Skoda Auto India is targeting 22-25% growth for the Slavia with its upcoming facelift, despite the segment shrinking significantly in recent years. “Sedans has been a body style which has defined the Skoda brand. It’s been our strength, it’s been our identity,” said Ashish Gupta, brand director, Skoda Auto India.
The Slavia has sold close to 80,000 units in India since launch and commands around 30% of the sedan segment. The model contributes 18-20% of Skoda’s overall portfolio sales. “The Slavia does around 1,200 cars for me a month, which is a substantial portion of my portfolio. And with the facelift, I’m targeting a 22 to 25% growth,” Gupta said.
The sedan currently has around 30 percent segment share and is the second-best seller in its segment, behind sister product Volkswagen Virtus, which averages around 1,400 units a month. Hyundai Verna and Honda City are the other key rivals.
The facelifted Slavia will go on sale by early October. The brand has also unveiled plans to introduce the Superb diesel and also announced another lot of limited-run Octavia RS for India.
Apart from sedans, Skoda has expanded its SUV portfolio with the Kushaq, Kylaq and Kodiaq, but continues to see sedans as central to its brand identity and product strategy. “We are among the few brands globally right now who still have a very huge sedan and successful sedan portfolio,” Gupta said. “That is why the sedan’s body style is important for us as Skoda as a brand.”
The company is also looking to build on the success of the Kylaq, which Gupta said reflected lessons from its earlier experience in India. The compact SUV was positioned in the right segment, offered at competitive price points and equipped with features demanded by customers.
“You have to keep pace with the speed of the market and there are no ifs and buts about it,” Gupta said. “With the Kylak we took those learnings on board and did a lot of things right.” While Skoda remains open to expanding its SUV portfolio, Gupta said decisions would depend on development timelines, feasibility and the value the products can offer.
The company is also expanding its retail footprint, targeting 200 cities by the end of the year. It currently has around 190 cities and 340 touch points, with 55-60% of sales coming from tier-II and tier-III towns.
Skoda is preparing to introduce CNG, which Gupta described as its “first focus” among alternate powertrains, particularly for the Kylaq. It is also evaluating larger products for diesel and exploring opportunities to export India-made Slavia and Kushaq to global markets.
