Here we have an interesting case of a brand doing well in spite of the troubled world auto makers are living in. Czech car maker and VW Group company Skoda, has posted a massive profit (OK, considering the economic downturn witnessed across the planet) of 28.2 million euro in the first quarter of 2009.
Industry experts cite the scrappage scheme adopted by European countries as the prime reason behind the feat. The scrappage scheme has encouraged customers to upgrade to new and economical car with benefits in the form of price cuts offered by governments.
It’s difficult to digest someone’s success which you haven’t tasted. We ask those idiotic bribed industry experts why the other brands have not been so successful? Why haven’t they matched this performance by benefiting from the scrappage incentives?
Car makers have something to cheer about and the people too, as they could buy a car at a price which they have and will not see. We told you about the 500% increase in Renault Logan sales in Germany sometime ago. That was because of the same reason.
Reinhard Jung Skoda Auto chairman-
The first quarter of 2009 was very hard – the impacts of the worldwide economic crisis are also leaving their mark on Škoda. But with our modern and environmentally-friendly products, we have succeeded in expanding our market share in important markets such as Germany and China
Holger Kintscher, Skoda board member-
We know that 2009 will be particularly hard for us as well as for the entire automotive industry. The prospects are still unclear however, and filled with substantial risks. Yet I am convinced that through our Scout profit improvement programme, we will succeed in sustaining our financial strength and stability and even in this period of crisis, achieve a reasonable profit
With a lot of difficulty, I have read the translated version of teknikensvarld, a Swedish car magazine and this is how the story goes
What is the VW Up!?
The VW Up! is a concept which was shown to crowds at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2007. Similar to the Tata Nano, the VW Up! has its engine driving the rear axle and is placed under the rear seat.
Why did it spark our interest?
Simple. VW announced it will build the Up! in India back in 2007. A target price of around $7,500 was announced and it would compete with the smaller hatchbacks, such as the Hyundai Santro, Maruti Alto and the Chevrolet Spark in India. It was also rumored back then that VW would team up with Bajaj to see the concept through to an Indian production line.
What’s the latest information on the VW Up!?
An official announcement has arrived from VW that it will use Bratislava as a production centre for its Up! family of city cars from 2011 onwards. Bratislava is in the country of Slovak, the former borders Austria and Hungary.
Entry posted on February 9, 2009 by
Vibs;
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Skoda
Its raining new variants! We just reported that GM is planning to launch new variant of its spark, and interestingly, Skoda doesn’t want to be left behind.
Skoda is also planning to launch a total of three new variants of its hatchback Fabia, one of them will be a ‘Sports’ version for some ‘sporty’ feel. The sports edition will be named as Fabia Sportline that will come fully loaded with newly designed interiors and alloy wheels. Changes are not purely cosmetic, as the Fabia Sportline will have a 1800cc engine while other two variants will be 1200cc and 1600cc in engine capacity.
For Skoda Fabia lovers-
* Earlier last year, European customers got a sports pack for this car. The Skoda Fabia Sport had all the bits one could ask for in a sports hatch, except maybe a powerful engine.
* If you ask us for something like the “Fabia-from-hell,” then the Skoda Fabia S2000 should do the answering.
* If you are the eco-friendly type, and your bum pal is the coconut tree in your garden, you should consider the Skoda Fabia Blueline.
The Skoda Superb has won ‘Car of The Year 2009′ award in its home turf Czech Republic. It has won the first place in ‘Middle and Upper Middle class’ Category, beating 42 competitors.
The Skoda Superb is a very popular car amongst locals. Every Skoda is a class topper in Czech to be exact. It also won the towcar awards earlier last year, and then came Sky’s Best Gadget award for its Parking Assist.
For a short time period, we didn’t get to hear of many limited Editions, but it’s pouring cats and dogs now. Czech car maker Skoda has recently launched a limited-run Skoda Octavia (which is known as Laura in India) in U.K.
Only 500 of these cars will be produced with buyers given the choice of two engine options, a powerful 200HP 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline unit or a 170HP 2.0-litre turbo diesel.
Entry posted on January 14, 2009 by
Vibs;
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Specials
It was a perfect day for motorheads like me at the AUTO MALL 2009 sponsored by Relio Quick which was held for a duration of three days- 9, 10 and 11th Jan.
Brands like Skoda, Honda, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Nissan had put their respective cars on display and the big surprise was not a special participant, but the absence of one- India’s top car maker Maruti Suzuki!
Entry posted on December 22, 2008 by
Vibs;
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Skoda
The Czech carmaker Skoda has begun production of its Fabia in China. The Chinese-made Fabia will sell from 85,800 yuan ($12,560) and is anticipated to become the best-selling Skoda in China.
The Skoda Fabia Sport was launched in the European market this year. We are quite sure, Skoda will bring it here to India next year – Here are the reasons why. Firstly, Skoda is doing quick sales of its Fabia, and has built a stable foundation for future exploits in the luxury-hatchback segment. This car is a sheep in wolves’ clothing! It may boast a deeper front spoiler, 16-inch alloy [ Read More ]
