The forthcoming Skoda Kodiaq coupe could be sold in Europe after all, according to the firm’s boss Bernhard Maier.
The car, which is already under development but which is yet to be revealed, was originally planned for sale in China only, with insiders expressing fears that the upmarket model would undermine Skoda’s reputation for a focus on good value if sold in Europe.
However, positive reaction to the standard Skoda Kodiaq, plus a shift to build stronger brand awareness of Skoda, has prompted a rethink, with Maier pushing to have a solution in place by spring 2017.
“The good news is that the markets are asking for it,” said Maier. “The difficulty is getting enough production capacity to meet demand - our factory in the Czech Republic is already running 24 hours a day six days a week. It is a very complex question.”
Maier added that he was considering all possibilities for increasing production, including potentially manufacturing the car in China for export elsewhere. “The issue then is the transport, logistics and tariff costs - it is not a simple solution,” he said.
Maier also reaffirmed that Kodiaq vRS versions are in the pipeline. “Technically it is possible, but we are still building the business case,” he said. “If we can make the case for profitable cars, then why not?”
It is likely that both petrol and diesel Kodiaq vRS models would be offered, linked to four-wheel drive systems and producing around 300bhp.
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