Blowing the ‘Euro premium’ maintenance myth out of the water.
‘Simply Clever’ Czech carmaker Skoda made a big announcement this week, introducing new 3-year and 5-year service plans for all its passenger cars that not only aim to smoothen the ownership experience as much as possible, but also to definitively bust the ‘European premium’ myth of elevated maintenance costs into oblivion.
“Comparative data source from manufacturer websites busts the myth that all European cars are more expensive to maintain those from Korea or Japan. [Additionally] There is more to value than recommended retail pricing. In Australia, Skoda customers prefer higher specification variants and we have sought to make optioning up more accessible with value priced equipment packages. The value equation clearly extends to the after sales aspect of the Skoda ownership experience.” — Michael Irmer, Managing Director, Skoda Australia
The Skoda brand has been on the rise in Australia, overcoming supply issues to out-sell more established marques like Lexus. The large Kodiaq is a big contributor to those numbers with its specific sales numbers up over 200% to-date, while the smaller, more affordable Karoq has shifted 190 sales this year, with momentum expected to pick up as the market familiarises itself with the model.
The new service plans are detailed below, and we must say they’re very competitive.
| Model | 3-years/45,000km | 5-years/75,000km |
| Fabia | $760 | $1600 |
| Rapid | $760 | $1600 |
| Octavia | $760 | $1600 |
| Karoq | $790 | $1650 |
| Superb | $890 | $2100 |
| Kodiaq | $950 | $2100 |
As is the trend with large saloons in our market, the Skoda Superb (which we think is one of the best contenders in the class) has slower numbers, though that’s to be expected. That trend could change next year when Skoda introduces electrified variants of the Superb; This is part of their plans in Europe, so it won’t be too far fetched that some of these plug-in hybrid Superbs (if not all of them) are offered in our market.
For the best deals on a new Skoda, check out our Showroom.
