Skoda Boss Maier: Our Future Begins Today

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

Skoda celebrated the world premiere of the Kodiaq, a seven-seater SUV, with a big celebration in Berlin's in-location Kraftwerk. The brand wants to continue growing with him and is thus starting the Strategy 2025, as Skoda boss Bernhard Maier said.

By Frank Mertens

A new model is always important for a car manufacturer. But the Skoda Kodiaq has a special meaning for the VW subsidiary. With the seven-seater SUV, the Czech carmaker is initiating its next growth step - and more will follow.

On Thursday evening Skoda celebrated the world premiere of the Kodiaq in the Berlin in-location Kraftwerk in front of 600 international guests from 31 countries. Incidentally, on September 8th, the rock super band Red Hot Chili Peppers will celebrate their first 360 degree live performance in the Kraftwerk. With the Kodiaq, Skoda will be offering a model from March next year that is in a real boom segment.

Market launch in March

No other segment is currently growing as fast as that of compact SUVs. “With the Skoda Kodiaq we are breaking new ground and opening up new markets. With our first large SUV we are conquering a new segment for the brand - and with it new customer groups,”said Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier. As the manager said, all of your experience was put into this car to make it a success.

As sales director Werner Eichhorn added, the Kodiaq will be launched in March of next year, a model that will be in the compact SUV segment, currently the fastest growing segment in the automotive industry. "The Kodiaq will be the basis for our future profitable growth and the development of new markets," said Eichhorn. The development of new markets also includes examining market entry in the USA, as Maier emphasized. It would be negligent not to include such a large market in his considerations, emphasized the Skoda boss. A decision as to whether Skoda will continue to sell its cars in the USA in the second half of the coming year can be expected.

It doesn't stop with the Kodiaq and Yeti

Against this background, Maier, who does not look back, but looks ahead, does not describe the Kodiaq as the most important new model of the past few years, but it is without question the most important car for the future of the brand. Against the background of the great demand for SUVs, it won't stay with the Kodiaq and Yeti, which will receive a model overhaul in the coming year. More SUVs will follow.

In the end, there should be a total of five SUVs that Skoda wants to offer its customers and with which they want to gradually approach their medium-term sales target of 1.5 million vehicles worldwide. “With its concept, its striking design and as the first Skoda that can be online at any time and thus offers even more comfort, security and information in real time, it makes the brand even more attractive. He is the pioneer of a broad-based SUV offensive from Skoda,”says Maier.

With the Skoda Kodiaq, Skoda not only addresses private but also commercial customers. In Germany alone, they account for around 40 percent of sales, which were around 180,000 vehicles in the previous year. "The Kodiaq is another milestone for Skoda - and an excellent start for my new job"; said Frank Jürgens, who took up his new position as head of the brand in Germany on Thursday and succeeds Imelda Labbé, who is responsible for Volkswagen's global aftersales business.

Sufficient space in the interior

With its length of 4.70 meters, optional seven seats and a generous trunk volume, the Kodiaq is of course also an ideal car for families. The Kodiaq has space for at least 720 liters of luggage. With the rear seat folded down, there are even 2065 liters. If you fold down the passenger seat in the Kodiaq, objects with a length of up to 2.90 meters can be transported.

The space for the rear passengers is as large as the space in the trunk. This is not only ensured by the width of 1.88 meters and a height of 1.67 meters, but above all the wheelbase of 2.79 meters. With its basic TSI engine and front-wheel drive, the Kodiaq weighs only 1452 kg, the 1.4 TSI with 4 × 4 drive weighs 1540 kg. “The optional third row of seats and the largest trunk compared to the competition alone make our new SUV the ideal companion for every requirement of the day,” said Skoda Development Director Christian Strube.

As befits a new model, the Kodiaq will come with a variety of modern driver assistance systems from next year. In addition to a lane departure warning system, an emergency braking function and an adaptive speed control, this also includes a trailer assist, which is intended to make parking with a trailer much easier. The features also include an area view: thanks to wide-angle lenses, the surroundings of the car can be observed and displayed on the on-board monitor, for example to make parking easier.

Adjustable seats

The Kodiaq, which is optionally available as a seven-seater, has seats that can be adjusted for length and angle. They can be used to respond to a wide variety of seating and loading requirements. Of course, the mobile services in the Kodiaq should not be missing. With the Skoda Connect, the services of Infotainment Online with navigation in real time as well as the remote vehicle access from Care Connect including an emergency call are available. The price of the Kodiaq will be around 25,000 euros.

“In Kodiaq you are always on,” says Maier. “The Skoda Kodiaq proves the brand's innovative strength with driver assistance systems, infotainment and connectivity. Here it offers technology from a higher class and is thus at the top of its segment,”said Strube. For the first time, a so-called Trailer Assist is used in the Kodiaq. They are all features that are otherwise only found in higher classes. "A Skoda always has to offer a little more car, the best in its segment," said Maier. This is what you want with the Kodiaq, which is why you are also starting strategy 2025 with it. "Our future begins today."