● Cheap EV could be built in India to keep costs low● New EVs won’t be reliant on touchscreens
Steve Fowler Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk@stevefowler
SKODA is currently breaking sales records across Europe, moving up to become the seventh biggest car maker in the region last year. Sales in the UK are booming, too, jumping more than 40 per cent in 2023 and giving the brand record market share. There’s much more to come, with new Superb and Kodiaq models recently unveiled, and an updated Octavia just revealed (Page 6). The Elroq EV is due later this year, with a bigger electric car, based on the 7S Concept, set to follow in 2026. There are more small Skodas on the horizon, too.
So when Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer asked if we wanted to go for a drive and chat about all things Skoda, how could we refuse? With us piloting Zellmer in the very latest Enyaq (also driven on Page 22), we talked about everything from more affordable EVs, to how Skoda will deal with tech in its new models.
Zellmer and his team also showed us how the brand will be taking tech into the showroom, with the use of touchscreens and video walls, as well as into your pocket via the latest iteration of Skoda’s app.
QWhat makes Skoda different?
ASkoda is all about functions; it has to work, it has to be intuitive, with huge space for luggage and for passengers. You should feel comfortable – it’s more family oriented. It’s your companion and it’s not your buddy for racing. You can go fast as well, look at this car [Enyaq] with 300 horsepower and all-wheel drive, but you don’t have to – and if you don’t want to, it’s a casual ride that provides everything you need.
Q If Skoda is about function, how should a Skoda touchscreen integrate in the car?
ASkoda has never gone flat-out on digitising everything. We’ve always stuck to certain buttons that you want to press and something happens immediately without taking your eyes off the road. If you now look at the new Superb and Kodiaq, we combined the two worlds because you have the smart dials, which are super-intuitive.
Q Will owners of future Skoda EVs get a different experience in their cars?
A I’m convinced it’s a combination, because some buttons that you press and something happens immediately just make more sense than a menu or some artificial intelligence that realises you have a certain preference for a certain temperature at a certain
