2 New Skoda SUVs Launching Soon: Diesel Coming Back!
All hope is not lost for Skoda fans in India. Skoda is planning to launch two new SUVs in the Indian market. According to the latest reports, there is a possibility that the brand might bring back the diesel engine to the country. Most car manufacturers in India have started discontinuing diesel engines due to stricter emission norms and the cost of development. All brands under the Volkswagen group only offer petrol engines with their models. However, in a recent interview, the brand confirmed that they are studying the possibility of introducing a diesel engine SUV to the market.
The first is the Skoda Kodiaq. It has been the flagship SUV from the Czech car brand for a very long time. It was introduced to the market seven years ago and has sold nearly 10,000 units since then.
While speaking to Carandbike, Petr Janeba, Skoda India brand director, said that they plan to launch the next-generation Kodiaq SUV in the Indian market. The SUV is expected to be launched by mid-2025. It is with the Kodiaq that the brand plans to reintroduce the diesel engine.
Speaking to the publication, Petr Janeba said, “It will only be the 2.0 [TSI] EA888 third-generation engine with the new [Kodiaq], like we have now. If we bring the diesel, it will be a CBU. It is a possibility, but as you can imagine, a CBU will probably have slightly different pricing, and hence it will be much lower volume. So we are talking about 100 to 200 cars a year. But first, we will launch the locally assembled Kodiaq. And, after it touches the ground in India, we will probably experiment with the diesel as well.”
The brand also mentioned that if they launch the Kodiaq diesel in the Indian market, it will not be available across the nation, as the demand for diesel vehicles has dropped in certain states. It would be available only in select regions when launched. That is one reason why Skoda is considering shipping the diesel Kodiaq in limited numbers initially.
Sub-4 meter Skoda
The second product Skoda plans to launch in the Indian market is the sub-4 meter SUV. Skoda is testing the upcoming SUV, which has been spotted on the road several times.
We all know that the name of the SUV will start with K and end with Q. Skoda India has high hopes for the upcoming SUV. They expect customers to accept the sub-4 meter SUV just like the Kushaq.
Kushaq was, in fact, one of the models that helped Skoda stay in the market. However, the demand for the Kushaq is slowly decreasing for various reasons, and with the upcoming SUV, Skoda wants to push sales and retain sales momentum.
The upcoming sub-4 meter SUV will compete with cars like Maruti Brezza, Tata Nexon, Mahindra XUV300, Hyundai Venue, and Kia Sonet. The all-new Skoda SUV is expected to reach dealerships by February 2025. The success of the sub-4 meter SUV plays a crucial role in Skoda’s “Next Level Strategy.” One of the key goals under the new strategy is to achieve annual sales of at least 100,000 in India starting in 2026.
The Skoda SUV will be offered with a 1.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine, which we have already seen in the Slavia and Kushaq. The engine will be available with manual and automatic transmission options. In terms of design, it is expected to look like a mini version of the Kushaq.