The first Superb iV has rolled off the line at the Skoda Auto Kvasiny plant. Carmaker Skoda Auto has comprehensively prepared the site for the manufacturing of the first electrified production model in the company’s history, investing approximately 12 million euros (about £10.6 million) in renovation work. The new Skoda Superb iV plug-in hybrid is made exclusively in Kvasiny, where it is built on the same production line as Superb variants that are driven solely by a combustion engine.

Michael Oeljeklaus, Skoda Auto Board Member for Production and Logistics, said, “The beginning of serial production of the Skoda Superb iV is a major step towards the future. Over the past few months, we have rigorously made the provisions required to begin manufacturing our first plug-in hybrid at the Kvasiny plant. Today is therefore also the result of a great team effort.”

Skoda Auto invested approximately 12 million euros (about £10.6 million) in preparing the Kvasiny site for the specific requirements of manufacturing the first electrified Skoda production model. Body production and the assembly hall, for example, have been modified. Thanks to the renovation work, the Superb iV plug-in hybrid can be built on the same production line as models featuring a conventional combustion engine. As the two drive variants have different floorpans, some of the equipment in the body shop had to be adapted or installed.

The hall used for quality control was completely remodelled: workplaces needed to be rearranged for the manufacturing and commissioning of vehicles as part of the production process. Within the production line, Skoda Auto also installed an additional container for chassis frames as well as a manipulator for high-voltage and 12-volt batteries.

Furthermore, Skoda Auto has pressed ahead with staff development relating to electromobility. To this end, the car manufacturer built a new training centre in Kvasiny; since then, almost 5,500 members of staff have completed their training there.

In the Superb iV, a 1.4 TSI petrol engine and an electric motor deliver a combined power output of 160 kW (215 bhp). The all-electric range is up to 56 km (34.8 miles) in the WLTP cycle; up to 930 km can be covered when combined with the petrol engine. This new drive variant is available for the Ambition and Style trim levels as well as for the Superb Sportline and Superb L&K. The Skoda Superb iV and the new iV E-Mobility sub-brand celebrated their world premiere in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, in May 2019. The market launch is set for the beginning of 2020.

The modernised Skoda Superb has been built at the Skoda Auto Kvasiny site since July 2019. In addition to the brand’s flagship, the Karoq and Kodiaq SUVs are also manufactured there. In 2018, more than 300,000 cars left the Kvasiny plant in one year for the first time. The carmaker employs around 9,000 members of staff at the production facility.