Skoda has just rolled out the three millionth SUV. It is a black Kodiaq Sportline that has been manufactured at the Kvasiny plant in Slovakia, which is just one of the five countries where the Czech carmaker builds vehicles.
Skoda has produced over 841,000 Kodiaq examples to date and is getting ready to roll out the second generation of the model, which is the largest in the carmaker’s lineup and is also available in a seven-seat configuration. The Kodiaq will also come as a plug-in hybrid model, capable of driving on electric power only for over 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The Skoda-badged SUV story started with the Yeti, Skoda’s fifth model series, back in 2009. It did not exactly look like a typical SUV, but it had a high ground clearance of one, it was compact, yet spacious and sported the Simply Clever features like the VarioFlex seats, which made it more practical than other cars out there. Skoda produced more than 684,000 Yetis. Production came to an end in 2018.
Later on, the Czech carmaker kicked off the K lineup. It started with the Kodiaq in 2016, with the RS version, the first SUV to join the Skoda RS family, in the fall of 2018.
Then the Karoq made its global debut in 2017. On sale in 60 countries by 2021, it was sold in over 705,000 units, ranking third after the best-selling Octavia and Kamiq.
Photo: Skoda
2019 was the year of the Kamiq, which became an instant hit. The city crossover was a bestseller in both 2021 and 2022. In China, customers also get the Kamiq GT. Over 537,000 units were sold in the model’s four years on the market. Skoda came up with the updated version of the model back in August.
The first all-electric SUV came in the shape of the Enyaq, followed by the Coupe variant. Now SUVs represent nearly half of Skoda’s global deliveries. To date, Skoda built over 166,00 units of the Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe at the Mlada Boleslav production facility.
Next up for Skoda is switching to an entirely electric lineup and adapting the production facilities to the new strategy.
Made in India for the local market, the Skoda Kushaq sold in nearly 64,000 units since launch, in 2021. Starting the second half of 2024, the plant in Pune, India, will export the model as CKD (Completely Knocked Down) to Vietnam for the final assembly.
The Skoda SUVs see the light of day in several plants located in the Czech Republic, China, India, Ukraine, and Slovakia. The Kamiq, Enyaq, and Enyaq Coupe are made in the Czech Republic, at the Mlada Boleslav plant. Meanwhile, the Karoq and Kodiaq roll out the production line in Kvasiny, Slovakia.
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