Like Volkswagen, Skoda will bring out a city hatchback that will slot in below Fabia next year. Part of the VW-Skoda-Seat New Small Family, the mini Skoda will be a cosmetically different Up sporting interiors familiar to the other Skoda cars.
The design director of this vehicle Jozef Kaban has told CAR Magazine that the three vehicles (expected to be VW Lupo/Skoda Youngster/Seat Arosa) will have visibly more differentiation than the Peugeot 107/Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo trio. Body work will be different with independent bumpers, plastic moldings and subtle metalwork changes. Design inspiration will come from the VisionD concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The report mentions that the “C” graphic on the tail light will continue to be a design feature of this urban runabout.
Though the Up! concept had the rear engine RWD layout (think Tata Nano), it has been scrapped in favor of the conventional front engine FWD package present on all compact cars in India.
CAR has detailed engine options too. It is understood that 1.0- and 1.2-liter petrol engines will join hands with three- and four-cylinder diesel engines. The three-cylinder diesel engine CAR is talking about could be the 1.2 TDI used on the Polo and Fabia. The Indian Fabia also uses a 1.2-liter petrol engine.
Skoda India is showing some strong dedication towards the Indian Market. After we spied two of their products in the testing phase – Rapid & Fabia Scout, the company has gone ahead and made another official announcement.
Skoda has confirmed that it is in the process of developing a small car below its Fabia specially for the Indian market.
Sales and marketing chief Thomas Kuehl -
We are planning to launch an entry level small car in the price range of INR300,000 to INR500,000 by 2013 in India
The company also confirmed that the new small car will be available with both petrol and diesel engine. Most of the parts required to build this small car will be sourced from India. The company is targeting 70% localization and manufacturing will be at Volkswagen’ Chakan plant where the Fabia, Polo and Vento are made.
Will this car be the Lupo-based Youngster? Or will it be on an entirely new platform that it will share with Volkswagen’ sub-Polo hatchback?
The price segment that Skoda India has mention is utterly dominated by top two Indian giants: Maruti Suzuki (Wagon R) and Hyundai (i10). Is Skoda India ready to take on the biggies?
French publication Automobile Magazine is speculating on the sub-Sabia city hatchback, scheduled for a Frankfurt Motor Show debut this year. Likely to be manufactured at VW’ Chakan facility in Pune next year, the Skoda Youngster will be 3.45 meters long, making it marginally smaller than the Alto K10 (3.62 meters long). The Youngster is a city car and needless to say, it will come in 3- and 5-door configurations.
The Youngster (previously addressed by the media as Joyster) will take on the likes of the Toyota Aygo, Renault Twingo, Ford Ka and Citroen C1. A SEAT variant is touted to wear the “Arosa” nameplate. Along with the 1.2-liter petrol engine producing about 70bhp, what the Youngster needs a small diesel motor to better its chances in the crowded Indian hatch market.
We were a bit disappointed when heard concrete reports on VW shelving the Up! in India. It would have been an ideal contender to compete in the Indian market. Polo’s build quality, good quality cabin, compact diesel/petrol engine, driver-centric chassis setup and VW logo could have been a different experience for the Maruti Wagon R or Hyundai i10 buyer. But an exciting new happening has made up jump in joy. [ Read More ]
Isn’t this the sub-Fabia hatchback that’s heading to India in the next couple of years? It could even be here within the next 18 months and positioned under the VW Lupo.
The smallest Skoda is being formulated for an unveiling very soon. It’ll be a re-badged VW Lupo, and there will be a reasonable level of difference between the twins. The Skoda Joyster might not have the same level of equipment, finish or refinement as the Lupo given it’s the cheaper car.
The car will be marketed as a four-seater with four doors. The name Joyster is derived from the concept of 2006. The vehicle will be a city car and will take on the likes of the Maruti Alto and Hyundai HA.
The Joyster will get the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol and a 1.2 three-cylinder diesel (from the Polo) as the Lupo.
Prices should be at around 3 lakh rupees, but we’re really not sure how things will pan out.
Click here to see Indian Autos Blog’s illustration of the Skoda Joyster
Volkswagen is developing its global small car the UP and India would be one the most important market for the VW UP. Volkswagen would be sharing the UP platform with Skoda and Seat also. Though the Seat version of the city car wouldn’t come to India, Skoda version, which could be called the Joyster, would be coming to India in the future.
The picture posted above is a rendering of how the Seat’s version of the VW UP could look. The car looks different from the VW UP! concept, which was more like a compact tall boy design. The Seat city car is more sleeker and sportier. The Skoda Joyster also can be expected to come with sporty looks.
The reason for Seat and Skoda’s version of the city car being different from the VW UP’s tallboy, utilitarian yet attractive design could be the fact that these 3 models would be selling alongside each other in the European market and these three brands are perceived differently. VW which enjoys a better a better reputation would like to be compared to likes of Skoda and Seat which are ‘value’ brands.
For India though, the Skoda small car could come as a sporty hatchback targeting younger customers at a low price (3-4 lakh rupees) while the Volkswagen UP could be a more practical tallboy aimed at brand conscious buyers. If VW India can create different identities for the UP and the Joyster, then we would approve that VW and Skoda are complementing each other in India.
Click here to see Indian Autos Blog’s exclusive Skoda small car rendering.
Skoda India is keen on entering the ever-growing small car segment soon. The Volkswagen owned Czech car-maker which entered the Indian market in the year 2001 with the rock solid Skoda Octavia, cemented its position as premium car maker in India. Now Skoda India is getting more ambitious as it has hinted that it would be making more affordable cars (small cars) for the Indian market.
Thomas Kuehl, Sales and Marketing, Skoda India -
All this while, we have been in the high level of the lifestyle. People like our cars (but) we need to be a little more affordable.
Skoda is in the process of developing the small car and this could be sold both in the Indian market as well as the European market. The new small car which could be christened the ‘Joyster’, would be built on Volkswagen’s upcoming UP! small car platform. The Skoda Joyster could also compete with the Tata Nano Europa in the future, as Skoda is perceived as a ‘value’ brand in the Europe.
The Skoda small could share the small frugal 1.0l TDI diesel engines and a sub 1.0l petrol with the VW UP!. As both the smallc ars are based on the same platform the Skoda small car could be built at VW’s high capacity plant at Chakan, Pune. The car could be priced between 3 to 4 lakh Rupees.
It would be interesting to see how VW manages the Skoda Joyster and the VW UP! selling in the same market at a close price range. VW India says both the brands complement each other rather than eating into each others sales, but would they still be complementing each other even in the small car segment?
Click here to see Indian Autos Blog’s exclusive Skoda small car rendering
The Volkswagen Group’s platform sharing strategy has always worked wonders for the company. The UP! which is being developed on VW’s brand new MHB platform would soon see the light of the day.
VW is planning to launch the rear engined, rear wheel driven urban car, Up! in the Indian market sometime in the next three years. VW, going by international media reports, would also be sharing this ultra-low cost platform with Seat and Skoda.
While the Seat version of the Volkwagen UP! (which could be called the ‘Ros’) isn’t reaching Indian shores, Skoda’s version of the UP! is highly probable for India. Skoda India had hinted about this small car on numerous occasions and we’ve learnt that this small car could be called the Skoda Joyster.
The Skoda Joyster could come with a choice of two diesels and a petrol engine. A 1-liter TDI, 1.2-liter TDI and a 1.2-liter TSI are the probables. The car could also come with a sub-1 liter petrol engine with fuel economy figure well over 20kpl.
As both the VW UP! and Skoda Joyster are mechanical twins, the small cars would most probably be built at VW’s high capacity Chakan Plant in Pune.
The Skoda Joyster could also compete against the Tata Nano Europa in the Europe as Skoda is perceived as a low-cost brand there.
Click here to see Indian Autos Blog’s exclusive Skoda UP/Joyster rendering
Like Volkswagen, Skoda will bring out a city hatchback that will slot in below Fabia next year. Part of the VW-Skoda-Seat New Small Family, the mini Skoda will be a cosmetically different Up sporting interiors familiar to the other Skoda cars.
