A ?kodA year in review - Skoda Auto

Modern, minimalist design with lots of practical detailsat an affordable price: The new ŠKODA Rapid sets new standardsin the compact sedan segment in many areas.promising: In India, for example, the locally-built ŠKODA Rapid variantwas named ‘Family car of the year’ shortly after its market launchat the end of 2011. According to Vahland, “The launch of the ŠKODARapid means we are firing up the next stage of the model offensiveof ŠKODA AUTO. The ŠKODA Rapid has a central importance for ourglobal growth strategy and will provide us with added momentum oninternational markets.”Strong growth potential for compact sedansThe importance of the new model to ŠKODA cannot be overstated.The figures clearly illustrate why the ŠKODA Rapid is such an importantpillar of the ŠKODA growth strategy: The high-volume compactsegment, in which the ŠKODA Rapid is sold, accounts for 36per cent of the global automotive market. Sedans make up 42.3 percent of the vehicles in this class, and industry experts expect world -wide sales of this vehicle type to climb by about 50 per cent by 2020.Expectations for the ŠKODA Rapid are clear: It is to become thebrand’s second key volume model, alongside the ŠKODA Octavia.To assure the necessary production capacity, significant investmenthas been made in the expansion and modernisation of productionfacilities at the main plant in Mladá Boleslav, where the ŠKODA Rapidis built.Modern, no-frills designFor a vehicle to do well in different markets worldwide with differentdemands, clear brand recognition is essential. The designers ofthe ŠKODA Rapid faced a difficult task: As the first representativeof the new ŠKODA design language, the ŠKODA Rapid needed tobe instantly recognisable as a ŠKODA, but with its own model-specificidentity and a style that would satisfy the differing aesthetic28 2012 – A Škoda year in review