Skoda India has announced a price hike across range from 1st January 2019. Prices will be increased by up to 2% in view of rising input costs and an increase in freight costs both where domestic and import were concerned which has been noted across the industry. Volatility in global markets has made this 2 percent increased costs absolutely necessary.
With these increased prices, one can expect the Skoda Octavia to be priced higher by Rs.50,000 and the prices of the Kodiaq could go up by Rs.80,000 from next year. Skoda India locally assembles and sells four vehicles in the country, the Octavia sedan, Rapid, Superb and the Kodiaq SUV.
This year, the company had introduced a price hike in March when car prices went up by Rs.35,000 while an earlier hike in prices was also announced on 1st January 2018 when the prices of Skoda cars went up by 2-3 per cent across the company’s model range.
In a special scheme for buyers, Skoda Finance has offered a ‘Buy Now and Pay in 2020’ campaign in which there is a 12 month EMI holiday plan for customers with 100% on-road financing scheme and interest rates which start at 8.99% along with special EMI packages and benefits from Rs.60,000-1 lakh.
Skoda India’s current lineup ranges between Rs.8.20 for the Rapid going up to Rs.34.50 lakhs for the top of the line Kodiaq. The company has a network comprising of 67 sales outlets and 66 service outlets across the country while manufacture and assembly operations are conducted from the Volkswagen plant in Aurangabad and Chakan in Maharashtra.
Mr. Zac Hollis, Director – Sales, Service, and Marketing, ŠKODA AUTO India Pvt Ltd said, “There has been a surge in the cost of our inputs for production due to significant volatility in the global commodity prices and foreign exchange rates in recent times. ŠKODA AUTO India has been absorbing these incremental costs all this while but is now considering a price increase of up to 2% with effect from 01 January 2019 across its model range.”