We're fast approaching the end of our 2 year PCH lease on a standard manual Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI 150PS Scout.

 

It has served us well and has done everything we need from a family car, stand-out looks, huge boot, good spec and reliable.

 

It's unlikely we'll be leasing next time, I'm looking to buy instead, however at 8,000 miles a year (wife and kid carrier) I don't want a diesel. The DPF hasn't given us any issues but it is regularly regenerating which makes it less smooth to drive.

 

The MkII Octavia Scout was available as a petrol but only sold in small volumes but given the increase in the popularity of petrol and the stigma associated with diesel I'd imagine they'd do better this time. 

 

Does anyone know if Skoda have any plans for a petrol Scout anytime soon? Even better a petrol hybrid!

 

If not we'll be leaving Skoda, the Yeti is too small, Kodiak is too big / expensive and the other Octavia models (vRS aside) too bland.

 

Skoda UK have dropped a bollok with not putting enough petrols into the range. Lets hope they throw loads more into the range in a big knee-jerk reaction, to the punitive taxes governments will soon apply

What about a Karoq? I have a feeling that will get a 2.0 TSI. It'll definitely get a 1.4 TSI, actually that'll probably be the 1.5. 

 

The above quickly off the top of my head - I haven't checked....

1 minute ago, dunc69 said:

What about a Karoq? I have a feeling that will get a 2.0 TSI. It'll definitely get a 1.4 TSI, actually that'll probably be the 1.5. 

 

The above quickly off the top of my head - I haven't checked....

Why would the Karoq get the 2.0 TSI ? the Kodiaq didn't get it.

The Kodiak has the 2.0 TSI. 

 

See here:

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201707277760271?atmobcid=soc3

Edited 31 August, 20178 yr by dunc69

The Karoq replaces the Yeti right?

 

I'm assuming it will be heavily based on the SEAT Ateca?

 

I'll be buying used, probably 1-2 years old (I'm too tight to buy brand new!) and the current lease runs on the Scout out in April next year. Not sure when the Karoq launches but looking at current Ateca prices it'll be a little too much.

 

Agreed on Skoda UK's current petrol line-up, I think they've misread the current attitudes towards diesel, although I appreciate new engines can't be added overnight 'd imagine it would be pretty simple to add a petrol engine into the Scout?

The problem is not just that there aren't petrol engines but that Skoda don't do petrol with 4x4. That to me is a major deficiency in their line up and one of the reasons my next car won't be a Skoda. 

Edited 31 August, 20178 yr by Sarge

22 minutes ago, Sarge said:

The problem is not just that there aren't petrol engines but that Skoda don't do petrol with 4x4. That to me is a major deficiency in their line up and one of the reasons my next car won't be a Skoda. 

 

Superb 280 4x4 and Kodiak 2.0 TSI 180bhp 4x4? Agree there's not much else...

2 hours ago, dunc69 said:

The Kodiak has the 2.0 TSI. 

 

See here:

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201707277760271?atmobcid=soc3

oh I nearly forgot the de-tuned one

The Scout has been available in Australia for the last year or so with two diesel options and the petrol 1.8tsi DSG.

Australian public like their cars to look like off-road 'SUVs' even when with just FWD that patently are not so Scout sales have been so slow they have been dropped entirely.  Kodiak has been released here initially with the 132kw 2.0tsi and the diesel soon to follow,

So Skoda did make the 1.8tsi in RHD format and I have no idea why it is not available in the UK.

 

And now this!

 

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/skoda-kodiaq-vrs-coming?amp

 

Although diesel - still think vRD more appropriate for mildly tweaked diesels. We should save vRS for petrol power. 

 

(with apologies for the thread hijack)

Edited 1 September, 20178 yr by dunc69

15 hours ago, Gerrycan said:

So Skoda did make the 1.8tsi in RHD format and I have no idea why it is not available in the UK.

 

 

There is one constant with Skoda UK that I've noticed over the years; a complete misunderstanding of their customers desires. They get it right through luck and by blindly following their competitors.

On 31/08/2017 at 20:30, themanwithnoaim said:

Skoda UK have dropped a bollok with not putting enough petrols into the range.

 

I don't know for sure in Skoda's case, but generally vehicle manufacturers have product plans that stretch out many years in to the future. The product plan drives a business case and part of that is a sales forecast. The vehicle mix part of that forecast for each country is quite possibly something that was signed-off long ago, when people still thought diesels were the best thing in the world, and before all the relatively recent negative publicity started to change peoples' minds. What I'm trying to say is that manufacturers often (have to) make decisions long before the customer sees the decision in action. This makes it easy for a customer, not knowing the background, to wonder if the company knows what it's doing 

On 01/09/2017 at 20:20, silver1011 said:

 

There is one constant with Skoda UK that I've noticed over the years; a complete misunderstanding of their customers desires.

 

Or possibly they are aware of their customers desires, but in the bigger picture the company will make more money by ignoring some of those desires. 

 

- If the investment in the infrastruture required to support a particular model variant in a particalr market is larger than the return from incremental sales, they won't do it.

 

- If the resources required to deliver a particular variant to a particular market could be better utilised to deliver a better financial gain elsewhere, they won't do it.

Which would make sense if we were talking an all-new model.

 

In this case it is expanding an existing model to another market.

1 hour ago, silver1011 said:

Which would make sense if we were talking an all-new model. 

 

In this case it is expanding an existing model to another market.

 

Which does not come at zero cost in supporting infrastructure and other things that need doing to bring a model to a particular market; nor does the action guarantee incremental revenue for Skoda.

 

The UK is Europe's second largest car market, even poor products manage to sell well, I'm confident Skoda would make a success of the petrol Scout here.

2 hours ago, silver1011 said:

I'm confident Skoda would make a success of the petrol Scout here.

 

You may be correct and maybe you should offer your services to Skoda UK? 

 

I don't want to risk coming over as a know-it-all. Nobody likes those. But I make these sorts of vehicle placement decisions for a living. There are a myriad of factors involved in cases like these, most of which the average customer wouldn't ever know about, many wouldn't even understand.

Skoda's business decisions are closely monitored by those that invest in that company. If there was even an inkling that Skoda UK's management was missing out on an opportunity to deliver shareholder value, they would be replaced. That's just how it works. It's hard nose with capitals H & N. If you think you know better, then that's fine. I'll leave this thread for now.

19 minutes ago, susi said:

 

You may be correct and maybe you should offer your services to Skoda UK? 

 

I don't want to risk coming over as a know-it-all. Nobody likes those. But I make these sorts of vehicle placement decisions for a living. There are a myriad of factors involved in cases like these, most of which the average customer wouldn't ever know about, many wouldn't even understand.

Skoda's business decisions are closely monitored by those that invest in that company. If there was even an inkling that Skoda UK's management was missing out on an opportunity to deliver shareholder value, they would be replaced. That's just how it works. It's hard nose with capitals H & N. If you think you know better, then that's fine. I'll leave this thread for now.

Sounds to me like the classic "there's no demand" argument - well there's no demand if you don't offer it!!! Surely it would be at least worth do a survey to find out how much demand there is for a petrol Scout, or a 4x4 petrol of any kind. Having come from an Audi quattro, I would buy a 4x4 Octavia if Skoda UK offered one so that makes 2 of us...

 

A few years ago I had a "no demand" discussion with Morissons who said there was no demand for 98 octane petrol from their filling stations despite the fact that every other supermarket feels there IS demand, there reply was that they don't sell any - well of course they don't because they don't offer it!!!

Edited 3 September, 20178 yr by SWBoy

29 minutes ago, SWBoy said:

Sounds to me like the classic "there's no demand" argument - well there's no demand if you don't offer it!!!

 

I don't wish to start a patronising lecture on how corporate business works, but in short, just because there is demand for something, does not necessarily mean it is the right decision for the business as a whole.

 

 

29 minutes ago, SWBoy said:

 Surely it would be at least worth do a survey to find out how much demand there is for a petrol Scout, or a 4x4 petrol of any kind. Having come from an Audi quattro, I would buy a 4x4 Octavia if Skoda UK offered one so that makes 2 of us...

 

I don't doubt that a large company like Skoda has an active "voice of the customer" -type programme. Therefore they should have a very good idea about the level of demand for petrol options. But that doesn't mean that the corporate business managers have decided that it is the best way of making money for shareholders. If there is a way to make money, and the decision timing allows the decision to be made, it will generally happen.

 

Yes, I know, I should have left this thread.

 

 

1 hour ago, susi said:

But that doesn't mean that the corporate business managers have decided that it is the best way of making money for shareholders.

Not offering the products that people want to buy IS the way to slowly but surely kill the business though.

 

BTW I do understand the automative business - before I retired I was a senior manager in an automotive consultancy dealing with auto manufacturers worldwide.

 

... but the demand has not been for petrol over the last few years. The 1.8TSI versions have existed in LHD and I suspect the mania for diesel in the UK over the last x years has essentially driven them to be an extreme niche. Now all of a sudden punitive taxes may return on diesels, the pendulum swings the other way. 

Reengineering the 1.8 for a niche market may not make any sense, especially if there's volume elsewhere, whether it works for LHD or not.

 

 - Bret

3 hours ago, brettikivi said:

... but the demand has not been for petrol over the last few years. The 1.8TSI versions have existed in LHD and I suspect the mania for diesel in the UK over the last x years has essentially driven them to be an extreme niche.

A situation that is changing rapidly as the UK Government is forced to take drastic measures to meet air pollution requirements in cities.

 

Skoda UK need to respond to the changing circumstances, not stick with what sold in the past.

 

If a model has already been designed, tested and approved in RHD form in another country (e.g. Australia) then the additional cost is only the Type Approval paperwork.

 

With total respect we (on this forum) are a pretty rare breed.

 

Years ago we were told by Skoda UK there wasn't ENOUGH demand for a Fabia vRS yet guys on here love them.

 

I don't think Skoda will consider a petrol Scout UNTIL the government actually announces some punative diesel taxes & however much you argue on here it won't change the economics.

 

There needs to be ENOUGH demand & not just some demand.

 

Nuff said?

Edited 4 September, 20178 yr by themanwithnoaim

35 minutes ago, themanwithnoaim said:

With total respect we (on this forum) are a pretty rare breed.

But we CAN take the lead in getting Skoda to look again at the economics instead of just saying "last time we looked there was no demand"...