The special role of ?KODA

There will be a new generation of the Fabia Combi - an important and pioneering investment decision for ?KODA. It has been the subject of much internal discussion in recent weeks in terms of prioritization in the midst of the shift to e-mobility. The next generation will appear in Europe as early as 2023. It will be produced at ?KODA's main plant in Mladá Boleslav. ?KODA is thus ensuring that the Fabia Kombi will continue to play a central role in the entry-level A0 segment.

The Fabia Kombi has been an important car for the Group for two decades in a segment that no other Group brand could profitably serve. It suits ?KODA: high quality, great MQB technology, lots of space, ?KODA design and many clever details. And good value for money. Only ?KODA, thanks to the skills of our engineers in the Czech Republic, but also thanks to the more favorable cost structures in Central Europe, still manages to earn enough money even with such a package - which is highly attractive for customers - to justify the investments. As a low-priced, functional entry-level offering, it is available in Germany, for example, from just 13,860 euros.

The FABIA COMBI shows what the brand strategy is all about:

Consistent focus on the needs of customers, convincing value for money, many "simply clever" ideas, outstanding spaciousness and simple operation. Thanks to ?KODA, the Group will continue to succeed in reaching a customer group that wants a lot of car for the money and is demanding in terms of technology, quality and utility, but also in terms of price.

Competition in the small station wagon segment is fierce - Korean, Japanese and French manufacturers are pushing into this segment. For years, ?KODA has succeeded in securing and gaining market share.

Taking ?KODA to a new level

To this end, after his first 100 days as ?KODA CEO, Thomas Sch?fer presented his "NEXT LEVEL ?KODA" program for the future, with which he will successfully steer the brand through this decade. With "EXPAND", "EXPLORE" and "ENGAGE", he has defined three top priorities that I fully support because they will take the ?KODA brand significantly forward:

 "EXPAND" refers to both the continuation of the successful product offensive -including e-cars- and the much needed capacity expansion - already in full swing!

"EXPLORE" refers to the responsibility that ?KODA is assuming for the growth markets of India, Russia and North Africa. Here, ?KODA is leading the Group's activities! In addition, I can very well imagine ?KODA gaining a further foothold in the ASEAN region in the future.

Only the ?KODA team can do that!

At the same time, there is of course a continued strong focus on Europe, the most important market for ?KODA. With all these commitments, ?KODA is the most profitable volume brand in the Group and one of the most profitable worldwide. All this can be done by the - only the! - ?KODA team.

And with "ENGAGE", on the one hand, the close cooperation with the Volkswagen Group is meant, on the other hand, this catchword refers to all activities in the areas of sustainability and diversity.

"NEXT LEVEL ?KODA", the name already implies, pursues the goal of raising ?KODA to a new level. It is about efficiency increases, further expansion, high profitability, an even stronger focus on the entry-level segments, including e-cars.

Thomas Sch?fer has made a good start as CEO

Thomas Sch?fer is driving ?KODA forward with the "NEXT LEVEL ?KODA" program for the future. He has arrived well at ?KODA in difficult times - has quickly found his feet and, after just a few weeks, is steering ?KODA powerfully into the new era and taking on new additional tasks for the Group. He will exploit and showcase the potential of the ?KODA brand and, above all, the unique skills of the ?KODA team even better.