Skoda Auto has launched its Yeti model in India and has confirmed advanced orders of 1,000 vehicles.
“This is [the] most affordable and value for money SUV in the Indian market,” said Thomas Kuehl, board member & director, sales & marketing, Skoda Auto India.
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The OEM has already confirmed booking of about 1,000 Yetis, which have around 10% local content.
“Our target is to sell about 400-500 Yetis monthly,” said Kuehl, who is targeting a 20% stake in the Indian SUV market.
The Indian SUV market is about 10% of the total automobile market in India, while Skoda has four models there, Superb, Laura, Octavia and Fabia.
Skoda says it is also planning to launch another small car by 2012 in the Indian market. “An entry level value for money Sedan is planned in the second half of next year on the Vento platform,” Kuehl told just-auto.
“It would be priced [from around] INR300,000 to INR500,000.”
Skoda is growing strongly in the Indian market recording a 37% rise. “We have sold around 16,500 units [up to] October 2010 and hope to end the calendar with sales figure of 20,000 units,” said Kuehl.
Kuehl is bullish about the Indian automobile market and terms it as strategic in the VW’s global growth plans.
“[The] Share of Indian sales is merely 3% per cent in VWs global annual sales,” he said. “We are planning to hike it to 10% in the next five years.”
Skoda entered the Indian premium car market in 2001 and has sold 96,267 units to date.
The plant on the outskirts of Aurangabad is the first assembly facility outside Europe and has the capacity to manufacture 44,000 units annualloy, while the Group’s Chaken site has a manufacturing potential of 110,000 vehicles.
