By Skoda India is planning to introduce a sub-four metre compact SUV in India as it will be part of the India 3.0 project but it will come only after the completion of India 2.0 project, which includes two compact SUV’s to rival Hyundai Creta along with a replacement for ageing Rapid and Vento. The compact SUV’s will be launched in early 2021 followed by the sedan models in 2022. The India 3.0 project will kick off after the India 2.0 and it depends on the success of the earlier project too.
The company hasn’t revealed many details about the upcoming models but we can safely assume that the new models will be based on MQB A0 IN platform as it is known for its flexibility and the engine option will be the 1.0 L TSI as the company is planning to localise 95 per cent for this engine. Like the smaller engine, Skoda will locally manufacture the 1.5 L TSI engine too along with 6-speed torque convertor and DSG gearboxes to keep the cost down.
Both VW and Skoda already showcased their respective compact SUV models in India. Skoda Vision IN Concept and Skoda Taigun is basically the same models with different exterior and interior design themes even though features and engine will be the same. Skoda will also get the first-mover advantage as their version will reach the market first followed by Volkswagen in a couple of months time as they don’t want to cannibalize each other.
The full-size sedan is codenamed as ANB and it is expected to be similar to the new generation Rapid, which is already available in Russia. Some reports have indicated that Skoda will continue to sell the current generation Rapid at a lower price to attract more customers as they have already got the amount they have invested on the model but VW won’t follow this strategy. The aggressive product plans could help VW and Skoda in the long run to capture significant market share in the Indian market.
