Russian assembly under the Czech hood - features and benefits

Three decades ago, perhaps, only avid connoisseurs of automobile brands could answer the question of what Skoda is. But, a lot has changed since then. The first step was the entry of Skoda Auto into the German Volkswagen Group. This happened in the mid-90s of the last century, and already in the first half of the 2000s, it entered the Russian market.


During this time, the Czech brand, reinforced by German capital and new technical solutions from the most automotive nation in Europe, has achieved exports of its products to 100 countries of the world, and is confidently among the top six in our market.

Skoda lineup at Russian factories

However, back in 2004, such a prospect was not clear to everyone. In those days, many Russian motorists often could not afford not only a new car, but even a used one. At first glance, it seemed that the principle "made there - sold here" looks quite justified and excludes all possible risks.

But the policy of the automaker itself and the position of far-sighted Russian businessmen suggested a completely different development of events. Namely, the opening of branches in our country and the organization of the production of the Skoda model range at Russian factories by our specialists.

It was in this direction that the process eventually began to develop. Have ordinary customers benefited from this? Today, the answer is already clear. Undoubtedly!

Difficulties with production at the Kaluga Automobile Plant

Recent data suggests that only one of the twenty cars of the Czech brand sold in our country was not produced in Russia. In 2021, more than 90 thousand of them were sold in total. And although this is 4% lower than a year ago, it is still higher than that of our native GAZ and UAZ or the "big brother" - the Volkswagen concern. Such an excellent level of sales is available thanks to the release of SKODA OCTAVIA and SKODA YETI in Nizhny and SKODA RAPID in Kaluga. True, some difficulties have recently arisen with the last plant.

Back in October last year, due to interruptions in the provision of semiconductors, the car plant in the Kaluga region stopped production several times. From that moment on, the production plan began to be adjusted in full dependence on the supply of auto components from another country. Interestingly, for the same reason, the Nizhny Novgorod plant also stood idle half a year earlier.


And this is not at all sabotage by the Czech side, as it might seem at first glance, but an objective reason that also affected the head production. According to Tomasz Koter, Head of Skoda Auto Communications, in the last quarter of last year, the main plant in Mlada Boleslav was mainly engaged in the final assembly of those conveyor models that were previously understaffed due to a shortage of parts.

The number of such cars was quite impressive and reached almost 50 thousand copies. This was one of the main reasons that the manufacturers of this brand in our country missed more than 4 thousand cars sold, in comparison with the level of sales in 2020.

And demand, as you know, creates supply. At the end of last year, some dealers managed to raise the market value of cars of this brand by almost a third due to dubious additional options. Such a not entirely conscientious policy led to the fact that Skoda Auto officials turned to dealerships in Russia with a warning: if manipulations with the imposition of additional equipment at an unthinkably high price do not stop, this will lead to the application of appropriate sanctions against them.

Presentation of a new electric car

Certain difficulties with production do not prevent factory designers from designing new models and restyling already established ones. Let's look at the most interesting examples. Coincidentally, just yesterday, on the last day of January, a presentation of the SKODA ENYAQ EV on an electric drive is taking place in Prague.

Given the covid and other restrictions, the event was held as a virtual premiere. It seems that environmental and economic reasons, and, most importantly, the latest trends of the times, lead to the fact that all leading manufacturers introduce and expand the range of cars with electric drive.

This is not the first experience of the Czechs in this direction, but it seems that now lovers of “recharging instead of refueling” are ready to offer something special. An elegant coupe with an unthinkable drag coefficient cd 0,234 for its price segment, which is largely achieved due to the special shape of the body. From the B-pillar, the roofline of the ENYAQ COUPE EV descends smoothly towards the rear, passing into the tailgate and ending with a sharp break.



The front of the electric car is characterized by a large and striking SKODA grille and flat, sharply cut headlights that emphasize the car's width, while the rear is characterized by signature S-shaped lamps. The stylish design is completed by a panoramic glass roof, which comes as standard. The choice is offered:

✅ two types of battery capacity
✅ three power options
✅ rear or all wheel drive


The ENYAQ COUPE EV is capable of over 535 km of WLTP with a larger battery. The fast charging function, also included as standard, provides a comfortable waiting time for the electric vehicle to be ready to move. With room for five people and a 570-litre boot, the ENYAQ COUPE EV is a great family car. A personalized 13-inch central touchscreen is also a nice touch, and an optional head-up display gives the driver access to important information.

The automaker is moving forward

The Czechs did not leave aside the lovers of classic fuel for cars: two months ago, an updated version of the popular Skoda Karoq crossover was announced. For 4 years, more than half a million cars of this model were sold, which made it the second most popular after the legendary Octavia.

But, it's time to make changes worthy of today. This is, first of all, a modified radiator grille with an increased width, an elongated spoiler on the fifth door and updated bumpers. Also, modifications with increased wheel diameters received an aerodynamically optimized design.

Electronics is represented by a completely new, in terms of design, LED lighting, and the elite versions have running turn signals and smoothly starting dimensions. The system of automatic braking intended for a backing completes an overall picture. All the improvements noticeably improved the overall aerodynamics, bringing the cd to a decent 0,3.

Well, and, perhaps, the most pleasant thing for Russian buyers: the debut on the local market will not be long in coming. In the near future it will be possible to order an updated version of the Skoda Karoq. In the middle of spring, it is planned to offer for sale the first cars assembled at the plant in Nizhny Novgorod.

Skoda and hockey

The production and sale of popular cars is not the only occupation of the Skoda Auto concern. This year will be the thirtieth time the company has become one of the main sponsors of the Ice Hockey World Championship. It is noteworthy that this sport is one of the most popular, both in the Czech Republic itself and here in Russia. We can say that hockey and Skoda are what unites two Slavic peoples!