VW should just reintroduce Skoda to NA already.

"not for canada - australian in disguise" (for-canada) 04/27/2017 at 22:53 • Filed to: None

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I know all the car journos say it’s happening any day now, but it never actually happens. It’s like all those clickbait articles that you see about “flying cars that you’ll be able to buy next year”. I want a Superb damnit.

I think Skoda would make a VERY good competitor to Kia/Hyundai. Think about it. The Superb is right in Optima territory.

Then there’s the Kodiaq. You could shape a pile of dog feces to look like a midsize/compact CUV nowadays and it would sell like hotcakes (see: dodge journey). An actually good car like the Kodiaq would absolutely fly off dealer lots. And, in North America, even in Canada where we actually got Skodas for way longer than people think, the Skoda name never really got a particularly BAD reputation. Not like Kia or Hyundai, or in Canada, Lada. So, unlike in Europe, there’d be no real bad reputation to slowly chip away at.

“But what about Dieselgate!!!”, you might scream in the back. But I don’t think that would affect Skoda sales that badly, mainly because Skoda isn’t VW. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Audi sales have been that badly affected by Dieselgate either, since all the attention has been on VW.

I think if Hyundai/Kia have proved anything in the last few years, it’s that there’s a market for sensible, good looking, well-priced, well-equipped cars, even if the badge isn’t that glamourous.

CB > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 22:59

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I have no purchasing power, so my vote doesn’t matter.

But a Skoda would be cool.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 22:59

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Wait Skoda was once available in NA?

InFierority Complex > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/27/2017 at 23:00

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In Canada at least, I’m not sure about Mexico.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 23:04

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I want Renualt or Peugot first.

not for canada - australian in disguise > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 04/27/2017 at 23:04

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Yep.

In the 80s, Canada went through a bit of an eastern bloc car craze, Lada, Skoda, and Dacia all peddled their wares through importers. They died out though in the 90s due to Hyundai basically dominating the cheap car market.

Svend > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 23:12

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I know VWs are very popular here in the U.K. But Skoda has come on so much that people are leaving VW for Skoda, where VW would rather you went from your Vauxhall or Ford and bought a SEAT or Skoda, then later moved ‘up’ to VW and Audi.

I’ve loved both our Superbs. Fantastic cars.

Vicente Esteve > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 23:14

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What you actually want is Seat.

bhtooefr > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 23:16

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Mind you, outside of the badge, the Tiguan Allspace is a Kodiaq.

Another issue with bringing Skoda as a NA strategy is... the NA-specific product is decontented in similar ways to Skodas already (and, actually, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the next-gen NA Passat were just a rebadge of the Superb as it is). So, this would be to replace the VW brand.

And, while Audi was even caught up in Dieselgate, they were an established brand, and it was always the VW name that came first in discussion of Dieselgate, deflecting the attention.

Skoda, on the other hand, for the US would be a completely new brand , and even in Canada it’s been a long time since new Skodas were sold... while VW also shuts down their entire brand operations in NA, then launches Skoda (presumably restarting the dealer network)... and it’s 2017, people would Google, and quickly find out that Skoda is just VW. Or, they’ll see that one day, their old VW dealer slapped Skoda signs up, if they don’t restart the dealer network. I think Skoda would inherit VW’s reputation much more than Audi did.

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 23:26

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A Skoda Yeti would be cool because yeti.

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 23:29

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Yes, bring them here, gib Bman76 all the Škodas. 

Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/27/2017 at 23:55

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I am not trying to stir the pot here; I am actually ignorant about it, so I am asking you to educate me.

Every modern Skoda I’ve seen looks like a badge job. Seriously, I look at every Skoda and say to myself, ‘that’s clearly a Golf,’ or ‘obviously a badge engineered Passat.’ Am I wrong in that assumption? Because if I am correct, I guess I just don’t see the point. Badge-engineering seems to peak in it’s viability at two badges in the US market. Hyundai/Kia works currently, and the Japanese do it best by making sure that some platforms are badge exclusive in the US market: there is no Toyota LS or Lexus Corolla, for instance.

Third makes get lost in the shuffle when they’re sharing bodies so obviously, because there’s only so much market share out there. Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn, Plymouth, Mercury, and Scion are all clear examples of this. GM in it’s current state manages to keep four badges by restricting the sharing of singular bodies/platforms to two badges (SUVs excepted, because they sell no matter what): any platform shared between Chevy and Buick is not shared with Cadillac and so forth.

So I guess my question is, is there enough product between Audi, VW, and Skoda that would allow for a similar relationship? Americans seem to be fine with having a Toyota Camry/Lexus ES/no Scion equivalent, or having a Chevy Malibu/Buick LaCrosse/no Cadillac equivalent...but the moment you go Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln Zephyr, or worse yet Chevy Lumina/Pontiac Grand Prix/Oldsmobile Intrigue/Buick Century, it really seems like one or more of those models is going to tank until there are only two left. The US market seems fine choosing between a Passat and an A3...throw the Skoda or Seat variant into the mix, and history seems to indicate that one of them is just going to fail to sell.

Like I said, I’m not trying to downplay whatever it is about Skoda in particular that you find appealing; I just want to know if Skoda is able to offer something different enough from VW and Audi to warrant existing as a third brand (see: Genesis, Cadillac, Jeep) instead of ending up another Mercury or Pontiac.

not for canada - australian in disguise > Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious 04/27/2017 at 23:58

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I think that VWs are different enough from Audis, which are different enough to Skodas and Seats. Basically, Skoda/Seat = Rebadged, cheaper VWs, although with other changes too, while Audi is more it’s own thing. A lot use the same platform, but VW manage to make their cars different between brands.

The Compromiser > Vicente Esteve 04/28/2017 at 00:40

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Umm, I think he wants the whole  car....

The Compromiser > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/28/2017 at 00:41

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I just pester Svend for pictures of his. This is the Internet and he is my Skoda porn pimp.

scoob > The Compromiser 04/28/2017 at 00:45

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jajajajajajajaja

FromCanadaWithLove > not for canada - australian in disguise 04/28/2017 at 01:38

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Skodas are just VWs with less clean designs. I know they’re popular amongst Jalops, but I have no idea why. Volvos and Saabs I get, but not Skodas (or Seats).

Svend > Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious 04/28/2017 at 02:20

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‘Badge engineering’? There is far more than a badge and a subtle tweak, there are many differences (granted the centre consoles share a lot of the same switches but that’s it really.

2017 VW Golf

2017 SEAT Leon

2017 Skoda Octavia

then we have the

2017 VW Passat

2017 Skoda Superb

I know my Piglet is a Passat underneath, but she’s much better looking, is more spacious inside, larger boot, has lovely practical touches and cheaper than the Passat.

duurtlang > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 04/28/2017 at 02:36

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This is the correct answer. Brands like Renault and Peugeot offer something unique. Skodas are just slightly altered VWs.

Svend > The Compromiser 04/28/2017 at 02:36

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Svend > FromCanadaWithLove 04/28/2017 at 02:46

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‘Less clean designs’?

While many VWs look bland and sedate. The Skodas, take mine for instance.

Angular yet rounded giving it a muscular and slightly aggressive stance.

Clean flowing lines.

A clean clamshell bonnet with the hidden crease coming from the headlight, along the side of the creating a nice shoulder leading to the rear light cluster.

Svend > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 04/28/2017 at 02:50

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And dress it appropriately.

How a local Skoda dealership wrapped one Yeti to promote a local night spot and a rock evening.

Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious > Svend 04/28/2017 at 03:08

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That’s why I ask - I know nothing of what the Skoda and Seat versions of these platforms possess, because we don’t have them stateside. Hence why I said, “Educate me.” Thank you.

Svend > Shour, Aloof and Obnoxious 04/28/2017 at 03:52

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No worries. Just finished a nightshift, trying to decide what beer to have and must of missed a bit here and there. My bad.

The VW Golf, SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia share the same platform and engines (some are tweaked here and there from each marque).

The VW Passat (while very different from what North America gets) is pretty much a cut and paste of platform and engines like the other, but Skoda have done so much more with it to make it their own.

There are some over-laps with some of the VAG group, granted but the most past VW is the everyday, everyone car, not too exciting not too boring, then you’ve got SEAT, they are the more sporty side of the family at the lower price range, then there is Skoda, the differently designed but with practical elements (little bits that add up to make the whole package great) that’s seen as the entry level (along with SEAT) into the VW group.

Your meant to start with the SEAT/Skoda, aspire to VW, then Audi and then upwards to Bentley, etc...

But VW have found many are stepping down from VW and in some cases Audi and into Skodas and so reduced some of the standard features that came with them.

The Skodas come in at £2-4,000 cheaper than the equivalent VW and more than twice that for the Audi.

If you were to spec my Piglet to that of the VW Passat, there would be nearly a £2,000 price difference.

The room inside is massive. So much legroom. The left hand seat is at it’s rear most (as I’d been vacuuming), while the right hand seat is at a regular height persons driving position.

The boot is cavernous at 625 litres (the Ford Mondeo/Fusion is 541 litres).

jimz > FromCanadaWithLove 04/28/2017 at 06:56

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“ I know they’re popular amongst Jalops, but I have no idea why.”

Forbidden fruit syndrome. “I want it because I can’t have it.” OP thinks VW should launch a brand here to sell a bunch of sedans, a market segment which is in complete free-fall right now. Ludicrous.

The Compromiser > Svend 04/28/2017 at 08:08

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Svend > The Compromiser 04/28/2017 at 08:13

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I love Piglet, but you’ve a very unhealthy ‘thing’ going on with her. Lol.

The Compromiser > Svend 04/28/2017 at 11:28

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Now gib me dirty piglet pictures ;)

The design language is so right. Its like This is what VW would look like if they had gone left instead of right at some point in their design language.

Svend > The Compromiser 04/28/2017 at 11:45

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I’m cutting you back. I’m running out of stuff to show on the car. :)

Svend > The Compromiser 05/03/2017 at 16:38

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Have you seen the Skoda Karoq?

It’s going to replace the Yeti.

It’s been reviewed in camouflage but there are some photos out there without the camo.

https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/skoda/karoq

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

What is it?

Skoda will put an end to badly constructed clichés relating to abominable snowmen when it retires the much-loved Yeti later this year. But fear not, the Czech company isn’t abandoning its battle with the Nissan Qashqai (and all the other compact crossovers). The Yeti will be replaced by an all-new car named the Karoq, a new name which clearly aligns it with the larger Skoda Kodiaq . The Karoq ditches the opinion-dividing proportions and looks of its predecessor, not to mention its relatively cramped interior, being longer and wider.

Most of the interesting design detail focuses on the front (well, it looks like it does underneath all that swirly camouflage). Skoda will offer full LED headlights as an option and the grille has a bold, chunky look. The base of the bumpers and door sills are all clad in black plastic, too. That’s ostensibly to protect the car from bumps and scrapes, but more importantly it creates the optical illusion of the car sitting higher from the ground than it is. The clamshell bonnet has a noticeable bulge running down its centre, as well, which draws your eye to the now-even-larger Skoda badge.

The engine options are sensible TSI petrols and TDI diesels, updated from the Yeti, and most are available with the choice of automatic or manual transmissions. Front-wheel-drive versions benefit from lower fuel consumption, though the penalty for choosing the four-wheel-drive system isn’t considerable, as it only engages the rear wheels when the front tyres begins to lose traction.

The most powerful version has a 187bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel, four-wheel drive and a slick-shifting seven-speed DSG automatic. It’s good enough for a 7.8-second 0-62mph time and suggests that there may even be room later on for a driver-focused Karoq vRS version, however odd that concept may seem.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

What is it like on the road?

We drove two pre-production versions of the Karoq’s model line-up, one powered by a 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine and the other a 2.0-litre TDI diesel. Both used the seven-speed DSG and four-wheel drive transmissions. The Skoda engineers that accompanied us said that the test cars were “90 per cent finished”.

Considering that our test route in deepest darkest Estonia consisted of roads that were far from smooth - and the cars wore winter tyres - the Karoq was impressively comfortable. It easily absorbed bigger bumps without them crashing through to the cabin. The sound insulation is to a high level, too, helped by an ‘acoustically optimised’ windscreen.

Switching through the different driving modes alters certain aspects of the car and in 2018 Skoda plans to introduce adaptive dampers for even greater adjustability. The standard passive suspension will be fine for most.

Sport mode reduces power steering assistance and asks the DSG to hang onto gears a little longer, though this setting is best suited to when you need to cover ground quickly, which both engines are perfectly happy to do with the DSG smoothly swapping gears.

Through the bends there seems to be less body roll than the old Yeti displayed when driven quickly, though it’s not at the expense of overly firm damping. The Karoq never feels anything but surefooted, and the steering has enough feedback through it to give you the confidence to accurately place it exactly where you want on the road - or off it, as the case may be.

For that, there’s an imaginatively titled ‘off-road’ driving mode. This changes the parameters in which driver aids such as Hill Descent Control work to maximise their effectiveness on loose terrain. With 18.3cm of ground clearance, the Karoq should cope with what most average drivers are ever going to attempt.

I’ll leave the rest for you to read at the link but here’s the pictures without the camo.

((you can still see some disguising around the head and tail lights and I can’t see the black cladding going that far up the doors.))

Looks like a SEAT Atecawith a face and tail change.

Ateca.

Karoq.

Ateca.

Karoq.

The Compromiser > Svend 05/03/2017 at 18:21

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Meh. Its OK but it’s definitely not......... Superb.

Yeaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!

Svend > The Compromiser 05/03/2017 at 18:46

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I should think (hope) the finished car will look a bit bette than what we are going now. We’ll find out at the end of the year.

They are getting 113bhp out of a 1.0TSi and a 148bhp from a 1.5TSi ACT, which is the same as the current 1.4TSi ACT as they’ll get from the 1.5. Strange.

The Compromiser > Svend 05/03/2017 at 23:15

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I don’t know. The design language seems to line up with everything else. It reminds me of the Tiguan a little bit. Once again it’s like VW in an alternate time line.

Every little bit helps. Look at formula one. Smaller engines and more power. What you are seeing is doing what is needed to get a result to meet various standards. Smaller engine is theoretically lighter and more efficient if you get more power out of less fuel.

FCA seemingly did it with diesel trucks a while back. It seemed like every time someone challenged their power levels, they could find just enough to beat them. My understanding was that there was some minor changes but they did it mostly with software.

Svend > The Compromiser 05/03/2017 at 23:45

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The Karoq and Ateca remind me of the old Tiguan, but the new Tiguan is very different. But with what appears to be the front end of the Kodiaq.

We were going to get a Kodiaq after Piglet moved on but I can see it being a Karoq now unless they do something with the Superb before then.

The 1.5TSi ACT will go into the Karoq, while the current and larger Kodiaq gets the current 1.4TSi ACT with the same power. The new engine (1.5 which is in the Golf). It just seems wrong in my head that a new larger engine will have the same power as the smaller older engine and also still be TSI ACT units. You’d think the new larger engine would have more power.

The Compromiser > Svend 05/04/2017 at 07:58

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That is the onward march of PROGRESS!!!!

You know what Skoda I’m getting next????

None. None Skoda. Bad North America!

Svend > The Compromiser 05/04/2017 at 08:52

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You could import a Skoda Felicia Fun.

Prices are quite low.

The Compromiser > Svend 05/04/2017 at 10:18

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That is the most awesome, yet at the same time terrible thing I have seen in a while!!

It looks like a pickup truck Golf.

Svend > The Compromiser 05/04/2017 at 15:27

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The Skoda Felicia was one of the first VW Skodas. A two seat pickup, that converts into a four seat pickup. A little canvas roof went over the rear seating area if the weather changed while it was being used as a four seater.

It’s a cool little FUN car.

The Compromiser > Svend 05/04/2017 at 15:54

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OMG. IF i was a little more insane and lived somewhere it didn’t snow or rain for most of the year....