Skoda India eyeing EV offensive: Elroq, Enyaq, Kodiaq facelift timeline disclosed by Petr Janeba

Based on inputs from interview conducted by Arpit Mahendra.
Building on the success of its

India 2.0 strategy

, which saw the company achieve 1,00,000 unit sales in just two years—the shortest time span in its history in India—Skoda India is preparing to launch the 2024 Kodiaq. While the

Kushaq

and

Slavia

have been the top contributors to this impressive volume, the Kodiaq also reached its highest sales during this period.

To put this achievement in perspective, it previously took Skoda over six years to reach this milestone.
We spoke to

Petr Janeba

, Brand Director at

Skoda India

, to understand more about the updated Kodiaq, the company's strategic plans and the anticipated arrival of other models, specifically EVs. .
Skoda Kodiaq: Kushaq and Slavia lead but Kodiaq has also impressed

Since its introduction in 2017, the Kodiaq has been a game-changer for the brand globally and in India, said Janeba. "The Kodiaq marked our entry into the seven-seater SUV segment. It has not only enhanced our brand image but also attracted a new customer base." As Kodiaq celebrates its seven-year anniversary, the carmaker is offering a seven-day special festive offer with a 7 percent customer advantage.
In India, the company believes that the Kodiaq has carved out a unique niche, offering consistent sales volume with its single engine, platform, and four-wheel-drive automatic DSG system. “Surprisingly, in India, where the market is pretty much novelty-driven, except the spike in the beginning, the car was very much stable,” he said.

Skoda India: Upcoming EV launches
The carmaker has an aggressive lineup expansion planned for the next 12-14 months. In addition to the new Kodiaq, the brand plans to launch a compact SUV, the

Octavia vRS

, and updates to the Kushaq and Slavia (these won’t be facelifts). However, some key highlights will be the anticipated arrivals of two brand-new electric vehicles. After the

Enyaq

EV, which was first showcased at the Bharat Mobility Show earlier this year, the company is planning to bring the

Elroq

EV to our shores, however, with a condition.
At present, the mass-market EVs are doing fairly well, however, on the higher-end of the spectrum, Janeba believes that the market has challenges. “The government needs to design supportive regulations for faster adoption. We have a new EV, the Elroq, launching in Europe next year. We are evaluating whether to bring it to India alongside the Enyaq under the new government support scheme. If the policy allows, we can bring more cars, potentially up to 8,000 annually across all brands. If not, we'll start with limited numbers, focusing on the Enyaq.”
"If the government’s EV policy is favorable, we might launch the Enyaq and Elroq EVs together in 2026," Janeba said.

Skoda Kodiaq Facelift: Launch timeline
As for the 2024 Kodiaq, the company is currently setting up new logistics storage racks, as most parts, including the chassis, are imported from Europe and assembled at its Indian plant. While some components, like the engine, are produced locally, the rest are imported and assembled here. However, the launch can only take place by mid 2025, Janeba confirmed.
“The new model will arrive next year, as planned. We'll sell the current model until the end of this year, followed by a three to six-month break before the new one is launched. If sales accelerate during our seven-day festive offer, we might expedite the process. The earliest we can launch the new Kodiaq is likely in May or June next year.”
Before the Kodiaq, however, the company will be launching a sub-four metre SUV in the country, probably in February 2025.
Skoda Kodiaq Facelift: Major benefits
Besides all the cosmetic and feature upgrades, the facelifted model will debut in India with two major changes. It will be available with more variants to choose from, including a five-seater option alongside the seven-seater. Other than these changes, it will retain the same powertrain and engine. It clearly indicates that the brand is looking to build on to the legacy of the product, however, this time making it available for a wider spectrum of customers. In the current-gen model, the 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder TSI petrol engine makes 187 bhp and 320 Nm of peak torque.
Skoda India network expansion
With a host of product launches lined up the brand, the carmaker is looking to expand its network in India, especially in tier 3 markets. At present, it has 200 sales touch points across the country. These showrooms cover 100 percent of Tier 1 cities and 99 percent of Tier 2 cities, leaving scope for expansion in the Tier 3 cities. Moreover, with over 3 lakh cars on road in India, the company is also planning to add more service centres to the mix. "With the compact SUV launching in February, we aim to increase our touchpoints significantly," said Janeba. "By the end of 2025, we plan to have 280-300 touchpoints for both sales and after-sales."