Skoda planning MPV, large SUV and new hatch

In a recent Autocar report, Skoda technical chief Eckhard Scholz revealed some of the details of Skoda's future plans. They include launching a new model every six months to help boost sales as Skoda aims to ramp up from its 2010 sales figure of 762,600 to 1.5 million by 2018.

Scholz says that in order to achieve this, the brand will be looking to offer a car for every segment. He says, "big volume segments, not anything niche" will be part of the criteria for the new models.

To kick things off, Skoda will be launching the new Skoda Citigo from early next year, a model that is based on the Volkwagen Up!. The city car will come in more than one style, unlike the Up!, including a larger four-door version.

As for the Skoda MPV, Scholz said the car won't be a simple matter of rebadging a Volkswagen product, as opposed to the Fabia, which is based on the Volkswagen Polo, and the new Citigo. Scholz says the model will be "a more conventional MPV, something bigger than the Roomster".

With China being the fastest growing car market at the moment, Skoda is also looking to provide a product that could do well in the market, more specifically, a new SUV. The official size and segment of the SUV is yet to be determined. Scholz says the SUV will be "bigger than the Yeti, as such a car is important for China, as well as Europe".

With the Yeti based on Volkswagen's A5 (PQ35) platform - underpinning vehicles such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Mk6 Golf - it's possible the new Skoda SUV will be built on the next size up platform, the PQ46, which underpins the Passat. However, an official announcement is yet to be made.

Lastly, a new Skoda hatch will be introduced, based on the Skoda MissionL concept and the Skoda MissionD concept (pictured). As previously reported, a hatch version is being planned to take on the likes of the popular Ford Focus market, slotting in between the Skoda Fabia and the Octavia in terms of price and size. The new model is being slated for release some time in 2012.

We'll keep you updated on official details on all new models as soon as we hear more. What's your opinion on Skoda's current lineup? Is there a segment that stands out that Skoda needs to take part in?