A ?kodA year in review - Skoda Auto

Internationalisation2011 – 2012+ 14.2 %India34,300 cars deliveredto customers in 2012ŠKODA Rapid world premiere in IndiaIn India, ŠKODA has laid a foundation forfurther growth in recent years and is determinedto leverage the potential there. TheIndian sales of ŠKODA increased by 14.2 percent year-on-year, with around 34,300 vehiclesdelivered to customers in 2012. As expected,the ŠKODA Rapid, launched in late2011, played an important part in this. Builtat the Pune plant – and therefore ‘in Indiafor India’ – this compact sedan serves animportant market segment on the subcontinentand meets Indian customers’ growingdemands for spacious smaller cars. Thehighly-respected Indian auto magazine TOPGEAR named the ŠKODA Rapid ‘Family car ofthe year’ shortly after its market launch. TheŠKODA Rapid is the perfect complement tothe current Indian model line-up of ŠKODAFabia, ŠKODA Laura (the Indian variant ofthe ŠKODA Octavia), ŠKODA Yeti and ŠKODASuperb.ŠKODA AUTO has been active in the Indianmarket since 2001, when it opened its ownproduction facility in Aurangabad. Sincethen, the ŠKODA brand has reported steadilyincreasing sales and market share in thiskey growth market. 2012 was the most successfulyear to date for ŠKODA on the Indiansubcontinent in terms of deliveries. Furtherinvestment is planned in conjunction withthe Volkswagen Group: Local suppliers areto be more closely integrated and additionallocal employees recruited. A total of 90 dealershipsform a reliable backbone for the solidmarket presence of ŠKODA in India and willensure the brand’s continued success in theIndian market.Ambitious goals for RussiaŠKODA has operated in Russia as ŠKODAAUTO RUSSIA since 2004. Over that period,Russian sales of ŠKODA vehicles have risenmore than eightfold to reach around 99,100vehicles in 2012. This represents a marketshare of more than 3.6 per cent and an increaseof 33.7 per cent over the previousyear.ŠKODA Chairman of the Board of ManagementProf. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland wantsRussia to play an even bigger role in the future.For him, the Russian market is “a pillarof our international growth plans”. WinfriedVahland announced a series of measures toboost ŠKODA sales in Russia, currently oneof the fastest-growing markets worldwide.In Russia – as in China and India – the newŠKODA Rapid will play an important role infulfilling the Company’s ambitious growthtargets. The ŠKODA Rapid will be built at theKaluga plant as the brand’s sixth model seriesin Russia in 2014. It will establish itselfas a volume model alongside the successfulŠKODA Octavia, which currently accounts formore than half of all ŠKODA vehicles sold inRussia.Another milestone on the road to evengreater success in Russia will be the start ofproduction of the ŠKODA Yeti in cooperationwith the Russian GAZ Group at its plant inNizhny Novgorod. The ŠKODA Yeti is alreadyin strong demand also in other countries.Its high level of everyday driveability in extremeweather conditions, both on-road andoff, make this the ideal car for the Russianmarket. No fewer than 17,000 ŠKODA Yetivehicles were sold to customers in Russia in2012.The ŠKODA Yeti is also the focus of a marketingcampaign to strengthen the presenceof ŠKODA in the Russian market. Aspecial-edition ŠKODA Yeti Sochi has beendesigned for the 2014 Winter Olympic Gamesin Sochi, Russia, which ŠKODA is supportingas part of Volkswagen Group Russia’s sponsorshipcommitment. The new variant wasofficially presented for the first time at theMoscow International Motor Show in August/32 2012 – A Škoda year in review