Skoda Auto India has just unveiled the Slavia premium sedan for the Indian market. The Rapid has done very well for the Czech carmaker, but it is now time for it to be replaced by the Slavia. DH’s Vivek Phadnis spoke to Skoda India Brand Director Zac Hollis. Here are the edited excerpts:
What went into the development of the Slavia?
The start of product development goes back many years. And the first thing that has to happen is what you want in terms of a design for a particular market. Because the car is specifically for India what we have had to do is have Indian design cues but still retain European design heritage. That is the key thing we have done with the car.
Of course, there is a heavyweight amount of localisation. If you want to be competitive in India, you got to localise. That way, you can reduce taxes and you can be competitive. So, there is a lot of work done with suppliers to ensure quality.
On the sales and marketing side, we have expanded our dealer network, we have done a lot in increasing our brand awareness to make sure we are at the top of mind with customers and we have done a lot of work with customer satisfaction. For example, we have now increased our dealer network to 130, which is double what it was 18 months ago and we will have 150 by the end of the year.
Also Read | Skoda Auto India unveils Slavia premium sedan
Was anyone from India involved in the design of the Slavia?
Absolutely. We have our own design centre in Pune. We have our own designers and engineers who worked closely with those in Mlada Boleslav to make sure that the design is right for India.
When are you looking to launch the Slavia?
I think we will see the car in the showrooms in Q2 next year.
But you must give accolades for the outgoing Rapid because it has done so well for Skoda...
Even in its last year of life, it was achieving 10% of the segment share. The car has done very well for us and we are very happy and there are a lot of very happy Rapid customers out there enjoying the product. Now, the car has finished production and the last batch of the Matte effect colour is now in the showrooms.
How has the Kushaq SUV been doing for the company?
It has been doing very well. We have been rapidly approaching 20,000 bookings. The customers love the driving dynamics of the car, the engine of the car and of course the safety features, both passive and active. We are looking forward to continuing that success. In fact, the brand had grown 300% in terms of monthly sales as compared to last year.
For the Kushaq, we are looking at 3,000-3,500 cars a month.
How did the festive season go?
It was good. I think we were affected a little bit by supply like everybody because of the semiconductors. But overall, we are pleased with the way it went. And we see good demand for cars in the festive period and even after that, the bookings are still strong.
What is the semiconductor situation for Skoda India?
I can’t say it isn’t affecting us because it is. It is making planning very difficult because I don’t know how many semiconductors we are getting for production in past two weeks. It makes production planning very difficult. It is also very difficult to commit delivery dates to customers. It is very frustrating for customers. I don’t like it but that is the reality.
The good news is we are getting prioritised from the Group because we are a launch market. It is certainly affecting us, yes.
Watch the latest DH Videos here: