Mumbai: ŠKODA AUTO India celebrated the last quarter of 2022 with an international congregation in the picturesque backdrop of the Himalayas in Dehradun. The Peak-to-Peak Drive showcased the achievements of the company and its India-made products to a large gathering consisting of automotive experts from India and around the world. ŠKODA AUTO India also commemorated the full 5-star crash safety ratings for the KUSHAQ at the recently-conducted GNCAP crash tests.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Petr Šolc, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “Usually, we call the world to our Mladá Boleslav headquarters and showcase our products. It gives me great pleasure and pride to invite the world to India to showcase our India-developed and India-made products, which have proven themselves on the world stage. It was an incredible few days for all of us at ŠKODA AUTO India, interacting with experts from India and the world. Our INDIA 2.0 heroes were in their element in the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas. 2022 has been a remarkable year for us. With the response we have received, we are confident of carrying forward this momentum into 2023, and beyond.”
The congregation saw auto enthusiasts from India, Germany, Slovakia, Ireland, Belgium, France, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
ŠKODA AUTO India also announced the introduction of the Anniversary Edition of the KUSHAQ, with Model Year 2023 updates to both the KUSHAQ and the SLAVIA to follow.
The year 2022, with more than a month to go, has already seen ŠKODA AUTO India record its Biggest Year in India with the sale of 44,500 cars from January to October this year. Within this time, the company also witnessed record-breaking sales months, sales quarters and H1, showcasing the success of its INDIA 2.0 project and the Made-in-India, Made-for-India MQB-A0-IN platform. The KUSHAQ SUV, launched in July 2021 and the SLAVIA sedan launched in March 2022 are based on this platform and have accelerated the company’s growth and stature in the Indian market. India is now the third largest market after Germany and the Czech Republic and the largest outside Europe for ŠKODA AUTO globally.
The last month saw the KUSHAQ earn a 5-star rating for both adult and child occupants, the only car made in India to have achieved this double score. The KUSHAQ is also the first made-in-India car to be tested under the newer, more stringent GNCAP test protocols. The GNCAP rating highlights the competence and quality of the MQB-A0-IN platform and ŠKODA AUTO India’s no-compromise strategy on safety.
Both the SLAVIA and the KUSHAQ are equipped with a range of active and passive safety features. These include Three-Point Seat Belts with Individual Headrest for all passengers, up to Six Airbags, Roll-Over Protection, ISOFIX mounts for Child Protection, Hill Hold Control, Electronic Stability Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, ABS with Traction Control System, Electronic Differential Lock System, Multi Collision Braking, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Disc Wiping and Rear Parking Sensors with Camera.
Through 2022, ŠKODA AUTO India furthered on its INDIA 2.0 strategy focusing not only on its products, but also rejuvenating its business processes. While the company registered new sales records with the KUSHAQ and SLAVIA, it is also enabled lower maintenance costs for its cars, being closer and more accessible to customers and expanding its reach and network across India. From 175 touchpoints in December 2021, ŠKODA AUTO India has already crossed 220 touchpoints and is on track to touch 250 touchpoints by the end of the year. The company also upgraded its showrooms by completely digitalising them to offer an India-first fully immersive and interactive experience to customers.
Moreover, in an endeavour to enhance customer engagement and interaction, the manufacturer also introduced the revolutionary Fans of ŠKODA movement. It provided a platform for fans and customers of the brand to meet, engage and interact with each other with the leadership team of ŠKODA AUTO India. Fans of ŠKODA has already visited 9 cities and seen more than 270 ŠKODA owners, fans and their families come together.
INDIA 2.0 was set in motion in 2018, and a new Technology Centre was set up in 2019 in Pune, which played a huge role in the development of the MQB-A0-IN platform on which the SLAVIA and KUSHAQ are based.
The MQB-A0-IN platform INDIA 2.0 cars are 95% localised in India and are already being exported to left-hand drive markets countries in the Gulf. These Made-in-India cars are going to be assembled in Vietnam in 2024 with parts and components exported from ŠKODA AUTO India’s facility in Chakan. The manufacturer will be debuting in the Vietnamese market in 2023. With these export and assembly operations, India has turned into an international hub for ŠKODA AUTO in the world.
