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Martin Soukup, Head of Strategic Product Planning at ŠKODA AUTO, explained, “Simply Clever features are important to our customers, which is why we select them according to special criteria. These solutions are needed by customers and should add real value for ŠKODA drivers. At the same time they must also be easy to use, work reliably, withstand stress tests, and meet our high safety standards.”

Simply Clever features have been a hallmark of modern-day ŠKODA models since 2001
The Simply Clever concept dates back to the first-generation SUPERB introduced in 2001. It provided the debut for the umbrella, which was available as standard or an option. The breakthrough followed when the ROOMSTER concept car was introduced at the IAA in Frankfurt in 2003. Smart features such as sliding rear seats and swivel front seats were particularly well-received. The enthusiastic response to the equally unconventional yet practical ideas encourages ŠKODA to come up with more and more new intelligent solutions.

To date, ŠKODA has implemented more than 60 Simply Clever features that make drivers’ lives easier. And ingenuity continues to drive the design engineers. It is often the tiny details that prove incredibly helpful and practical in everyday life: the umbrella in the driver’s door, the ice scraper in the fuel filler flap – now including a tyre tread depth gauge – and the ticket holder on the A-pillar have become real ŠKODA classics.

The KAMIQ, for example, presents yet another ingenious idea. It is the first model in its segment to be available with automatic door-edge protection, which protects the car itself as well as vehicles parked next to it from dents and scratches when opening the doors. The multifunctional shelf under the boot cover is equally very handy. It is the perfect place to dry out an umbrella, and also allows clothes or other items to be neatly stored separately.

ŠKODA provides intelligent solutions when it comes to connectivity too. Smartphones and tablets can be paired with the vehicle wirelessly or via modern USB-C sockets from all seats. A particularly well thought-out solution is the multimedia cradle for the centre console, which is a handy place for a smartphone, car park ticket, some coins and keys. The waste bin with lid in the door trim is extremely helpful too. This clever feature ensures the interior remains clean and tidy at all times. The boot can also be kept tidy with ease thanks to the compartment under the false boot floor. This enables smaller items and equipment that are not constantly needed to be stowed out of sight. Other current examples of typical Simply Clever features include the storage compartments for high-vis vests, the bungee cord in the door trim, the snow brush stored in the umbrella compartment in the driver’s door, the retractable parcel shelf, the card holder in the Jumbo Box and the removable LED torch in the boot.

Practical and easy to use
All of these examples reflect ŠKODA’s philosophy that every Simply Clever solution must be practical and easy to use. In other words, they must be functional features that make life easier, whilst being both simple and affordable. The brand’s considerations are always centred around the driver and their needs. Many solutions may seem surprisingly simple, but the journey from the initial idea to the finished product can be a long and sometimes arduous one. After all, every feature has to pass numerous endurance and stress tests to ensure they work reliably and safely throughout the lifetime of the car. And the funnel integrated into the lid of the windscreen washer tank is no exception. This innovative feature has impressed to such an extent that ŠKODA is now fitting all vehicles with this intelligent detail and offering it as a ŠKODA Genuine Accessory for retrofitting.

Fourth time’s the charm
Martina Tomanová from Strategic Product Planning at ŠKODA AUTO described how an initial idea was transformed into such a smart feature: “Many drivers had experienced it and it wasn’t unknown to us either: when refilling the windscreen washer tank, some of the liquid would miss and drip through the engine compartment onto the ground. This is due to screenwash and antifreeze bottles having a wide neck or the inlet on the car’s container being positioned too low. We discussed numerous options and examined various technical variants to solve the problem, before eventually coming up with the optimal solution. The result is now well-known: an innovative lid that turns into a funnel in an instant, making it easier to refill the windscreen washer tank.” An article on the development of the Simply Clever Funnel can be found on the ŠKODA Storyboard.

Simply Clever solutions date back to the 1920s
In 1925, directly following the involvement of the Pilsen-based engineering company at Laurin & Klement, the LAURIN & KLEMENT / ŠKODA 110 was launched, and the car demonstrated the brand’s ingenuity even back then. This is because the manufacturer used a uniform ladder-frame chassis with a wheelbase of 2,950 mm. which was available to customers in four versions with an enclosed body and one roadster version. In addition to these ŠKODA also offered the model as an open-top phaeton including up to three rows of seats, the middle row of which could be folded down to give the rear passengers more legroom. In addition, the windscreen could be folded forward to allow for a cooling breeze on hot days. There was no need to empty the boot to get to the spare wheel in the event of a puncture – two spare wheels were mounted at the front, one on either side of the bonnet. With its loading floor measuring 1,750 × 1,580 mm and 400 mm deep as well as a payload of 500 kg, the two-seater commercial vehicle version was even more practical. The car could be quickly transformed into a four-seater, therefore also making it perfect for family outings at the weekend.

ŠKODA introduced the POPULAR in 1934. It boasted a central tubular frame and transaxle arrangement (front-mounted engine, gearbox at the rear) to give the driver and front passenger more legroom. Having originally developed it for the police and customs, the manufacturer would soon also offer the POPULAR with special winter equipment. Removable skis under the front wheels and snow chains on the powered rear axle ensured that the car stayed on track and made good progress, even on snowy mountain roads.

Interview with Martin Soukup, Head of Strategic Product Planning at ŠKODA AUTO, on Simply Clever

Mr Soukup, where do all the ŠKODA Simply Clever ideas actually come from?
Martin Soukup: We meticulously analyse the satisfaction surveys completed by our existing and potential customers. This allows us to find out which features would be useful to them. Then, individual teams of experts ‘live’ the Simply Clever concept to come up with specific suggestions on how to make automotive life even easier. Many suggestions come from our staff too. After all, almost all of us drive cars and we seek solutions that make driving more comfortable and convenient for everyone.

What happens to all the ideas and suggestions you receive?
Soukup: We start by checking whether the ideas are in line with our brand values. This means that a suggestion must address customer needs. Then, the proposed solution must be truly beneficial for the driver and passengers, i.e. it must serve a useful purpose. Finally, the new feature must be easy to use and work reliably. Before a Simply Clever idea actually goes into production, it has to undergo numerous endurance and stress tests. And if it meets our high safety standards too, there is nothing to prevent it from being introduced into production.

How long does all of this take, and how many members of staff are involved in the implementation process?
Soukup: That varies. Which department deals with it depends on whether it is a convenience or comfort feature in the interior or a detail under the bonnet, for example. In any case, we work together with colleagues from the innovation centre and other technical departments who evaluate and assess proposed features with intention of potentially introducing them into serial production. Finally, Simply Clever features undergo rigorous endurance and stress tests. This can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. We aim to keep coming up with new, clever ideas and therefore enable the pioneering spirit of our founding fathers to live on.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

The name of the new ŠKODA ENYAQ is derived from the Irish name ‘enya’, meaning ‘source of life’. Enya itself comes from the Irish Gaelic word ‘Eithne’, meaning ‘essence’, ‘spirit’ or ‘principle’. These different meanings allow different perspectives on the name of ŠKODA’s new SUV. The ‘source of life’ symbolises the car manufacturer’s entry into the new era of electromobility and is in line with the ŠKODA brand claim ‘Driven by inventiveness – clever ideas since 1895’. It represents a new beginning, which goes hand in hand with the temperament of the ŠKODA ENYAQ and the ŠKODA engineers’ passion and innovative strength for the new electric SUV. ‘Enya’ is authentic, full of character and lively, easy to pronounce and remember and fits perfectly with the dawn of a new era in the company’s 125-year history.

ENYAQ follows ŠKODA’s well-known SUV nomenclature
Like the names of ŠKODA’s successful SUV models KODIAQ, KAROQ and KAMIQ, which are derived from the language of the Inuit people living in northern Canada and Greenland, ŠKODA combines the future all-electric vehicles based on the MEB with the Irish language in a legendary northern region. The ‘E’ at the beginning of the name stands for electromobility; the ‘Q’ at the end creates a clear connection to the virtues of an SUV.

The ŠKODA ENYAQ is the Czech brand’s first series-production vehicle based on the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB) and the next of the series of more than ten electric models that will be launched under the ŠKODA iV sub-brand by the end of 2022. By 2025, ŠKODA expects all-electric vehicles and models with plug-in hybrid drives to account for 25% of sales. By 2021, the car manufacturer will have invested two billion euros in the development of electric models and a holistic, interconnected ecosystem for modern and environmentally friendly mobility solutions.

The first detailed photo offers a glimpse at the design of the ŠKODA ENYAQ. It shows the ‘ENYAQ’ lettering on the rear of the SUV, the brand’s second all-electric vehicle after the ŠKODA CITIGOᵉ iV.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, stressed, “The OCTAVIA is the heart of our brand. Having enjoyed success since the mid-90s, it has contributed significantly to transforming ŠKODA from a regional market leader into an internationally thriving carmaker that has now firmly established itself as a high-volume manufacturer. This milestone is therefore a very special event for us and is a great testament to the fantastic work of our colleagues in the Production and Logistics department.”

Featuring a generous amount of space and modern technology, the original OCTAVIA has been wowing customers since back in 1959. At the time, it was the eighth ŠKODA to feature the modern independent suspension for all wheels and also the Czech manufacturer’s eighth model since the Second World War. It was therefore given the name OCTAVIA – derived from ‘octo’, the Latin word for the number eight. In 12 years of production (saloon until 1964, estate until 1971), ŠKODA built approximately 400,000 units of the popular model.

A bestseller takes to the stage
At the ‘Mondial de l’Automobile’ in Paris in autumn 1996, ŠKODA presented the first generation of its modern-day OCTAVIA – the first ŠKODA in the lower mid-size car segment for decades. It was also the first model by the Czech manufacturer to be developed entirely under the umbrella of Volkswagen Group. The design and spaciousness of the saloon catered to the public’s taste and, in 1997, around 61,000 units rolled off the line. ŠKODA manufactured more than 117,500 the following year, almost doubling its production. By 2010, a total of 1,440,000 first-generation OCTAVIAs had been built – in the end in parallel with its successor.

ŠKODA began global production with the second-generation OCTAVIA
ŠKODA presented the second generation of the OCTAVIA to the global public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2004. The car seamlessly continued the success story of its predecessor and impressed thanks to its timelessly elegant design and even more space in the interior. It had a larger boot and was also equipped with the latest technology. In addition to innovative petrol engines with direct injection, new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions were also available, including the direct-shift gearbox (DSG). A new multi-link rear axle ensured driving comfort, while safety was improved by ABS incl. Brake Assist, which came as standard in Europe, four airbags and new active headrests. ŠKODA built a total of approximately 2,500,000 second-generation OCTAVIAs.

Production of the OCTAVIA II at the Aurangabad plant in India began in 2005 and, in 2007, Shanghai Volkswagen (now SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co. Ltd.) started manufacturing the second-generation OCTAVIA for the Chinese market. The OCTAVIA has also been rolling off the line at Volkswagen Group’s Kaluga plant in Russia since 2009.

Debut for the third-generation OCTAVIA
ŠKODA introduced the third generation of its bestseller in 2012 and started making the third-generation OCTAVIA in Ukraine and Kazakhstan the following year. In February 2017, the manufacturer comprehensively revised the OCTAVIA and refined the image of the successful model. With the introduction of its ŠKODA Connect mobile online services, for the first time the OCTAVIA was able to offer a range of connectivity solutions that were as advanced as they were comprehensive. ŠKODA has built around 2,600,000 third-generation OCTAVIAs to date.

Fourth generation celebrated its world premiere on 11 November 2019
The fourth generation of the bestseller made its debut in Prague on 11 November 2019. The new OCTAVIA is more spacious, safer, better connected and more emotive than any before it. It is longer and wider than its predecessor, has an even larger boot and boasts even more emotive visual touches thanks to the new ŠKODA design language. The new interior concept combines an extraordinary amount of space and outstanding functionality with high-quality materials and clever details. At the same time, innovative connectivity and new assistance systems raise comfort and safety to an even higher level.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com

ŠKODA’s oldest exhibit in the exhibition halls at Porte de Versailles, a replica of the SLAVIA bicycle from 1896, represents the beginnings of the now global company. ŠKODA AUTO’s 125-year journey started in 1895. That year, Václav Laurin and Václav Klement, the company’s founding fathers, began their business repairing bicycles. They soon started producing their own bicycle models under the brand name SLAVIA. The faithful replica of the famous model from 1896 being exhibited at the Rétromobile rolled into the spotlight last year: As part of the ‘L’Etape du Tour’, where amateur cyclists can compete in an original stage of the Tour de France, the Prague classic bike fan Vladimír Vidim ascended the 2,365-metre mountain stage on the SLAVIA. While the racing bikes at the Tour de France, of which ŠKODA is the official main sponsor and vehicle partner, are true lightweights, the SLAVIA weighs in at almost twice as much as today’s racing machines at 18 kilograms. It has only one gear and has neither a freewheel nor brakes – so the riders had to rely on the strength of their legs even downhill. The video of the mountain stage with the SLAVIA bike can be found on the ŠKODA Storyboard.

As early as 1901, the up-and-coming company from Mladá Boleslav was also involved in motorsport. The Laurin & Klement BSC is one of the most successful early racers. The sports car, of which only twelve were built, won the Paris – Berlin race in 1908, among others. ŠKODA is exhibiting the only surviving copy at the Rétromobile. The engine number 5635 confirms the originality of this unique vehicle, which rolled out of the factory on 12 July 1908. Following an extensive restoration, it is now part of the ŠKODA Museum in Mladá Boleslav. The Voiturette sports car is powered by a water-cooled, in-line two-cylinder engine with an output of 12 hp (8.8 kW), which it draws from a displacement of 1,399 cm³. The two-seater reaches a top speed of 75 km/h.

Only two ŠKODA Sport were made in Mladá Boleslav in 1949. The model is based on the successful ŠKODA 1101 ‘TUDOR’. In June 1950, the driver duo Václav Bobek and Jaroslav Netušil headed to the start line of the legendary 24-hour race in France in that car. After a promising start and 13 hours of driving, a tiny component in the engine malfunctioned, causing the pair to drop out. Due to the worsening global political situation, that was the last time the ŠKODA factory team took part in Le Mans for years to come. The ŠKODA Sport from a private collection exhibited in Paris took part in more than 70 motorsport events between 1949 and 1962. This year, the ŠKODA Sport returns to the famous race track on the Sarthe at the Le Mans Classic 2020.

The brand’s bestseller, the OCTAVIA, which has been built since 1959, represents ŠKODA’s successful series production at Rétromobile. The ŠKODA Museum is sending a 1960 model produced in the standard two-door version with a 1,089 cm³ engine and 40 hp (29 kW) output to Paris. That year, ŠKODA also expanded the model range to include the first OCTAVIA COMBI. The OCTAVIA model family and the convertible FELICIA derived from it were exported to several dozen countries around the world. Celebrating a winning streak in the <1,300 cm³ class at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1961, 1962 and 1963, the OCTAVIA TS also made its way into the annals of motorsport.

While the first four exhibits at Rétromobile highlight the diverse tradition of the car manufacturer from Mladá Boleslav, the fifth exhibit points to the future: In 2017, ŠKODA presented the VISION E concept study. The 4,645 mm long ŠKODA VISION E has an extremely spacious interior with four swivel seats and rear doors hinged at the back, making it easier to get in. Two electric motors with a total output of 225 kW (306 hp) drive all four wheels, accelerating the model to a top speed of 180 km/h. The powerful lithium-ion battery and optimal recuperation enable a range of up to 500 kilometres.

The 45th run of the Rétromobile will take place from 5 to 9 February 2020 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. In a space covering 72,000 square metres, 620 exhibitors – including 120 brand clubs – will be showing more than 1,000 classic vehicles as well as parts, accessories and services.

Article source: www.skoda-storyboard.com