Skoda is planning to take over and handle the Indian operations for the VW group. Upcoming Skoda new SUV a part of the Euro 1 Billion investment in India. To rival the Hyundai Creta upon launch.
Skoda launched its operations in India back in 1999 and has been quite successful in the nation so far. Volkswagen group has entrusted the Czech automaker to re-invent the company’s presence in India nearly after 20 years of operations in the nation. The group plans to bring in the investment of about Euro 1 Billion to be able to develop new vehicles and to upgrade the group’s plant in Chakan. The manufacturing base is currently under Volkswagen name and the legal requirements will have to be fulfilled first in order to allow Skoda to operate the plant under its name. The VW group will be bringing in six new vehicles two of which will be new SUV to compete with the Hyundai Creta.
Skoda new SUV – Launch in India
Skoda wants to build a new production line at the plant in Chakan to be able to manufacture MQB platform based vehicles. The automaker will also invest in a new engine manufacturing unit to produce the MPI and TSI engines in India. The upcoming lineup of Skoda and VW vehicles includes a mid-size SUV which will sit under the Karoq to compete with the Hyundai Creta. Following the SUV will be a mid-size sedan and a hatchback both of which will be replacements for the Vento/Rapid and the Polo. The launch price of the Skoda new SUV is expected between INR 10 lakh and INR 15 lakh.
The all-new Rapid and Vento will see a slight rise in their price. The new Polo is over 4 meter in length in the international market which will be shrunk to under 4-meter here to cash in the lower tax benefit. The new Polo is expected to be priced between INR 6 lakh to INR 10 lakh, the higher priced units being the GT models.
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Skoda new SUV – Launch Date
Volkswagen intends to introduce six new models in India starting 2020. Like the Vento and Rapid, the six new products will be shared between the VW and Skoda brand. These new models will offer a new mid-size SUV, a new sedan and a hatchback. All these products will be based on the latest MQB platform and will share the side body panels as well in order to keep the cost down. Starting in the year 2020, the first product to arrive will be a mid-size SUV to compete with the Hyundai Creta. Next up will be replacements for the Vento and Rapid followed by new Polo and reincarnation of the Fabia.
Skoda new SUV – New Engines
Skoda will be developing and manufacturing the new engine lineup at the new engine manufacturing plant being built in the nation. The upcoming new engines include a 1.0-litre three-cylinder normally aspirated engine (MPI) developing 65 bhp which will do its duty in the new Polo and the new low-cost sub-Polo hatchback. The current 1.2-litre TSI unit will be replaced by a more efficient 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine good enough for 115 bhp of output, matching the 1.2-litre TSI unit. The 1.0-litre TSI unit will replace the Rapid’s 1.6-litre MPI unit as well.
The ageing 1.5-litre diesel engine (which was at the heart of the Dieselgate scandal) will not be upgraded to BS-VI standards and will cease to exist once the norms are introduced by the Indian government slated for April 2020. While the Skoda new SUV could still be powered by the 2.0-litre TDI unit, the upcoming sedan and the hatchback might skip a diesel engine altogether.
Skoda new SUV – Design Specifications
In an interview with our friends at Autocar India, Oliver Stefani, Skoda’s head of design said, “What we are looking at is a car that will draw inspiration from the Vision X, but, after my recent visit to India, I have realised that we would need to offer more space at the rear”. He is clearly hinting at the upcoming mid-size SUV might draw its inspiration from the Vision X concept. The Volkswagen’s equivalent mid-size SUV for India is likely to be designed around the T-Cross compact SUV. While the two cousins will look distinctively different, the automaker might share more than just underpinnings to further reduce the cost. “It is common for us to share some body panels, like just the side body panels and still have products that look very different”, quoted Stefani.
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Skoda new SUV – New Vento, Rapid, Polo and Fabia in 2020
The Rapid and Vento’s replacement has long been overdue. The VW Vento is often criticised for looking too understated. Expect the upcoming models to feature revolutionary design change and offer more flair to suit the local tastes. Since the 1.5-litre TDI unit will be phased out in 2020, expect the upcoming compact sedan and hatchback to offer petrol engines only. The absence of a diesel engine will limit the company’s prowess, the ever-shrinking diesel market share might offer a blessing in disguise. To further boost sales, VW and Skoda intend to increase their focus on the export markets as well.
Stay tuned for more info on upcoming cars in India.
Source – AutocarIndia
