Skoda has posted a decent sales growth at the start of the second half of 2018. The company sold 1,400 vehicles in the month of July 2018, marking a YOY growth of 12.7% (July 2017: 1,200 units).
1,400 units in monthly sales is a poor number for a high-volume brand in India, but Skoda is working on that. The Czech automaker is leading Volkswagen Group's India 2.0 project that entails an investment of 1 Billion Euros. This project involves localising the MQB A0 IN platform for new small models and manufacturing the 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder petrol engine.
The upcoming 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine belongs to the same family of motors as the 1.0-litre MPI motor that powers the Volkswagen Polo hatchback and Ameo here. The India-bound 1.0-litre TSI motor is the turbocharged version that is capable of producing a maximum power of up to 115 PS. The engine has already bagged the coveted International Engine of the Year 2018 award in the below-1,000 cc segment.
Earlier this month, a test mule of the Skoda Rapid powered by the 1.0-litre TSI engine was spotted testing. It is the first time that the internationally acclaimed small capacity engine is undergoing testing here.
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In terms of its global performance, Skoda has made a strong start to the second half of 2018. It has delivered 99,700 vehicles in July 2018. That's a YOY growth of 14.6% (July 2017: 87,000 vehicles).