Skoda has launched its new flagship model, the Superb, on the Chinese market and says it is on the way to delivering China sales of 500,000 Skodas a year ‘within the next few years’.
The launch of the model in China comes just four months after its sales debut in Europe.
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“The launch of the new Skoda Superb in our strongest individual market China is a key milestone for the brand, emphasising our growth claim in China,” says Werner Eichhorn, Skoda Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “The new Skoda Superb is a demonstration of the increased emphasis the brand is placing on the design and emotionality of our cars. It is with this focus that we intend to win over new customers in China and further strengthen our position over the coming years.”
Skoda says the newly launched flagship has all the qualities to continue and build upon the success of the previous generation. Since that car’s launch in 2009, 218,000 Superbs have been delivered to customers in China.
Shanghai Volkswagen manufacturing
For China, the new flagship is produced at the Shanghai Volkswagen (SVW) factory in Nanjing. Other SVW locations, at which Skoda models are manufactured for the Chinese market, include those at Anting (Shanghai), Yizheng and Ningbo. SVW has been a close business partner to the brand since Skoda entered the market in 2007. Since then, Skoda has sold over 1.5 million vehicles in China, and has progressively expanded the locally produced model range. In 2014, the automaker sold 281,400 vehicles on the Chinese market, which represents almost a quarter of Skoda’s total sales last year.
Over the first nine months of 2015, Skoda delivered 199,700 cars in China (an increase of 0.7% compared to the same period in 2014).
See also: VEHICLE ANALYSIS: 'Bye Twin Gate, hello Superb hatchback
