Skoda cars

Spy Shots: 2013 Skoda Octavia Drops Cammo

Just a few days ago, the next generation Skoda Octavia was caught testing around the Nurburgring race track, but it was still heavily camouflaged, disguising all of its bits. Well, it looks like Skoda has decided it was time to drop the cammo on the sedan to provide an idea of what the future car will look like.

The new Octavia will be built on Volkswagen’s new MQB platform just like the new Volkswagen Golf, Seat Leon, and Audi A3, but in the case of the Octavia, the wheelbase will be longer. That decision was made due to the fact that the new Rapid is almost as big as the current Octavia and the next generation needed to gain inches in order to fit between the Rapid and Superb. The engine line-up will be borrowed from the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf, meaning there will be a choice of two petrol - a 85 HP 1.2-litre TSI and a 140 HP 1.4-litre TSI - and two diesel - a 105 HP 1.6-litre unit and a 150 HP 2.0-litre unit.

The first details on the new generation Skoda Octavia will be unveiled in November and the world debut will be made in March 2013 at the Geneva Motor Show. An RS version will officially be unveiled at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Rumors say that the RS version will now be offered with four-wheel-drive system and with both petrol and diesel engines.

2010 Skoda Octavia Green E Line Concept

Together with the Volkswagen Group, Skoda is currently searching for new technologies to increase the efficiency of its products.

The latest model that hosts the newest technologies developed by the company, is the Skoda Octavia Green E Line, which is their first all-electric vehicle. The model is not just one of those concepts that will get put in a drawer somewhere, it will be launched on the market as soon as all tests are finished, most likely sometime around 2014.

The new Skoda Octavia Green E Line is based on the wagon version of the Octavia and is powered by a 26.5kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor producing a peak power of 85kW delivered to the front wheels.

Hit the jump to read our full review on the Skoda Octavia Green E-Line.

2013 Skoda Yeti

The Skoda Yeti was introduced at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show and, believe it or not, soon became a successful model on the European market. Since then, however, an abundance of new competitors have joined the small-SUV market, so the Yeti needs a redesign to keep up pace. These latest spy shots are the first images of that exact redesign.

The prototype caught testing has only been camouflaged at the front and rear meaning that just these two parts will be redesigned. Up front, the facelift Yeti will receive a new front bumper with bigger air intakes for a more masculine look. The chrome bar on top of the grille will also be changed and will get a look similar to the one previewed by the Concept Mission L, which is same one that will be used for the upcoming Skoda Rapid. The graphics on the headlights look as if they will get some changes too. At the rear, there will be a new, redesigned bumper and new rear light graphics.

As far as power goes, there have been some new engines in the Skoda family lately, so some of the new engines will more than likely find their way under the hood of the facelift Yeti.

Expect to see the new Skoda Yeti launched in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show.

Spy Shots: Skoda Rapid’s interior revealed!

It was only yesterday that the new Skoda Rapid was caught testing on the famous Nurburgring track and just 24 hours later, the company whipped out yet another prototype, this time in a red exterior finish. What’s even better is that the interior was readily accessible to our photographers! Unfortunately, there was nothing revolutionary about the Rapid’s insides, but at least it’s another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. It looks like the Rapid will just be another new small family car.

The Skoda Rapid is inspired by the Mission L Concept unveiled at the 2012 Frankfurt Motor Show and will be placed between the Fabia and the Octavia in Skoda’s line-up. It will be built on a standard platform, not the new MQB multi-vehicle platform, and will be offered with the latest engines and transmissions from the Volkswagen Group.

Expect to see the new Skoda Rapid launched in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show.

2013 Skoda Rapid

Skoda began using the Rapid name back in 1984 when it debuted a coupe based on the brand’s 130 sedan. That model was discontinued in 1990, but the name is now headed back into the spotlight, this time on a new small car that will be placed between the light Fabia and the next-generation Octavia. The new Rapid was inspired by the Mission L Concept unveiled at the 2012 Frankfurt Motor Show and will be officially unveiled in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show.

The new Skoda Rapid will be built on a standard platform, and not on the Volkswagen Group’s new MQB multi-vehicle platform. The car measures 4.48 meters in length and 1.7 meters in width, but despite these compact dimensions, it offers an impressive amount of interior space: enough room for five occupants and their baggage.

The new Rapid features a long wheelbase and a coupe-like silhouette, plus a large tailgate and distinctly shaped taillights in the brand’s typical C shape.

UPDATE 06/19/2012: The review has been updated with the first official details on the brand new Rapid sedan.

2012 Skoda Citigo Rally Concept

Volkswagen-owned Skoda doesn’t get nearly the credit it deserves. Maybe it’s because under the VW umbrella, there are a lot more high-profile brands to choose from.

Nevertheless, the Czech automaker is still worthy of our attention, now more than ever, actually, considering they’re bringing a pretty radical rally car concept to the 2012 Worthersee show.

The vehicle, called the Citigo Rally Concept, is based on the three-door Citigo hatchback. As a rally designed vehicle, the Citigo Rally Concept comes with its fair share of rally-spec modifications, including a ventilated hood, an aggressive front bumper, extended side skirts, a huge rear spoiler, a center-mounted exhaust system, and last but certainly not least, a new set of 18" wheels with low-profile tires.

Performance modifications are also expected to be part of the Citigo Rally Concept’s overall make-up. Skoda has yet to provide information on what kind of powertrain it’s going to have, but rest assured, we’ll be ready to provide all the necessary updates when the information becomes available.

Spy Shots: Skoda sends its production Mission L out for testing

Do you remember the Mission L Concept Skoda unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show? At that time, Skoda promised that the concept would be a preview for a future midsize sedan, and today we have the first spy shots to prove the company has kept their promise. Rumors say the new model will be called Rapid, but Skoda is already selling a version of the Volkswagen Polo sedan in India that’s dubbed the Rapid, so this may be unlikely.

The new midsize sedan will be placed between the current Fabia and Octavia. Skoda will also be offering it in wagon form one year later. The bad news is that the new model will not use Volkswagen Group’s new MQB platform. They have decided to use an old platform that will help keeps costs as low as possible. However, under the hood,expect all of the latest engines and gearboxes from the Volkswagen Group.

The new 2013 Skoda midsize sedan will be unveiled in late Summer 2012 or at the 2012 Paris Auto Show in September.

2012 Skoda Superb Scout

Our spy photographers have caught a very interesting prototype of a Super Scout testing. We say interesting because this particular Skout has parts that used to be produced by a Czech company that modifies Skoda cars, but this a prototype straight from Skoda itself. The prototype was caught testing together with a mule for the production Vision D.

Rumors of a Superb Scout model have been floating around for awhile, but since Volkswagen is in the middle of their automotive domination and currently have the say in a lot of vehicles and their unveilings, the Skoda had to be out on the backburner until V-Dub’s Passat Alltrack was shown off first. Power for the Superb Scout will also be teetering on what’s good for the Passat, so expect it to carry the 140 HP TDI engine and not the 170 HP TDI. In all actuality, the Superb Scout should share the power setups of the Superb 4x4.

The Skoda Superb Scout in these images barely has any camouflage, so expect it to be launched by the end of the year.

2012 Skoda Superb

The history of the Superb dates back to 1934 when Skoda first unveiled the original model. Then, in 1942, the model was dropped, never to be seen again until almost 60 years later when the marque decided it was time for a revival. Now the model is in its second generation and Skoda is making a few changes for the 2012 model year.

The facelift Superb was recently caught testing in the European Alps, and judging by the camouflage it’s donning, expect to see only a minor update to the car’s front and rear ends. The vehicle’s front and rear bumpers will get modified slightly, and there will also be new LED headlights.

Nothing will change in terms of powering the Skoda, so expect the same line of straight-four engines in petrol and diesel varieties, ranging from 1.4 L to 3.6 L. However, expect small changes to improve on fuel efficiency.

The facelift Skoda Superb will make its world debut in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show and will go on sale shortly after.

2011 Skoda Mission L Concept

One of the most understated and conservative brands on the market has released a couple of new photos for their latest concept vehicle, the Mission L. The name of the car sounds far more exciting than the concept looks, but you really didn’t expect a whole lot from Skoda, did you?

The only problem is that there doesn’t appear be anything ’concept-ish’ about it. We’ve seen the front end before from the 2011 Design Concept that was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year.

Nevertheless, the five-door hatchback concept was finally unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show and is being looked at as the possible inspiration for the next-generation Octavia or even a new C-segment model for Skoda that will slot in between the Fabia and the Octavia. Possible markets for the car will include Europe, as well as Russia, and maybe even China and India in the future.

Speaking of its less-than-stellar concept looks, the Mission L is actually more production ready than its designation suggests. It’s got some nice elements to it, including a new grille set-up we first saw on the VisionD Concept and the running LED lights on the car’s headlights.

“We have taken a very pure approach to this design study; we have structured the surfaces simply, but impressively,” said Eckhard Scholz, Skoda Board of Directors Member for Technological Development.

“The car has a strong, sporty look which conveys a beautiful simplicity and a youthful and contemporary appearance. Many people look for clean, minimalistic lines, and the Mission L concept offers all that.”

Engines offerings for the Mission L will depend on the market it’s being sold in, but all indications point to a 1.6-liter engine that produces modest output numbers.