Skoda wants affordable EVs as it refocuses on value

Skoda Australia has admitted that the brand’s focus on value has been blurry in recent years, but the company is looking to address that with a range of new European-sourced affordable models.

The Czech brand has confirmed its hopes to offer a pair of new affordable electric vehicles in the coming years to help it cut-through to a new EV buyer demographic, while still asserting its intentions to have a number of sub-$40K petrol models available for customers to choose.

The EVs in the equation are the the still-to-be-revealed Elroq SUV, an electric replacement for the Karoq, and the recently-rendered Epiq compact SUV [↗️], which is set to be a cut-price offering in Europe, with a target price of €25,000 (AUD $41,450).

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2024 Skoda Enyaq Sportline IV

Mr Irmer was particularly enthused by the concept of the Epiq compact SUV

The first electric model from Skoda will launch this year - the Enyaq crossover SUV, and the RS version, arrive in October - and Skoda Australia managing director Michael Irmer told media at a recent event that the company is hopeful it will add the Epiq small SUV, Elroq midsize model, and a new electric seven-seater (presaged by the Vision 7S concept), as well as an electric wagon to its ranks in the coming years.

Mr Irmer was particularly enthused by the concept of the Epiq compact SUV, which is based on the new MEB Entry platform that will also underpin the VW ID.2, and which promises to put affordability at the forefront for EV customers when it’s launched in 2025.

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Skoda Epiq concept render

“The Epiq is made to make e-mobility more accessible for the masses. For Europe, the car is contemplated to get a €25,000 starting price, but this is a lower specification than what we get.

"But we have the advantage in Australia that, given the competitive forces, our price level for a similar spec is actually quite a bit lower than in Europe,” he said, suggesting the $41,500 price point could be achievable.

“We can’t wait for this car to come, it’s going to be awesome. At the moment we’re working in the business case phase to confirm any release date,” he said.

“We’ll get the Elroq as well. It has not been shown in full… and the Elroq in size, will come as a medium, so between the Enyaq [large] and the Epiq [small],” Mr Irmer explained, before reinforcing there will also be the seven-seater large SUV that sits above the Elroq, and will sit alongside the new-generation Kodiaq model.

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“And last but not least, what Skoda stands for, what the brand is strong for, it’s wagons. There were times we were the biggest wagon seller in the marketplace. But Skoda is synonymous with wagons, so it’s fitting for us to bring an electric wagon as well,” he said.

With new EV players entering the market on what feels like a monthly basis, Mr Irmer made it clear that the brand is conscious of the important role that affordable electric cars will play through this decade.

Skoda’s focus on affordable motoring also extends to internal combustion engine (ICE) models, with Skoda recently adding a base model Kamiq Run-Out for $32,990 drive-away, and the brand will soon have a more palatable-priced Fabia as well, given the current Monte Carlo spec stings with a $38,990 drive-away point.

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Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo

Mr Irmer reaffirmed the brand’s intentions to have a cheaper Fabia, which has been slow to arrive in Australia, having launched in Europe in late 2021.

“It’s very difficult in this space, economically, as you would have seen - many other brands have really also struggled, Toyota was the first one, to keep it commercially viable,” he said “So we needed to get it right, and that took a little longer than expected, and now the car is coming, we’re happy to say.

“The ‘entry’ is a ‘mid-spec’, so it probably won’t be sub [$30K drive-away]. It’s really a challenging territory, and as you know, even some of the other players are getting up there as well,” he said of the new base Fabia, due here in July.

The brand also confirmed that the affordable base model versions of the Scala and Kamiq, with the three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbo 85TSI engine, will continue on when the facelifted versions of each of those models launch here in the middle of 2024.