Team-BHP - Skoda Fabia Scout launched @ 6.79 lakhs

Now lets not be too critical here people. I welcome this, for in about a year's time when Skoda finally realize their folly and go for a price correction (a la Jazz), it might make for a fantastic buy.

Also dont forget that people's buying patterns are constantly changing. A Getz was a market dud but its costlier brother i20 has been a roaring success!

I saw the thread title and assumed it was the Fabia Scout Diesel for 6.79L. Was trying to come in terms with it and then read post. This is insane pricing indeed! Can't see anyone buying this variant for that money. They should have plonked the 1.6L Diesel & Petrol at the very least.

The Peripheral protective cladding looks very useful. Will Skoda sell that as an accessory? :)

The premium hatchbacks in our market are getting increasingly expensive for the spec on offer. I find the C segment better value for money.

There are no changes to the dimensions in any way. Where is the Wider wheelbase, increased ground clearance, length? If in anyway the Scout resembled the dimensions of the Ford EcoSport & Renault Duster. Then it would've been a sensible proactive measure on Skoda's part to prevent the forthcoming onslaught.

However providing this with the absense of the above parameters and adding to that puny little 3-pot engines which aren't stonker performers in comparison to Ford's EcoBoost engine which is rumoured to be ground breaking in terms of performace and efficiency and Renault's tried and tested 1.5 DCi motor. Not passing on the >1.4L displacement engine tax benefit to the customer and with that price tag, its just really rather ridiculous.

The Skoda Fabia Scout is just another market-dud in the making IMO. As Akshay said, Even a Fabia vRS with the 1.6L engines (Petrol/Diesel) and the vRS flamboyance would've been a better move.

With Skoda's A.S.S , now this car has nothing to offer (VFM aspect). An extremely overpriced hatch, makes the i20 look like a very well priced car indeed. Skoda in my opinion didn't realize what everyone else did that the car was not selling well because its competitors had more to offer at a lesser price. They should have had a price cut like the Jazz or provided a newer more powerful engine, but with a move like that I cannot foresee an increase in the numbers for the Fabia.

Why is that stupid black rubber all over the car right upto almost half the doors? What in the world were they thinking while pricing the car? I heard from a friend that it was supposed to be a mini suv concept, is that why the pricing is high?

Doesn't look that big though IMO

Skoda goes from strength to strength with it's peculiar Fabia pricing.:D Especially in the light of its Match figures, this really beats me. I also remember reading that this would be a kind of mini suv somewhere - but it does not appear to be different in dimensions at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenhorn (Post 2756660)

I recall some marketing and pricing concepts I was taught which make this look sensible. .

That is a unique point of view. Would you mind sharing the learning?

I like this car's looks. If nothing else all that protective cladding will look after the errant baboons who share the roads with normal drivers in India.
I do believe there is a difference in terms of higher GC as well - at least that's what I ve read about the Fabia Scout. This seems to me a bit like that earlier Palio Adventure/ SIena Weekend concept both of which were way too early for their times in this market place!
Abroad they also have the Octavia Scout which is another toughened up Laura but in Station Wagon avatar along with 4x4 etc. Nice vehicle that!
Basically it is a nice alternative for someone seeking a slightly bigger, slightly tougher looking hatch instead of a sedan - our market is maturing and people seem to prefer not to behave like sheep - earlier every exec simply had to have a sedan to announce his/ her status in life. Nowadays the more evolved people of that type dont seem to mind owning a hatch!

Quite a good looking car!
But this really looks like a lost chance from Skoda. If they had the same engine options as Vento/Rapid, it would have been ideal competition to the sub-10 lakhs sedans / cross-overs.

Argh... a 'sporty' variant where everything else except the engine is sporty. Does not look impressive at all. It looks like a normal Fabia with the bottom half painted grey.
And with this suicidal pricing, I would be surprised to see one on the road.

Well, if they have added power adjustable & foldable OVRMs, and a reversing camera, and Bluetooth at that price, then the small gruff engine could be forgotten. When launched, the Fabia had power mirrors, but since the Polo, Skoda deleted the feature along with the rear wipe/ wash. The latter has been recently added back.

Man I love the looks of this car. A grown up Fabia and it looks even better. I don't get this part though, what were Skoda thinking when they decided what engine to choose? This car would have done well with just the single 1.6 diesel as an option. Both those 3 cylinders power plants and not going to get this car going anywhere. They messed up the pricing too.

Superb car, wrong engines and stupid pricing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenhorn (Post 2756660)

To me it looks more like a halo vehicle to make the fabia look less like the polo's cheap cousin :D
I recall some marketing and pricing concepts I was taught which make this look sensible. Let's see what the market says.

Exactly my thoughts. Apparently someone at skoda has done a lot of mugging up of Philip Kotler's theories and came up with this pricing. It would have been helped a lot if instead of that they had referred to an invention called newspaper and recalled why the fabia failed in the first place :deadhorse

OT: got to agree, it does look butch.