Skoda India is rejigging its entire portfolio in the Indian market and also planning to launch new Indian-specific products under Skoda 2.0 program. In an interview, Zac Hollis, director of Skoda India, confirmed the launch of four new cars before 2021 out of which two will be sedans and two will be SUVs. The first product from the brand which is the Kodiaq will be launched this year. A mid-size sedan which will replace the Rapid is under the works and fourth-generation Skoda Octavia will hit the Indian market next year.
Skoda Kodiaq Petrol
Skoda Kodiaq is not a new car from the Czech carmaker as it was on sale before with a 2.0-litre diesel engine. As Skoda India has now pulled the plug of the diesel engines, we will see a new Kodiaq with a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine. The new turbocharged petrol engine will churn out 190 PS and 320 Nm of peak torque mated to a 7-speed DSG gearbox. Skoda Kodiaq will share its underpinnings with the recently launched Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace but unlike the Allspace, the Kodiaq is going to be a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) product. The CKD route will help to keep the costs in check by attracting less tax and duties. The Kodiaq petrol was showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo and it is expected to be launched later this year. Kodiaq petrol will be the first car to get launched by Skoda India out of four news cars.
2021 Skoda Octavia
Skoda Octavia is the most popular executive sedan of its segment and had been doing consistently good for the brand until it was discontinued. Rather than updating the current generation of the Octavia to BS6 emission norms, Skoda has decided to bang the shores with the all-new fourth generation of the sedan which was unveiled in the global markets this year. Earlier, the Octavia was expected to be launched later this year but the timeline has been shifted to February 2021.
The next generation of the Octavia comes with completely redesigned exteriors and interiors and also employes hybrid powertrains. It is still unclear whether India bound Octavia will carry diesel and hybrid powertrains under its hood or not. Skoda may also consider the vRS iteration of the Octavia owing to its cult fan following in the Indian market. The next-gen vRS uses 1.4-litre turbo petrol mated to 85 kW electric motor, combined producing 245 PS which is similar to RS245 we get in India.
Also read: Skoda Rapid BS6 Launched; 5 things you need to know
2021 Skoda Vision IN/Kliq
2021 Skoda Vision IN will be the first car under the Skoda 2.0 program which will sit on the MQB-AO-IN platform. The MQB-AO-IN platform has been specially designed for the Indian market and it will also help to keep the costs in check. The Vision IN SUV is assumed to be named as 'Kliq', however, Hollis was hushed about the speculated name. This mid-size SUV from Skoda will take on the likes of the popular Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and its sibling Volkswagen Taigun. Powering the Vision IN will be the 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine with 150 PS and 250 Nm of torque mated to 7-speed DSG box. The launch of the Vision IN is expected to take place in Q2 of the year 2021. The Skoda Vision IN will be priced competitively to take the fierce competition and heavy localisation will be the key to this project.
2021 Skoda Mid-size Sedan aka Rapid Replacement
Recently, Hollis took the wraps off a new project Skoda India is working on which is a mid-size sedan. Skoda India is now working on a mid-size sedan which arguably is the Rapid sedan replacement. The upcoming mid-size sedan will also be underpinned by the same MQB-AO-IN platform which will also underpin the Kliq. Nothing is official from the end of Skoda India about the engines, pricing and features but it will be launched at the end of 2021.
Also read: 2020 Toyota Fortuner Vs Old Fortuner Design, Engine, Features Compared
Interestingly, Hollis also revealed that Skoda is working on fitting diesel engines in their big cars which means we can expect torque-heavy diesel engines plonked in the 2021 Octavia and future products as well. Right now, no new Skoda cars in India is sold with a diesel engine and Skoda has shifted to petrol-only offerings but this is expected to change soon.
