Skoda has removed the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant of the Skoda Octavia from sale as it battles with a growing order book backlog.
The Czech firm confirmed to Autocar that the Skoda Octavia iV, which was priced from £33,110, had been pulled “to ensure we’re fulfilling customer orders in good time”.
It’s understood that the order delay is down to a shortage of key parts, heavily reported to be caused by the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, coupled with the continued (although starting to be lessened) Covid shutdowns in China – a key manufacturer of semiconductors.
When the Octavia iV will return to sale also remains unknown. A Skoda spokesperson said they “don’t have the timings on when it will go back on sale” but confirmed it is expected to be a temporary measure. It first went on sale in November 2020.
This follows the £38,970 Skoda Enyaq iV 60 electric SUV, which arrived back on sale recently having also been pulled so that the order backlog could be lessened.
According to figures from Jato Analytics, the Octavia is Skoda’s most popular model, selling more than 96,000 units so far this year, although this is down 19% on the same period in 2021. This figure includes all powertrain options: petrol, diesel, mild hybrid and PHEV.