Skoda Auto to launch new models

Chennai: Luxury car manufacturer Skoda Auto India Private Limited has charted out plans to launch new models. The company would soon introduce an estate version of Octavia Combi and the diesel variant of Skoda Superb. The introduction of Fabia another model is also on the anvil.

Meanwhile the company will be doubling its capacity to 30,000 soon. Apart from catering to the domestic market the expansion is being made made to export cars to Bangladesh and also to have India as the manufacturing hub for the South Asian region, says managing director, Imran Hassen. However, he declined to mention the investment outlay for the expansion.

According to him, Skoda Auto is not ready with the necessary infrastructure to launch lower-priced cars. "The kind of customers the lower-priced cars attract and their expectations are entirely different from that of luxury carbuyers. We are not ready to deal with the prospective buyers of lower-priced cars."

Asked about the company's preparedness in meeting the increased demand for spares in Mumbai, he said, "We haven't received any reports of extensive damages to our cars in the Mumbai floods." Similarly he does not expect the owners of cars damaged in the floods to dump their old vehicles in favour of new cars.

Skoda Auto is in the process of expanding its dealer network; it has already opened a second dealership in Chennai. According to Hassen, the number of dealerships will be around 42 by the end of this year.