Skoda Octavia, Fabia and Kamiq all in line for new hybrid tech
Skoda is working to keep its combustion cars feeling fresh for customers that don’t feel the need to go EV just yet
Right now Skoda has just two hybrids in its line-up, but that number is set to rapidly expand, because Auto Express has learned the brand is planning to add hybrid power to more of its best-selling models, including the Octavia, Fabia and Kamiq, to keep them feeling fresh.
In an interview with Auto Express, Skoda’s technical development boss Johannes Neft explained that the new Octavia is in line to receive the brand-new full-hybrid system that’s being introduced by the Mk2 Volkswagen T-Roc later this year, and should also feature in the next-generation Skoda Karoq that we revealed might be coming soon.
This set-up pairs a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an e-motor that can provide pure-electric driving “in urban traffic”. We’re told the full-hybrid version of the new T-Roc emits just 100g/km of CO2 and is 15 per cent more efficient than the equivalent mild-hybrid, which if true for the Octavia could see it return upwards of 65mpg.
Sales and marketing boss Martin Jahn confirmed that the Octavia will also be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain once again. Presumably this will be the same one as Skoda’s Superb Estate iV and Kodiaq iV, which are both available through our Buy A Car service and offer nearly 90 miles of pure-electric range from a 25.7kWh battery that’s paired with a 1.5-litre petrol engine.
Hybrid power is also going to be added to Skoda’s smaller petrol-powered cars, the Fabia supermini, Kamiq compact SUV and Scala family hatchback. Last year, the trio accounted for nearly a third of the brand’s sales worldwide, but were due to be retired by 2027 because of tougher emissions regulations. Now though, they’re going to be sticking around past 2030.
The new hybrid tech is likely to be added at the same time as the three models receive some styling and spec upgrades, which Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer told us about last year. “You can’t just extend the lifecycle and think nobody will realise the age,” the boss said. “They're making good money and they’re a vital part of our line-up.”
Auto Express recently revealed that Volkswagen is developing new hybrid powertrains for the Polo supermini, including both mild-hybrid and full-hybrid set-ups, and it will be these that make their way into Skoda’s trio of small cars.
This sharing of hybrid technology is possible because all of the cars we’ve mentioned here are based on versions of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform. “The MQB platform is still fantastic,” Jahn declared. “I don't think that there is anything better on the market and I don’t see any other competitor bringing anything new and better in the ICE world.”
He added: “With some design uplifts and with some technological improvements, such as hybridisation, we can keep the MQB going for quite some time.
“We are still waiting for [the EU’s] new rules for CO2 and what happens after 2035, and that will basically determine how much we will invest into the combustion-engine cars. But they are still very very popular and we are quite happy about the volume. So we will run them as long as the customers want them, as long as it's legally possible and as long as it's financially viable for us.”
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