2015 Jaguar F-Type
Skoda has confirmed that by 2019 it will have a new small SUV ready to challenge cars like the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3, with development work already underway.
The new model plan was revealed by Skoda’s technical development chief, Christian Stube, in an interview with Britain’s Autocar magazine.
The new model will fill the production slot left by the unusual Roomster people mover as European buyers move away from the utility of small people movers and into compact SUVs, in line with global trends.
The as-yet unnamed small SUV will form part of a three-model SUV range for Skoda sitting beneath an all-new Yeti which will be repositioned slightly to better fill the medium SUV class, and will be joined by the seven-seat Kodiaq set to launch overseas later this year.
Under the skin the small SUV will ride on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB A0 platform which will also be used the next generation Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia light cars.
All wheel drive capability is one of the built-in capabilities of the new platform, however in the interests of keep costs down Skoda may stick to a front wheel drive-only range, powered by a range of small turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.
There’s also an outside possibility that a high-performance RS model could join the range, but any decision to do so will come later, with Skoda first assessing the viability of performance oriented Superb and Kodiaq variants.
Skoda is unlikely to be the only Volkswagen Group company that benefits from a small SUV package, with Volkswagen also set to introduce its own version based on the 2014 T-Roc concept.
Top of page: 2011 Skoda Fabia Scout design sketch
MORE: Skoda News and Reviews
