Volkswagen Group’s Czech sub-brand, Škoda, is announcing a new compact SUV model targeting the growing Indian market.
The automaker says the vehicle, to be named in a poll of potential customers, joins its domestically built Kushaq and Slavia and become its entry-level product in the country.
It’s designed as a sub-4-meter (13 ft.) car to benefit from the customs excise tax breaks offered to smaller vehicles by the Indian government. Škoda says any cost savings it realizes from this will be passed on to consumers in terms of pricing.
The new SUV shares the MQB-A0-IN platform with its Indian siblings, a platform jointly developed by engineering teams in both India and the Czech Republic with a focus on high localization, low cost of ownership and quick turnaround times.
It claims high passenger safety credentials, with both Kushaq and Slavia earning 5 stars for adult and child occupants in Global NCAP crash tests in October 2022 and April 2023, respectively.
Klaus Zellmer, CEO Škoda Auto, says: “India is crucial to the global growth of Škoda Auto, both because of its own market strength and as a development and manufacturing base for our expansion in new markets including ASEAN and the Middle East. We have more than doubled sales in India since 2021 and we are now taking the next step by further expanding the range of models designed for customers in India and internationally. The all-new compact SUV due in 2025 will add an important segment for customers. I’m confident the expanding Škoda portfolio will contribute to our India growth target of achieving a market share for the Volkswagen family of brands of around 5% by 2030.”
