Skoda Plans Small Car (Rs 3-5 Lakhs) for India

[karanraheja]

Originally Posted by GTO

The day Skoda launches a 3 lakh car, pigs will fly!

I think everything will fly ! I guess this is what Skoda will call the PEOPLE's CAR ! Its quite impossible IMO to bring a car at that . Even with 100 % Localisation it would be tough for them.

[abhinav.gupta88]

Originally Posted by dipen

Isnt the Indian Laura the Octavia abroad. Just curious if they come with with a new Laura. What will be the new Octy ?

There is no new octi as of now( till 2010 atleast)

Originally Posted by karanraheja

I think everything will fly ! I guess this is what Skoda will call the PEOPLE's CAR ! Its quite impossible IMO to bring a car at that . Even with 100 % Localisation it would be tough for them.

True IMO too it wont be possible. I think even the lowest variant of the car will at least have an ex showroom cost of Rs 4 lakh.

Also if company saying 2009 dont expect it to be here by 2011 or 12

[sanjayatarizona]

Well Skoda is going to localize the Fabia upto 50% and then they say that they will launch another car in the 3-5 lakh range. Just means that the pricing on the Fabia(one partial segment higher) is going to reduce marginally and they are going to retain the extra cash. Smart..


If the 3 lakh car is a reality, the market is going to be flooded with Skodas(great snob value on the Indian subcontinent), which means we might have thousands and lakhs of snobs on the street

[Mpower]

It could very well be a Skoda variant of the VW UP which I believe has been signed off for production....designed in the spirit of the original beetle.

[pgsagar]

A Skoda at 3-3.5 lakhs? If they ever do that then it will be much more basic than a base model Nano. Probably, engine and wheels would cost extra.

[LLL]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

A Skoda at 3-3.5 lakhs? If they ever do that then it will be much more basic than a base model Nano. Probably, engine and wheels would cost extra.

someone in skoda should read this thread and realise where they stand in Indian auto market. They are going the fiat way IMHO.

A case study for Nissan and VW as i see them joining Fiat, skoda club as well.

[arunmur]

I have read before that Skoda, will be making use of the Volks UP(supposed to be starting at 2.0L to 2.5L) platform to build car of its own. I guess this is the car, considering the time line of 2010 it looks like it.

But the Sokda brand is not for common man, no common man will ever buy it unless he wants to spend further more on maitianing it. As if the Toyotas and the Honda's are not overpriced, we have even ultra-over-priced cars.

[architect]

"Shaant Gadadhari Bheem, Shaant!"
(that's my favourite Takiya-Kalaam, or catch phrase, borrowed from Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, the classic among Bollywood Classics)

Sorry to go Off Topic, but I was laughing when I read the responses to my post! I thought only Fiat-related posts brought about such emotions (not to mention other posts where Fiat is dragged in, often unnecessarily, especially regarding A.S.S. and Swifts). It might be painful for a new Fiat owner like me, but it's also a lot of fun! FinneyP and Speedzak, where art thou?(please guys, nothing personal, lets just appreciate the lighter side of things! ).

Look, the news is true (Pg 25 in the TOI Delhi Edition, May 10, 2008) and the prices and the new platform are quotes by Thomas Kuehl, member, Board of Directors, Skoda India. My guess is that this is the Up! which will be sold in India as a Skoda and not a VW! The VW group wants to sell 100,000 cars every year in India, out of which 60% will be small cars.

Methinks, when they say a price tag of Rs 3-5 lakhs, they could even give the base petrol version a price tag of something like Rs 4.90 lakhs ex-showroom... so you could get it at the price of the Swift ZXi on the roads. Knowing what they did with the Fabia (I waited for a year and when the Fabia was launched, I realised that my 5 lacs would fetch nothing in Diesel except an MJD or a base Swift), I very well expect this. But, yes, it's still a choice. Even if the Getz 1.1s and Palio Stiles don't sell large numbers, still they do give a choice to people who are not buying a car because there neighbours have bought the same ones. All cars can't be Big Hits, can they? Some of them are still good cars, even if they are not priced right or they are not great packages at that price.

[SkyWalker]

knowing how Fabia went..it would take them 5-6 years to launch this car, it would be the size of an Alto and be priced at 6 L for a petrol and 7 L for a diesel.

icing on the cake would be - there might still be a few buyers for it!

[LandCruiser]

The Fabia! I saw one here...no there..no nowhere! Fate of Fabia is well known. At least in this forum there several people waiting for the Fabia for too long and when they did launch the price did turn off people big time. Now it is funny to hear about future launches from Skoda. If they dare sell the new Octavia as Laura they can do anything to fleece indian customers.

How they can benefit is by swiftly exiting the Indian market and saving lot of customers from the agony of the high maintenance costs of their cars. When I read the story of a customer in Autocar who bought a Laura and is visiting the workshop every 2 weeks for every kind of problems with electricals, mechanicals and what not it is really very sad. Even the same case with Fiat they are floating stories about launch of 7 cars in 24 months and all that but nothing other than the Palio is seen. Indian market will do better with the players who show some seriousness in this market (Maruti, Honda, Ford (off late) etc). Even Hyundai stuck with Santro for too long.

[anandpadhye]

WOW....

Finally a small car that costs 3 lacks and generates regular servicing cost of Rs.3000 to 4000 per service, forces use of synthetic oil to maintain warrantee.....And not to forget the clutch plate replacement will enforce flywheel replacement...


Way to go Skoda.

Once this Skoda model gets launched in India, we will be officially designated as a "developed country" where a common man HAS TO spend huge amount to maintain a small A segment car....

[karanraheja]

Skoda really seems serious about this launch.

Skoda to make own version of up! city car