The production of the Škoda Superb will move from the Czech Republic to the Volkswagen factory in Slovakia, Hospodářské noviny (HN) reports citing credible sources.
According to HN, the production of the new generation of Superb is to be moved to Bratislava and will probably reach the market in 2022.
The development of Superb is to continue in the Czech Republic. Along with the Superb, the Volkswagen Passat is to be moved to Bratislava, the development of which is also to be transferred to the Czech Republic, HN reports.
The relocation of Superb production has been speculated for a long time. The unions, led by foreman Jaroslav Povšík, criticize him. Povšík described the transfer of the models as a campaign against Škoda, in addition to the Superb, the Czechia should also lose the production of the Škoda Kodiaq or Seatu Ateca.
The Automobilwoche magazine also provided information on the relocation of Superb production from the Czech Republic to Slovakia. “We have decided to increase the capacity of the local plant,” Hospodářské noviny quotes VW head Herbert Diess, who spoke in favor of Automobilwoche.
One of the reasons for moving Superb to Bratislava may be lower production costs. According to Diess, Slovakia’s production costs are comparable to Turkey, where the group initially planned to build a new factory. Production in Slovakia should be cheaper than in the Czech Republic or Germany.
In July, the Volkswagen Group announced that it had stopped plans to build a new factory in Turkey. The decision is said to be a drop in demand due to the coronavirus crisis. Volkswagen postponed plans to build a factory in Turkey last year due to international criticism of Syria’s Turkish military operations.
The relocation of the Superb was significantly speculated as early as 2018. Volkswagen then announced that this model of the Škoda would remain, and also, models of the Passat family were to be produced in the Czech Republic by 2023.
In Mladá Boleslav, Škoda Auto produces the Fabia, Fabia station wagon, Scala, Kamiq, Octavia, Enyaq, and partly Karoq models. The Škoda Superb and Kodiaq are manufactured in Kvasiny in the Rychnov region, where another part of the Karoq SUV is also produced.
Last year, Škoda Auto delivered 1.24 million cars worldwide. It operates three production plants in the Czech Republic, produces in China, Russia, Slovakia, and India, mostly through group partnerships and Ukraine and Kazakhstan in cooperation with local partners. It is active in more than 100 markets. It employs almost 39,000 people, of which nearly 34,000 in the Czech Republic.