The news is according to Skoda, and it is not all good

Those who managed to look beyond the pyrotechnics and lights show at Skoda's grandiose event discovered the real challenge of the Czech manufacturer

Kenan Cohen

11/09/2022

Sunday, September 11, 2022, 1:01 p.m. Updated: 1:12 p.m.

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Skoda Vision 7S (manufacturer)

In a huge hall, in front of hundreds of journalists, Skoda chose to hold the launch event of the company's strategy and vision for the coming years.

However, in reality where the company's customers wait half a year or more for cars, the talk of investments of hundreds of millions of euros in the future of e-mobility is less interesting, the futuristic concept car is irrelevant and changing the logo is really unnecessary if there are no cars to put it on.

We waited patiently for the end of the show and went down to do what journalists do, forgo the translation of the communiqué and the message page and ask the senior executives of the manufacturer about the things that are really interesting, even if they are not always comfortable answering them.

Klaus Zellmer, the incoming CEO of Skoda (photo: Manufacturer's website)

In the hustle and bustle of the crowd, and the music is too loud for the event (there is nothing less cool than trying to be cool by force) I stand in front of Bjorn Krol, the marketing strategy manager for Skoda products, and ask him if the chip crisis, the corona virus and the supply difficulties due to the war are changing the company's expansion plans.

Bjorn explains that currently the difficulty is only delaying supplies, but there is no change in the company's expansion plans.

That is, with regards to the plans of continuing to introduce the brand to India, and introducing the latest and new models of Superb and Kodiak (in 2023) and Octavia (in 2024) there is no change.

As well as in the plans to introduce electric models, which should bring it to about 70% electric drive in Europe by 2026.

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Skoda Aniac and Aniac Coupe are currently the only two electric products of the manufacturer (Photo: Yoel Schwartz)

- What can you say to the Israeli customers who wait six months or more for their new car?

"We believe that during 2023 we will be able to overcome the supply problems.

Israel is a very important market for us.

We make special efforts to solve these problems.

We know how to be flexible in our production process.

One unique solution, for example, is that the Aniac is produced on the same line as the Octavia.

We have a method that allows us to move from the production of one model to another relatively quickly as soon as we identify a shortage or delay in the components of one of the models in order not to stop the construction chain of the cars.''

"We still enjoy a very high rate of repeat customers with 60 percent loyalty to the brand, I hope we can catch up with demand and keep them with us, the good news is that the competition is facing similar difficulties"

New design language, clean and functional lines (photo: manufacturer website)

From Carroll, I move on to the person who was at the center of this evening - Klaus Zellmer, the incoming CEO of the manufacturer who marks two months in the job after a year and a half in the management of Volkswagen's passenger car division and a long career at Porsche, since 1997.

"At the product level, I want to maintain the attitude of authenticity, of the slogan that accompanies Skoda - simple and smart, of high value for the customer.

This is what people associate with a brand.

What I would like to see change is to make the cars more desirable, ones with more emotions, that will bring us customers outside the Volkswagen Group"

"On the level of culture in the company, I am a people person, I want to create an atmosphere where Skoda employees from all departments can come and offer ideas and move forward.

I believe that the intelligence of the company is found in the entire workforce.

In order to develop, you need diversity, you need different opinions, innovation does not come from rational people."

Regarding delivery times, Zalmer tries not to raise expectations.

"We are seeing an improvement in the second half of the year compared to the first, the chip supply is stabilizing and we are producing at the maximum capacity of the production lines. We will see an improvement, if there is any, only in 2023."

The screen is vertical while driving (photo: manufacturer's website)

and in a horizontal position while charging (photo: manufacturer's website)

And what about the prices?

Will we see a change in the path where prices move in one direction - up?

''We are in transition from gasoline cars to electric cars where the sales volume is lower and they are more expensive to manufacture.

On the other hand, the gasoline cars have more volume, but we pay more fines for air pollution, and this leads to an increase in prices.

As for the price increase, that's the way of the industry when my parents bought our first family car - the beetle - it was very cheap, cars always get more expensive.

Our challenge at Skoda will be to be able to bring our three electric cars that we will present in 2026 to a good price, hopefully below what is customary today.

In other words, then yes, car prices will go up.

So what will you meet there from Skoda?

Six seats and a designated position for the baby in the safest place in the car - the center (photo: manufacturer's website)

So after a successful opening for her with 70,000 cars of the electric Aniak and Aniak Coupe models, we won't see much electricity in Skoda, at least not in the near future.

Only in 2026 will it add 3 new vehicles to its offer;

A super mini that will probably be a twin to the Cobra Bourne, a compact crossover and the one that will mature into a production model based on the ideas presented by the manufacturer in the Vision 7S concept car.

Including the manufacturer's new design language as reflected in the model.

With the usual reservations required from a concept car that presents a very general and non-binding image, Skoda says that the vehicle will offer a seating configuration of 7 seats, although here it is shown with a seventh seat that is actually a device for a baby seat.

Also in the passenger compartment is a 14.6-inch central multimedia screen that can be changed from a vertical display while driving to a horizontal position that allows viewing of content while charging, for example, as well as front seats that can be moved to an almost reclining position.

To drive the model, Skoda designates Volkswagen's MEB electric platform, with an engine that feeds an 89 kWh battery and on paper will provide a range of 600 km.

It should also support 200kW fast charging.

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