Skoda India has a few interesting launches being planned in the coming year. The company plans to launch an SUV and three sedans in 2017, with a possible hatchback and compact SUV in 2018. However, it is also seeing a change in leadership, as Skoda India Managing Director Sudhir Rao has left the company, after steering it for the past five years. Rao is reportedly moving out of the automotive sector after more than two decades.
Rao has taken some tough calls during his stint at Skoda, including axing the loss-making premium hatchback, the Skoda Fabia, and right-sizing the company.
He also tried to salvage Skoda’s poor reputation in after-sales service by personally taking an interest in addressing customer grievances, and putting in place a system to sort out issues effectively. It was during his tenure that the Skoda Rapid was given a makeover, and it has been one of the company’s better-selling vehicles.
Also read: Five Hot Upcoming SUVs in India
Upcoming Launches from Skoda
Skoda Kodiaq
The most anticipated launch from Skoda India in 2017 is the Skoda Kodiaq, which is a full-size seven-seater SUV that will be launched in July. The Kodiaq shares its underpinnings with Skoda Superb, and will compete with Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour in terms of price positioning.
It will come with a choice of a petrol and diesel engine – a 2-litre diesel good for about 190 bhp of power, and a 2-litre petrol variant that puts out about 177 bhp of power. The Kodiaq packs in quite a few features, including some innovative ones like an emergency light and umbrella holders.
Skoda Octavia facelift
The Skoda Octavia is likely to be introduced in the next few weeks in India. The changes to the Octavia are mainly cosmetic. Up front, the Octavia gets a Mercedes E-Class inspired look, with split projector headlamps and the new Skoda grille. The boot of the Octavia gets a new crease, the bumper has been tweaked and the revised tail-lamps are keeping up with the family look. There are no major changes to the interiors of the car. Bookings for the refreshed car have opened.
Skoda Octavia VR-S
Skoda will introduce the new Octavia VRS – the performance-oriented variant of the Skoda Octavia. This car is available only as a turbo-petrol variant. The new Octavia VRS will come with a revised suspension, wider track and lowered ground clearance to go with its sporty performance. The engine is now a 2-litre units that puts out 227 bhp of power and 350 Nm of torque with a six-speed automatic transmission. For the VRS variant, you might have to shell out Rs 2-3 lakh more than the regular Skoda Octavia Style Plus variant.
Skoda Rapid Monte Carlo
The Skoda Rapid is also likely to see the addition of a limited-edition variant, called the Monte Carlo. The Skoda Monte Carlo edition comes with cosmetic enhancements, but is powered by the same 1.6 litre petrol, and 1.5 ltire diesel engines as the previous car. In terms of visual appeal, it gets blacked out alloy wheels and black masking on the grille, besides skirting and different upholstery.
Besides these four models, Skoda is also likely to introduce the Skoda Karoq as a replacement to the Skoda Yeti in 2018, as this is the Yeti’s global replacement. It is based on the Volkswagen MQB platform, which is the same platform that Volkswagen’s upcoming Tiguan is built on.
The Karoq is being globally unveiled on 18 May. It will likely carry over the all-wheel drive system from the Yeti. Skoda is also reportedly considering reintroducing the Skoda Fabia in India, now that the premium hatchback segment has matured. The Fabia, when first introduced in 2008, was seen as a premium hatchback that was a bit ahead of its time.
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