ŠKODA wants to continue to grow in China. The highlight of ŠKODA’s presence at the Auto Guangzhou (20-29 November) is the Chinese premiere of the ‘ŠKODA VisionC’ show car. With its expressive, modern and young design language, the spectacular coupé study gives a glimpse of the future ŠKODA design and shows off the emotional power of the brand. With this, ŠKODA underlines its growth ambitions in the Chinese market. In addition, ŠKODA will present the full range of its current China product portfolio which is the most comprehensive and attractive ever. This year alone, ŠKODA has doubled its China portfolio to six locally manufactured models. With its continuing model campaign and the expansion of local production capacity, the brand intends to increase deliveries in China to at least 500,000 annually. In the first ten months of 2014, ŠKODA has delivered 224,600 vehicles to customers in China. This is an increase of 12.7 per cent compared to the same period last year. In October alone, the brand increased sales in China by 22.5 per cent.
“As the largest individual market for ŠKODA, China is a core pillar in our international growth strategy,” says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “Over the last few years we have expanded our model portfolio in the country on a gradual basis and successfully developed the profile and image of the brand. Today, we are offering the most attractive ŠKODA model portfolio ever in China. We want to further develop our position over the coming years and increase deliveries in the Chinese market. Apart from functional features, we are placing more emphasis on a modern, emotionally-charged design language for our cars. In doing so, we are responding to the increased demands from our customers and are appealing to new market segments at the same time. The ‘ŠKODA VisionC’ design study shows the direction in which the ŠKODA design is developing,” says Eichhorn.
Chinese premiere of the ‘ŠKODA VisionC’ coupé study
With the Chinese premiere of the trend-setting ‘ŠKODA VisionC’ design study, the brand launches a new era of its design language: a design language that highlights the value and the ambition of the brand, and reflects the active lifestyle of modern people. With its emotionally-charged design, the dynamic and elegant five-door coupé ‘ŠKODA VisionC’ inspires through its expressive design language, clean lines and perfect proportions. The interplay of soft, gently contoured surfaces and precise, sharp lines is exciting.
At the same time, the show car comes with Volkswagen Group’s modern MQB technology: innovative CNG drive, low bodyweight and excellent aerodynamics. With this set-up, the ‘ŠKODA VisionC’ show car achieves CO2 emissions of just 91 g per kilometre.
The study fulfils the highest demands with regards to functionality as well as practical characteristics. The large tailgate for example, typically ŠKODA, provides optimum access to the boot: design and functionality in perfect harmony.
ŠKODA’s 2014 model portfolio significantly expanded – six locally manufactured ŠKODAs
Alongside the ‘ŠKODA Vision’ study, the car manufacturer will present its China model portfolio in Guangzhou, which has been comprehensively refreshed over the last months. A total of eight models with the winged arrow are currently available in China: Fabia, Rapid, Rapid Spaceback, Octavia, Yeti, Yeti 4×4, Superb and Superb Combi. Apart from the Yeti 4×4 and the Superb Combi, all vehicles are manufactured locally in China.
The ŠKODA Octavia is the heart of the brand in China too, where the new Octavia was launched onto the market in May. Production in China operates in cooperation with Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) at the Ningbo car plant. So far this year, ŠKODA has delivered 89,600 Octavias to customers in China. In October alone, Octavia sales in China increased by 24.2 per cent compared to October 2013.
The ŠKODA bestseller is in a class of its own and sets new standards in the compact segment for space, functionality, technology and design. Never before has a ŠKODA Octavia been as dynamic and timelessly elegant, striking, significant and poised as the third generation is now. The design has been adapted to the taste of Chinese customers, for example through the use of more chrome features. The new ŠKODA Octavia is available in China with two efficient petrol engines, the 1.4 l TSI and the 1.6 l petrol.
The ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback has also been launched in China this year. This hatchback variant of the ŠKODA Rapid compact saloon, on sale in China since 2013, extends the offering between the ŠKODA Fabia and the ŠKODA Octavia. The dynamic and fresh design is particularly appealing to younger customer groups. In typical ŠKODA style, the young compact car wins over customers with lots of space, numerous ‘Simply Clever’ solutions, top-level safety, low consumption and outstanding value for money.
In Guangzhou, the brand will present both the ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback and the ŠKODA Rapid. Deliveries for the two model variants increased in China by 60.4 per cent between January and October. This makes the ŠKODA Rapid the second strongest ŠKODA model series in China.
The third new model to be launched this year in China was the urban version of the compact SUV ŠKODA Yeti. The popular compact SUV is now available in two variants on the Chinese market for the first time: the ŠKODA Yeti in elegant design for the city and the ŠKODA Yeti Outdoor equipped for rough terrain and adventure.
The locally produced Yeti comes with a 6 cm longer wheel base, meeting the demand of Chinese customers for more space on the rear seats. Mounting the spare wheel on the tailgate of the ŠKODA Yeti is optional in China. Customers can choose from three petrol engines for the Yeti in China: the 1.6 l petrol exclusively for the urban variant, the 1.4 l TSI and the 1.8 l TSI. Between January and October 2014, 15,700 customers in China chose the ŠKODA Yeti (both variants).
At Guangzhou, ŠKODA will also present the ŠKODA Superb, which was comprehensively redesigned in the middle of 2013, both in the saloon and the estate variant. The brand’s flagship impresses with attractive new ŠKODA design elements, a fresh interior and improved technology. The engine portfolio’s consumption and emissions have been reduced by up to 19 per cent. Between January and October, ŠKODA has delivered 25,900 Superbs und Superb Combis to customers in China.
ŠKODA success in China since 2007; more than 1.2 million cars sold
ŠKODA has had a presence in China since 2007. Since then, the brand has delivered more than 1.2 million vehicles to customers in China. The first model to be produced in the country was the ŠKODA Octavia in 2007. The ŠKODA Fabia followed in 2008 and the ŠKODA Superb in 2009. The ŠKODA Yeti, launched in 2013, started off as an import model and has been manufactured locally in cooperation with Shanghai Volkswagen since the end of 2013. The ŠKODA Rapid compact saloon has been available in China since the beginning of 2013, the new ŠKODA Octavia, the ŠKODA Rapid Spaceback and the ŠKODA Yeti as an urban variant followed this year. The brand is offering the ŠKODA Superb Combi as an import model.
Over the last years, ŠKODA has consistently developed its position in China, which has been the strongest individual ŠKODA market since 2010. Right from the start of its operations in China, the manufacturer has focused on close cooperation with Shanghai Volkswagen. Since the market launch of the brand in China, about 1.1 million ŠKODA models have rolled off the production line at SVW. This is approximately 10 per cent of the ten million vehicles that have been produced at SVW since 1983. ŠKODA production currently takes place at three locations in China: Ningbo, Anting and Yizheng.
ŠKODA is growing worldwide
In 2014, ŠKODA has continued to show strong growth internationally. The manufacturer has delivered more than 865,000 vehicles to customers worldwide in the first ten months – an increase of 12.5 per cent and a new sales record for this period. In October, ŠKODA increased deliveries worldwide by 8.6 per cent to 91,000 cars, making this the best October in the company’s history.
The strength of the brand is underpinned by good financial results. ŠKODA revenues increased by 19.3 per cent to 8.8 billion euros in the first nine months. The operating profit of the company reached 651 million euros, which represents growth of 75.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The biggest ŠKODA model campaign ever is continuing at full force. Only a few days ago, the new ŠKODA Fabia was launched on the first European markets. The new small car inspires with an emotionally-charged design language, innovative technology and great functionality.
Over the coming years, ŠKODA intends to increase worldwide sales to at least 1.5 million vehicles annually. To achieve this, the company will launch a new or redesigned model on average every six months.
ŠKODA at the Auto Guangzhou 2014:
• ŠKODA location: pavilion 6.1
• ŠKODA floor space: 1,190 m2
• ŠKODA press conference: 20/11/2014, 09:30-10:00
• ŠKODA vehicles on display on press day: 7 vehicles (1x VisionC, 1x Octavia,
1x Rapid, 1x Rapid Spaceback, 1x Yeti, 1x Superb, 1x Fabia)
• ŠKODA vehicles on display on the public days: 12 vehicles (1x VisionC,
2x Octavia, 2x Rapid, 2x Rapid Spaceback, 2x Yeti, 1x Superb,
1x Superb Combi, 1x Fabia)
• Press day: 20/11/2014
• Trade days: 21/11 – 23/11/2014
• Public days: 24/11 – 29/11/2014