SE Business Spec Anomalies

[Pete T]

So a few of us have now had SE Business hatchbacks delivered with the Electric Boot and Sunblinds to Rear Passenger Windows / Tailgate window options included despite not being specced or listed by Skoda.

Last night I realised mine also has footwell lights, LED puddle lights and LED number plate lights, again these are contrary to the published spec? What's going on?...

[Brimma]

If they're above and beyond, who cares

I'd only worry if something's missing

[Pete T]

If they're above and beyond, who cares

I'd only worry if something's missing

I'm not worried, it's awesome, but Skoda have been caught off guard with the demand for the S3 and I do wonder if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing in the organisation.

Have any other specs been delivered with 'extras'?

[Juvehero]

Yes I got the LED lights too.

One thing I did notice was the absence of the boot net programme on mine. It was listed as an "over and above SE" fitting on the SE Business in the brochure when I ordered in early August. It's been delisted as a freebie in more recent versions of the brochure. Not complaining but it shows that options seem to come and go with no real rhyme or reason.

Edited 8 November, 2015 by Juvehero

[kingofscotland]

So a few of us have now had SE Business hatchbacks delivered with the Electric Boot and Sunblinds to Rear Passenger Windows / Tailgate window options included despite not being specced or listed by Skoda.

Last night I realised mine also has footwell lights, LED puddle lights and LED number plate lights, again these are contrary to the published spec? What's going on?...

Yes Pete, my SE Business spec is exactly the same as yours.... certainly not complaining some nice extras... just wish it was a canton or columbus as the surprise additions

[petersky1976]

No electric boot or sunblinds on my combi but I do have the footwell, LED puddle and LED number plate lights.

 

I have the boot net, but it cost me.

[PCG]

That's great news Pete,

I'm still waiting for my business edition, few weeks to go hopefully. Did you get the half leather trim ?

Cheers

Paul

[BillyJim]

Just thinking out loud here... I'm guessing most of you are buying from what is effectively a business/fleet sales provider. They submit large batch orders (not just Škoda and not just Superbs) with a random variety of colours and options. It could be that when you order your car through them they look at their pre-ordered batches for the nearest match to your requested spec and assign it to you, even if it has options in addition to your wishes. With the volume of vehicles these fleet providers shift a few hundred pounds of options here and there won't be much of a hit for them to take.

[RickTT]

Just thinking out loud here... I'm guessing most of you are buying from what is effectively a business/fleet sales provider. They submit large batch orders (not just Škoda and not just Superbs) with a random variety of colours and options. It could be that when you order your car through them they look at their pre-ordered batches for the nearest match to your requested spec and assign it to you, even if it has options in addition to your wishes. With the volume of vehicles these fleet providers shift a few hundred pounds of options here and there won't be much of a hit for them to take.

 

That could well be the case as some lease companies even hold stock of some cars, however these tend to be cars which have a spec range rather than an option list.

 

I know a couple of people who have had "freebies" on their cars. guess it may depend on the stock levels that day in the factory with a build and upgrade if required.

[teebs]

I had the same when I ordered a Vauxhall Insignia lease car in 2008. Came with a few free extras I wasn't expecting.

The fleet companies will pre spec their allocation based on traditionally what people may order as extras themselves. LED lights and an electric boot will cost pennies and may help slightly with residual values come sale time.

When I used to sell Audis' we'd always try and get people to order anything bigger than an A4 with sat nav as it helped their residual and we knew that we'd sell it on easier when it came back to us. Glass' guide always gave around an additional £1500 if sat nav was an optional extra

[RickTT]

Looks like the silver roof rails have now been changed to black as standard

[Pete T]

Just thinking out loud here... I'm guessing most of you are buying from what is effectively a business/fleet sales provider. They submit large batch orders (not just Škoda and not just Superbs) with a random variety of colours and options. It could be that when you order your car through them they look at their pre-ordered batches for the nearest match to your requested spec and assign it to you, even if it has options in addition to your wishes. With the volume of vehicles these fleet providers shift a few hundred pounds of options here and there won't be much of a hit for them to take.

 

I see your logic there but there are numerous SE Business spec Superbs arriving with the same 'over spec'. It's as if the factory has one spec and the brochure has another. Of course given Skoda's track record with brochure accuracy that really shouldn't come as a surprise. I reckon the demand would be even greater if people knew the true spec of the SE Business!

[sworks16]

could it be they are sel spec and then just change the lights etc to ship them out quicker, think the headlights are the main external difference?

[Superb170]

Some of the ambition spec models (SE) in Ireland appear to be delivered with electric boot and rear sun blinds where they weren't ordered so it's not just the SE Business that has anomalies.

There are of course slight variations in spec levels (between S,SE SEL etc) across all the European markets and I reckon it's a combination of the factory not being fully aware of the final destination plus the country specific specs just haven't been fully agreed upon/communicated to the factory. Due to the early demand for these Superbs I'm sure it's makes more sense financially for the factory to take a best guess on some of the specs and get the cars moving rather than waiting to have the spec levels exactly right by individual market and risk losing sales in those early months by delays in production, hence why the information that the local importers have in their brochures can differ.

I've seen this before with other cars where the earlier versions have some unusual spec as standard and are also missing items that have been advertised in the pre-launch sales material.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[peld]

could it be they are sel spec and then just change the lights etc to ship them out quicker, think the headlights are the main external difference?

i agree, they have probably just set the productions lines up for something like the SE L, stuff like the tailgates and window blinds might be pre-assembled so they just throw everything down the line and only make a change on the comp  screen, wheels and lights.

[mandp]

Seems a strange way to do business to me!

Pity there isn't someone on this forum that was `in the know` and could advise us all for sure.

[Coops]

i agree, they have probably just set the productions lines up for something like the SE L, stuff like the tailgates and window blinds might be pre-assembled so they just throw everything down the line and only make a change on the comp screen, wheels and lights.

I'm pretty sure that a major manufacturer like Skoda doesn't just throw parts at the line in a bid to make a car to a random spec.

It may a supply chain reason, pre build / kitting issue, or simply a case of 'gifting' the first batches to improve awareness and therefore sales.

[peld]

Skoda havent covered themselves in glory with showing how efficient they are through this S3 experience.

 

I would imagine there might be certain functions/elements of the line where it might to costly/timely to change so they have left them as is, especially if making a variety of specs. I'd agree that there may also be an element of "gifting" involved too for awareness and in light of the emissions scandel.

[mandp]

Skoda havent covered themselves in glory with showing how efficient they are through this S3 experience.

 

I would imagine there might be certain functions/elements of the line where it might to costly/timely to change so they have left them as is, especially if making a variety of specs. I'd agree that there may also be an element of "gifting" involved too for awareness and in light of the emissions scandel.

Lets not forget, Skoda is a business, not a charity!

[Gizmo]

i agree, they have probably just set the productions lines up for something like the SE L, stuff like the tailgates and window blinds might be pre-assembled so they just throw everything down the line and only make a change on the comp  screen, wheels and lights.

 

 

I would imagine there might be certain functions/elements of the line where it might to costly/timely to change so they have left them as is, especially if making a variety of specs. I'd agree that there may also be an element of "gifting" involved too for awareness and in light of the emissions scandel.

 

Car’s are not made in batches of trim levels etc, a single production line will combine just about every combination possible, be that colour, trim level, engine, gearbox etc.

 

It may be down to a supply shortage and only doorcards with the blinds in etc are available or much more likely the factory has made a mistake with what the SE Business is meant to have fitted as std.

Edited 10 November, 2015 by Gizmo68

[BillyJim]

As a former collision investigator I had a lot of contact with various vehicle manufacturers over many years and the following is based primarily on how Ford operated.

As gizmo quite rightly says, cars are no longer built in ad hoc batches. In the '80s, for mass market cars, you could choose a new car from what the dealer had in stock and if you wanted something additional you had to either hope the dealer could source one from another dealer or wait until the factory was producing a batch with that option.

Nowadays cars are built-to-order using the "just in time" principle and it's all computer controlled. The assembly plant doesn't hold a stock of excess components, instead components are ordered in from suppliers as defined by vehicle orders. So for example: If nobody asked for sunroofs there would not be any stock of sunroofs held at the assembly plant. As soon as an order comes in for a car with a sunroof, the sunroof gets ordered from the supplier.

Once a supplier's delivery time is confirmed for all the required components a "build week" can be assigned by the computer, adding it to the existing queue.

If delivery of a component is delayed or the supplier is temporarily out of stock, then the build week gets pushed back and other vehicles further back in the queue, whose components are available, may have their build week moved forward.

It's based on this that led me to post my musing in #8 as the manufacturer won't just add bits because they happen to be lying around.

Edited 14 November, 2015 by BillyJim

[biomulv]

So a few of us have now had SE Business hatchbacks delivered with the Electric Boot and Sunblinds to Rear Passenger Windows / Tailgate window options included despite not being specced or listed by Skoda.

Last night I realised mine also has footwell lights, LED puddle lights and LED number plate lights, again these are contrary to the published spec? What's going on?...

 

Our trial SE Business for work had this exact spec.

[Tesla]

Does SE business spec include mats?

[Gizmo]

No, only the L&K gets mats as std.

[RickTT]

As the SE business includes folding mirrors, do these mirrors also come with puddle lights ?

 

Thanks