Skoda Rapid Launch Followed By Exports

Published: Monday, November 7, 2011, 13:01 [IST]

The Skoda Rapid will be Skoda India's latest sedan to be launched here. The sedan has been specifically developed for the Indian market but it appears it will be seen in other markets too. The Rapid will be launched in India on November 16th and Skoda India has confirmed the new car could be exported to countries in the Indian sub continent.

The Rapid will be Skoda's entry level sedan in India. The carmaker has said it will be revealing pricing details of the car on its launch date. The Rapid is replacing the Octavia sedan in India. The Octavia was phased out early last year.

The Rapid will be built on the same platform used to build the Volkswagen Vento. Skoda is part of the Volkswagen Group and the Rapid will actually built at Volkswagen's plant in Chakan rather than in the Czech carmaker's own plant in Aurangabad.

Skoda India is confident that the Rapid will emerge as its best selling car in India. The carmaker's marketing head Tarun Jha while speaking about the car said: “ This car is specifically designed for India and the launch will be the global launch for the car. At a later stage, it may be introduced in different markets across the world."

If Skoda's expectations for the Rapid are met then the new sedan's exports could be delayed as it would first want to cope with domestic demand. The Rapid might be exported to countries only in the Indian sub continent.

If the Rapid's export does happen, it will be the first car to be exported by the Czech carmaker's Indian division. The Rapid's sales in India will be boosted by Skoda India's plans to increase the number of dealerships from 82 to 100. The carmaker intends to target Tier II and Tier III cities.