To open a central showroom in Colombo in May 2020; will initially sell Fabia, Superb, Kodiaq and Karoq, followed by the Octavia; could also offer made-in-India Skoda Vision IN and VW Taigun in 2021
21 Feb 2020 | 13410 Views | By Autocar Pro News Desk
Czech automobile manufacturer Skoda Auto is continuing its global expansion programme and will soon have a footprint in Sri Lanka, from May 2020.
Consistently internationalising the company and opening up new markets are central pillars of Skoda’s Strategy 2025, with which the company has set the course for sustainable, ...
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Czech automobile manufacturer Skoda Auto is continuing its global expansion programme and will soon have a footprint in Sri Lanka, from May 2020.
Consistently internationalising the company and opening up new markets are central pillars of Skoda’s Strategy 2025, with which the company has set the course for sustainable, long-term growth. The strategy also encompasses the central topics of electromobility and digitalisation and creates the prerequisites for transforming Skoda Auto from an automobile manufacturer into a ‘Simply Clever Company for the best mobility solutions’.
According to Skoda Auto CEO Bernhard Maier, “Further internationalising our brand and conquering new markets are central areas of action laid out in the Skoda Strategy 2025. By re-entering the Sri Lankan market, we are taking the next step in raising Skoda’s position worldwide.”
In May 2020, Skoda will open a central showroom and sales location in Colombo, the capital of the island state located off the southern point of India. Skoda Auto will be collaborating with IWS Automobiles as an importer and trading partner. Skoda’s initial line-up will include four model series: the small car Fabia, the mid-class Superb, the large SUV Kodiaq and the compact SUV Karoq. The brand’s bestseller, the Octavia sedan, will expand the range of models later this year.
It is learnt that IWS Automobiles will directly import these Skodas from the Czech carmaker's European plants.
Customers can order the first vehicles from the beginning of March 2020, and the first deliveries will be made when the new showroom opens in May.
India 2.0 models could also be offered in Sri Lanka next year
Meanwhile, according to Skoda Auto, by utilising the existing synergies in its India 2.0 project, the carmaker could also offer models in Sri Lanka that will be developed under the upcoming model campaign in the Indian market.
On the eve of the 2020 Auto Expo, held in early February, Skoda revealed its bold Vision IN concept SUV, which, according to Skoda Auto’s global CEO Bernhard Maier, “is 90 percent of what the production car will look like”. Based on the Volkswagen Group’s global A0 platform, this midsize SUV, the first model under ‘India 2.0’ – a buzzword coined for Skoda Auto Volkswagen India’s ambitious revival plan – will be almost entirely manufactured in India and launched in the first half of 2021 with a local content level of over 90 percent.
Also revealed was the Volkswagen Taigun midsize concept SUV, whose final production model will be closely related to Skoda’s Vision IN midsize SUV concept, and will follow its cousin into the market in the latter part of 2021. Together the duo of SUVs will be the first products to be based on Volkswagen’s India-specific MQB A0 IN platform that will also form the basis of a new range of models to come.