Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions of the Skoda Kodiaq and Superb have been approved for Australia, and both are set for a local launch early next year.
Despite growing demand for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles (EVs), Skoda only launched its first EV in Australia in 2024 – the Enyaq – and has never offered any PHEVs here.
However, the Volkswagen Group brand will soon expand its lineup to include PHEV versions of the Kodiaq SUV and Superb, albeit a little later than first thought.
“2026 is the year of the PHEV for us,” said Kieran Merrigan, Skoda Australia’s head of product and marketing, at the local launch of the Elroq electric SUV.
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“Kodiaq and Superb [have been] approved, we’re just trying to lock in the final pricing and production. But again, we’re confident in having them in the market during Q1, early next year.”
The process of bringing PHEVs to Australia has seen Skoda conduct battery testing on both models, the results for which were shared as part of this announcement. After 30,000 kilometres of use with a 50/50 split of AC and DC charging, the battery in the Kodiaq PHEV still displayed 100 per cent health.
“We’re super confident in these cars. These batteries are holding up really, really well,” added Mr Merrigan.
Known as the Kodiaq iV and Superb iV overseas, the incoming plug-in hybrids are powered by a version of the Volkswagen Group’s second-generation plug-in hybrid system for vehicles on the MQB platform.
The powertrain combines a new 110kW, turbocharged 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with an electric motor and 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery.
System power is quoted at 150kW, which is down on the 200kW offered by Audi, Cupra and Volkswagen models with the same PHEV system.
Both the Kodiaq and Superb iV quote more than 100km of electric-only driving range on Europe’s WLTP cycle, with the Superb claiming “up to 120 kilometres”. The pair can be fast-charged at up to 50kW via a DC public fast charger.
Skoda’s local director Lucie Kuhn has previously told CarExpert that while the Superb ‘iV’ will likely be aimed at fleet customers in a single variant, the Kodiaq iV should offer multiple options for different buyers.
“I would say Superb PHEV will be mostly fleet, mainly for companies – it’s a kind of an executive car so we expect to do that direction for the companies that require a certain environmental policy,” Ms Kuhn told CarExpert.
“The Kodiaq [PHEV] I think will find customers in both channels. It will also go [in the] private direction and we expect the share to be approximately 50:50, or maybe more [towards] private customers, 60:40.”
