its run-out Superb range before the end of the year. 

Skoda has unveiled its next-generation Superb, which is due in sedan and wagon form in Australia from early 2025.

Skoda is taking charge of the development of one of the key mechanical elements withing the Volkswagen Group - its entry-level EA211 engines.

Australians love wagons. But the advent of SUVs and their sheer popularity against waning sedan sales means that wagon numbers, too, have dropped. From nearly 40 different models to choose from a decade ago, today, that number is down to a dozen... and dropping.

Skoda’s most popular models have had their prices increased for 2023 in a range adjustment that coincides with pricing changes made by many brands at the beginning of 2023.

Skoda has become the first European manufacturer to offer customers a seven-year warranty as standard on new cars.It joins the likes of Kia, MG, GWM Haval and SsangYong in the seven-year club, bested by Mitsubishi's decade-long conditional warranty.Skoda