Skoda conducted  rolling  out ceremony of their upcoming sedan Rapid from VW India’s plant in Chakan. Skoda Rapid sedan earlier known as Skoda  Lauretta  is based on Skoda Fabia and will be hitting the showrooms by end of this month. Skoda Rapid will be sharing engines with it’s  cousin VW Vento. VW Vento’s 1.6ltr engines (both diesel and petrol) will be doing duty in  Skoda Rapid as well. Having started production of  Rapid, Skoda Auto may announce the official  launch very soon.

Rapid is expected to lock horns with Maruti Suzuki SX4, Nissan Sunny, Hyundai Verna and Ford Fiesta. Skoda Rapid may carry a price tag of Rs.7 lakh for basic variant and the price may go up to Rs.9 lakh. VW Group has to position Skoda Rapid very carefully to protect VW Vento’s market share. We  think there will be an overlap in the pricing of Skoda Rapid top end and VW Vento base variants. Anyways wait is not so long so let us keep our fingers crossed. Come back and check this space for more news.

More details are available from company’s press release.

SKODA Auto India starts production of Rapid from its Chakan Plant
> The new compact SKODA sedan bears the name ‘Rapid’
> In the presence of Prof. Dr. Winfried Vahland, Chairman of the Board of Management, SKODA Auto a.s. announces the start of production of SKODA Rapid
Pune, 7 October, 2011: SKODA Auto India began production of its much anticipated entry level sedan, the SKODA Rapid at its plant in Chakan, near Pune today. SKODA Rapid is the first car from the SKODA brand which has been designed, keeping in mind the special needs of Indian customers and will be exclusively manufactured in India.
“Today is the official Start of Production for the Indian variant of our new Rapid compact saloon. Effective immediately, the first unit of the SKODA Rapid will be
rolling off the line in this plant. The car will be introduced in the market shortly. It is an attractive car with lots of space and room for five persons.” Prof. Dr. Winfried Vahland, Chairman of the Board of Management, SKODA Auto a.s. commented.

Manufacturing of the all new SKODA Rapid will take place at the Chakan plant. The car will be offered with a choice of diesel and petrol engines. The commencement of production of SKODA Rapid is in line with SKODA Auto’s 2018 growth strategy which aims to double sales globally to at least 1.5 million units.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr. Chacko, Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, said “SKODA has always been an integral part of the plant in Chakan. The first car that was produced at this plant was a SKODA Fabia, and we are happy to roll-out the
SKODA Rapid on this occasion. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Volkswagen and SKODA teams for this success that has been achieved as a result of their synergies.”

SKODA Rapid will be entirely manufactured in India. It will be positioned at the entry level of the country’s mid-sized sedan segment. With the introduction of the SKODA Rapid, SKODA will now offer cars to suit the needs of a larger customer base in India.

Expressing his gratitude to the employees on the occasion Prof. Dr. Winfried Vahland further said, “SKODA Rapid is a true reflection of our motto „ Simply Clever‟ with your work ladies and gentlemen, you will contribute to the new SKODA becoming a success in India. In this context, local sourcing and local production are essential. Our aim is to make cars of the highest quality. Your competence and know-how are what will make this happen”.

The Pune plant is a key element in SKODA Auto’s India strategy. The scale of investment, commissioning local suppliers and employing people primarily from the
region itself demonstrate SKODA Auto’s commitment to India. SKODA is making an important contribution to the economic development in the region and also in the Indian economy in general.

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