A few weeks after the launch of Kushaq, Skoda India has officially kicked-off the activities for their 2nd global premier in India this year
The Rapid from Skoda has aged well, though it clearly needs a replacement now. While multiple international markets have received new generation model, for the Indian market, Skoda is still continuing with a decade old model. However, as a part of its India 2.0 strategy, it has plans to bring in a new sedan which will replace the Rapid and compete with the likes of Honda City and Hyundai Verna.
New Skoda Design Competition
This new Skoda sedan will be making its global debut in India later this year. Today, Skoda India has officially kicked off activities for their upcoming new sedan. The Czech brand has announced a competition called – ‘CAMOUFLAGE WITH ŠKODA’. ŠKODA AUTO India is organising a design contest where budding Indian designers are being called upon to take part and design a camouflage for its upcoming mid-size premium sedan.
Entries to the contest will be open till 18th August 2021 and the top five entries shortlisted by the jury will be announced on 23rd August 2021. One final winner will be announced from among the top five shortlists. This initiative provides a platform for design enthusiasts to share creative ideas, with an opportunity to visit the global headquarters and meet the Head of Design in Prague.
Internally, this new sedan is known as the ANB, and is expected to be launched in the country with a ‘Slavia’ nameplate. Recently, what appears to be an initial test mule of the sedan was spotted testing in Pune. The test unit was completely covered in heavy camouflage but displayed larger proportions than the Rapid. The unit also featured stylish LED tail-lamps at the rear and a typical Skoda-style vertical slat grille at the front.
Skoda Slavia – Platform and Powertrain
The Slavia will be based upon the same MQB A0 IN platform, which Skoda will also be deploying on the Kushaq. Thanks to the platform sharing, it is expected that the engine options on the Slavia will include a 1 litre petrol motor and it will come along with both, MT and AT options. There is also a possibility that a 1.5 litre motor might also be introduced.
As is the case with most VW and Skoda products, this new sedan will also be having a VW sibling. The same platform will be used by VW to develop the spiritual successor of the Vento. In international markets, VW already sells the Virtus and it won’t be a surprise if the upcoming Indian model too gets some inspiration from the same.
Launch and Competition
On the features front, it is expected that Skoda will load the sedan with multiple new generation features. This should help the company to compete better with the current heavy weight champions of the segment, namely the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz and Hyundai Verna.
With the change in generation and the name plate, we expect that Skoda will bring along a major change in pricing as well. Slavia will mostly be positioned as a premium product and hence could be significantly pricier than the outgoing Rapid.
