SKODA WANTS to become Europe’s fastest-expanding car marque, at a time when most of its competitors are struggling to sell cars and stay profitable.
“We are a volume player and we want to be a major volume player,” Winfried Vahland has told the Financial Times. “Skoda has the potential to be the fastest-growing brand in Europe.”
Mr Vahland said that despite an uncertain economic climate, Skoda, part of the Volkswagen group, might achieve its goal to sell 1.5 million vehicles globally by 2018 ahead of schedule – part of VW’s plan to overtake Japan’s Toyota as the industry’s biggest seller.
Skoda aims to do this by appealing to more young and first-time buyers with new cars such as the Citigo, the brand’s lower-priced variant of VW’s Up! city car, which will premiere at this week’s Geneva car show.
Following on the success of the Yeti, Mr Vahland says, Skoda is also considering developing a larger SUV.
The Czech carmaker is rejuvenating its dealerships with fresher, cleaner designs.
While other European producers are offering deep discounts to sell their vehicles, Skoda has waiting lists for the Octavia and the Yeti. The brand’s worldwide sales surged 15 per cent to 879,200 last year.
That bargain-priced cars are selling well in volatile economic times is not surprising. South Korea’s Hyundai Motor/Kia and General Motors’ Chevrolet value brand are reporting record sales too.
– (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012)