Skoda Auto India has began testing the Enyaq electrical SUV on Indian roads, a high firm official advised FE on Monday.
“Indian road conditions are very different compared with Europe where the Enyaq is being sold. We have just started testing it on Indian roads,” Zac Hollis, model director, Skoda Auto India, advised FE. “We will wait for the feedback post testing, and then take a decision on whether or not to launch it in India.”
The Enyaq is a premium electrical SUV with a claimed vary of as much as 520 km.
“We will bring electric cars to India because we have made a long-term commitment to the market, and even our dealers have invested in the Skoda growth story. But I won’t be able to share the timeline right now,” he mentioned.
On the Enyaq, particularly, Hollis mentioned the carmaker will research whether or not to make it in India or import it as a very built-up (CBU) unit. “The advantage of a CBU is you don’t have to make huge investments. Sales volumes are limited because of high taxes, but the car can enable our dealers to get ready for the electric mobility ecosystem,” he mentioned.
The Volkswagen Group, of which Skoda is part, has already began the electrification drive in India. Last 12 months, the Group’s luxurious model Audi launched 5 EV fashions beneath the e-tron sub-brand, and Porsche launched the Taycan electrical supercar.
On Monday, Skoda launched the Kushaq Monte Carlo version priced `15.99 lakh onwards (ex-showroom). An unique badging, the Monte Carlo version pays homage to the carmaker’s motorsport heritage and Rallye Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo Rally), the place Skoda has been competing for 85 years.
“Special edition models like the Monte Carlo drive incremental sales,” Hollis mentioned. “These make the car model feel like brand new, even when it’s a year or two old in its life cycle. We have had a number of special editions over the years, such as L&K (Laurin & Klement), Monte Carlo, RS, etc.”
Hollis mentioned that the carmaker is heading in the right direction to treble gross sales in India this 12 months over 2021, when it bought 23,858 models. “We are on target. In March we sold about 6,000 cars and in April about 5,000 cars. We should be able to sell 60,000-65,000 cars in 2022,” he mentioned. “That would also be six times of what we sold in 2020 (10,387 cars).”
Sales are being pushed by the Kushaq SUV (launched final 12 months) and the Slavia midsize sedan, which was launched in February. Both have been developed for India beneath the Volkswagen Group’s India 2.0 venture. The Slavia has received over 10,000 bookings, and in April it turned the highest-selling sedan in its section, by promoting 2,431 models.
According to knowledge each from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) and compiled from carmakers, in FY22, midsize sedans fashioned simply 2.6% of the market, down from 6.9% in FY17 and 6.4% in FY18. “A reason for the falling popularity of midsize sedans is there was nothing new for people,” Hollis mentioned. “All carmakers have been launching SUVs, and this led to a lot of excitement around SUVs. Over the last few years, a dozen-odd all-new SUVs have been launched but very few all-new sedans. That is now changing. Data shows that after the Slavia was launched, competitors didn’t lose sales of their midsize sedans. This means the segment is expanding.”
After the Slavia, Honda launched the City e:HEV midsize sedan and Volkswagen will quickly launch the Virtus, bringing extra consumers to this section. “This year, the midsize sedan segment will grow by 50%, for sure,” Hollis added.
In addition to the Kushaq and the Slavia (`10-20 lakh section), Skoda sells costlier fashions just like the Kodiaq, the Superb and the Octavia (all above `20 lakh), and the following alternative presumably lies within the sub-`10 lakh section. “I don’t have a brand new car that I can announce right now, but the volume opportunity lies in more affordable cars. There is more competition, but there are also more sales that can be had,” he mentioned. “At the same time, we will continue bringing improvements to all the five models we have.”
On the continuing semiconductor scarcity challenge, he mentioned that the Volkswagen Group is prioritising the carmaker when it comes to provides. “We are a priority market for Volkswagen Group worldwide because we are launching cars and are getting good supply of chips. Yet it is a challenge; for example, in June, I am not sure which kinds of chips will have supply shortage. So, it is difficult to plan and give the right delivery date to customers. But we are keeping the production line growing,” he mentioned.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”