[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I'm thoroughly confused here.

The fact: The new Skoda sedan will be based on the Vento.

Anshuman has mentioned that the new Octavia replacement will be priced a notch higher than the Vento, but definitely lower than the entry-level Laura.

I said expect it to be priced in the same price range as the Vento. If the current positioning of Fabia vs Polo is to be taken as reference, expect it to be cheaper by 20-30k. The point is it will not be as cheap as the Dzire and Logan.

Originally Posted by karanraheja

Mr.Kuehl has mentioned in the article that Skoda is a notch down in position compared to VW. So expect the New Octavia most probably to be christened the Skoda Felicia to be priced slightly cheaper than the Vento.

With current positioning, VW is now more like a brand successfully selling smaller cars(Polo and Vento), Skoda on the other hand is perceived as a Luxury brand here with it's successful Laura and Superb(Octavia in the past). Looking at this VW is scared to lose it's premium tag to Skoda, the reason for statement and maybe some correction in positioning too in future.

But to get all this done, VW needs to get the new Jetta and Passat here as soon as possible. Both the current Jetta and Passat sold here feel dated and do not come with as many engine and transmission options.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I seriously doubt this. Expect the new sedan based on the Vento sharing the same engine and lots of parts to be priced in the same range as the Vento. Pricing it any lower will have a negative impact on the Fabia sales.

It's the Fabia which is priced in the range of DZire and Logan.

I'm sorry I stand corrected. I misunderstood your post!

Now that would make more sense. The new Skoda sedan is expected to be priced around the same bracket as the Vento. And yes, it would not make sense to price it lower and pit it against the likes of the Dzire/Logan/Etios etc. Unless of course, Skoda do a VW and plan on introducing the smaller 1.4 mill in the new Sedan a la, the Vento.

In that case, there should be some difference between the two. Either in terms of pricing or in terms of features and frills offered as standard equipment. And the difference must be substantial. Don't you think? Otherwise, either the Vento's sales or the new Skoda sedan's sales will be hit.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

With current positioning, VW is now more like a brand successfully selling smaller cars(Polo and Vento), Skoda on the other hand is perceived as a Luxury brand here with it's successful Laura and Superb(Octavia in the past). Looking at this VW is scared to lose it's premium tag to Skoda, the reason for statement and maybe some correction in positioning too in future.

But to get all this done, VW needs to get the new Jetta and Passat here as soon as possible. Both the current Jetta and Passat sold here feel dated and do not come with as many engine and transmission options.

But it doesn't look like it will happen too soon. Skoda has already introduced a new face-lifted Fabia that is similarly spec'ed to the Polo. And in all probability, the all new sedan based on the Vento's sedan platform will be similarly spec'ed to the Vento and will look closer to the Fabia than be considered as an out-right 'Skoda Octavia replacement'.

And also, it looks like VW is aiming at volumes rather than anything else. They don't look interested in pushing the sales the Jetta or the Passat. Launching the new Jetta and the new Passat seems to be postponed and in fact, VW is looking to manufacture an all-new super-mini based on the 'Up!' That has been in the pipeline for quite sometime now and it was one of the main reasons as to why they invested so much in constructing the Chakan plant in the first place(?)

Could it be that VW and Skoda are reversing their roles for the Indian market?

[raghu230506]

Hi All,

As per Zigwheels, Fabia Sedan to be launched in March 2011

Source:

Skoda Fabia Sedan

Doesn't look good to me.

Looks more like a Dzire.

[StarrySky]

Agree. The rear one-third definitely looks Dzire-ish.

[aryasanyal]

Originally Posted by raghu230506

Hi All,

As per Zigwheels, Fabia Sedan to be launched in March 2011

Source:

Skoda Fabia Sedan

Doesn't look good to me.

Looks more like a Dzire.

VW owns some bit of Suzuki and Skoda. So design shared between the two?
This definitely looks as ugly as the DZire. C'mon Skoda you could have done better than this contraption.

[GTO]

I'm confused. Why on earth would Skoda consider a sedan version of the Fabia, when its parent company has the Vento! VW & Skoda obviously have no problems sharing cars / platforms. The Vento is bang in the same price range that the Fabia sedan would find itself in. And higher volumes from the same platform would lead to reduced costs.

I don't buy the rumour of a Fabia sedan anymore. If Skoda will re-enter the C segment, it'll be a Vento that looks like a Skoda.

[.anshuman]

I'd recommend everyone not to take the Fabia Sedan Pic from the Zigwheels article seriously. It's a bad Photoshop Job.

A Octavia replacement is surely required but i feel it won't be a Fabia sedan. The car can be sharing the components and chassis but it might not have slap-on boot like the DZire.

[noopster]

^^ I agree. That looks completely Photoshopped to me! But come to think of it, so did the first Dzire I saw.

[2cents]

Originally Posted by raghu230506

As per Zigwheels, Fabia Sedan to be launched in March 2011
Source:
Skoda Fabia Sedan

Disgusting photoshop job. Vertical undergrille, fogs and Xenon headlamps - clearly the earlier Fabia Elegance! Especially Xenons, yeah right! even the new Accord isn't getting one!!. But will it be called `Octavia'? 'Felicia' was doing rounds for some time. Wasn't the old Octavia, still common on roads, a segment higher?

I am at a loss with VW/Skoda's strategy. They have Polo/Fabia, Jetta/Laura, Passat/Superb, and now Vento/Octavia (Yeti, and Phaeton being the odd ones out). What exactly is the idea offering same machines in different badges?

[alpha1]

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[naveensree]

Years ago, some time between 1995 and 1998, I remember reading an article in AutoIndia Magazine with cover page saying "Skoda Felicia - A bargain at 4 lacs", Skoda then had plans for Join venture with Kirloskar in India. Rest is History

[mohandasnikhil]

Skoda is reviving the Rapid brand name. Its new sedan based on the Vento platform to be launched in India in October 2011 is to be called the Rapid. Earlier reports of the sedan being a Fabia with a taped on boot doesnt hold true, and the Rapid (internally known as HCK - Honda City Killer) is a fresh design. It will share engines with the Vento and shall be aggressively priced i.e similar to Vento but with more equipment.
Volkswagen Group has been trying to build the Volkswagen Brand and place it higher than the Skoda brand in India, and hence are launching all new platforms atleast a year earlier on a VW model before it is launched with a Skoda brand. Hence the Rapid will launch only by Sept/ Oct 2011, i.e 1 yr after the launch of the Vento. The same shall hold true with the Jetta and Laura replacement.
The Vento still commands a 4 to 5 month waiting period, and with a similar priced product and with Skoda's wider dealer network and better recognized brand value, the Rapid should also be a sure fire success for Skoda.

[JJames]

Not sure why the proposed car is dubbed as "replacement" for Octavia. The Laura (in India) is in fact, the later version of Octavia, and is called Octavia worldwide. And, Skoda has stopped producing the old-Octavia in India (also removed it from the Skoda India website).
The Vento is lesser powered & spec-ed (when compared to the old Octavia), so it would be more apt to call the new car built on vento platform, as Skoda's attempt at entry-level C segment (or even a Fabia sedan), rather than as a replacement for Octavia.

[skjlives]

Originally Posted by mohandasnikhil

The Vento still commands a 4 to 5 month waiting period, and with a similar priced product and with Skoda's wider dealer network and better recognized brand value, the Rapid should also be a sure fire success for Skoda.

...better recognized brand value?

VW is definitely a bigger/higher-up brand compared to Skoda. Their service levels are by far an unexplored animal since VW hasn't been around for long enough. Skoda has been around for much longer and they have (mis)used this time to build a pretty cra**y reputation for themselves with all kinds of customer horror stories (cheating/fake parts/overbilling/replacing genuine with spares or simply asking the customers to bugger off). And as they say, bad marketing is much worse off than no marketing, which i think sums up the VW/Skoda story well.

To my mind, Skoda has some kick-butt products in India and deserves to clock much higher numbers than it does but for it's service quality and after sales support. That the cars are still sold and some of them have a cult status among enthusiasts is just a testimony to the quality of the machines they produce.

Skoda India may launch all the cars they like but those cars will not be touched by a barge pole by a majority of buyers (even in relevant segments) who lay huge importance to ease of maintenance and peace of mind in terms of overall ownership experience. I am one of them - Dying to lay my hands on the Laura TSI since it is a killer machine (read all performance no non-sense frills) but have stayed on the sidelines with so much negativity around the brand and anything but confidence inspiring after sales track record. The company needs to literally overhaul their dealer/service network, rationalize spare costs and put customer satisfaction on top priority (like a certain Maruti Suzuki) to become a significant player in Indian auto, not keep launching/face-lifting one car after another!

[noopster]

Skoda Fabia-based sedan is definitely in the works and those in the know claim it's quite a looker. That Zigwheels pic is definitely a PS job and not a good one at that.