Skoda gears up to produce next-gen Kodiaq

As one of the new Skoda models to debut this year, the second-generation Kodiaq is already in the starting blocks. As Skoda will continue to manufacture the SUV in Kvasiny, the Czech car manufacturer has already begun the comprehensive adaptation of the production line. The first pilot production vehicles are already being produced, while series production will commence next year.

Michael Oeljeklaus, Skoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics, says: “The preparations for the production of our upcoming second-generation Kodiaq are already in full swing. As is typical for Skoda, we are once again using existing infrastructure while cleverly integrating new technologies. However, comprehensively adapting and further future-proofing an assembly line that remains in operation is a highly demanding task both technically and logistically. At the same time, we have also successfully redistributed and optimised our model production and were thus able to free up additional capacity.”

New Kodiaq to get plug-in hybrid powertrain

As with its predecessor, the new model will be manufactured at the Kvasiny plant on the same production line as the Karoq, Superb and Superb iV. The new-gen Superb will start rolling off the production line in Bratislava in early 2024, thus freeing up capacity for some 150,000 additional units of the popular Kodiaq and Karoq SUVs annually.

The car manufacturer is investing around 12 million euros in converting the production line to also take account of future requirements, with the line already being prepared to produce the Kodiaq iV with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. The investments involve the integration of existing technologies such as manipulators, chassis assembly and conveyors, and the modification of robots for window-glue application. Up to 410 second-generation Kodiaqs should then roll off the assembly line every day.

Škoda Auto will present the second generation of its largest SUV, the Kodiaq later this year with the market launch set to follow in 2024. The model will be available with modern and efficient petrol and diesel engines, as a plug-in hybrid and – for the first time – a mild hybrid. In terms of safety, technology and versatility, the car manufacturer is taking its largest SUV to a new level.

Since the SUV’s global premiere on 1 September 2016, Skoda has produced over 800 000 Kodiaqs at its plants in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, China, India and – until early 2022 – also in Russia.