Skoda India Has Plans For Six Model Launches In 2022

It plans to expand its lineup with new and refreshed models but will focus on the Kushaq for volume sales

• Skoda witnessed a year-on-year growth of 130 percent in 2021.

• Plans to continue growth momentum with six product launches in 2022.

• First will be the facelifted Kodiaq in January followed by the Slavia in March.

• Other expected launches are the Kushq Monte Carlo variant and the Enyaq iV electric SUV.

• Targeting 65,000 sales from Kushaq and Slavia in 2022.

The Indian market has been a priority for Skoda in recent years and the carmaker enjoyed notable growth in 2021 thanks to the launch of the new Kushaq compact SUV. Building on that momentum, Skoda India plans to bring six new products in 2022 including new cars, variants and updates.

The first new product from the Czech carmaker in the country will be the facelifted Kodiaq that will enter the market in January itself. It now gets a turbo-petrol powertrain with some feature updates and mild cosmetic tweaks. 

The most significant new Skoda model will be the Slavia sedan that is the replacement for the Rapid and the second car based on the MQB A0 IN platform. It is bigger and more premium than the car it replaces with the same turbo-petrol engines as the Kushaq. In terms of styling, it looks modern like the larger sedans in its lineup. The Slavia will be reaching dealerships in February with test drives starting from Feb-end, and prices to be announced in March.

Other new Skoda offerings expected to arrive in 2022 include a Monte Carlo variant for the Kushaq. It would be a separate variant in the SUV’s lineup that will get a distinctive red and black design package for the exterior and interior. The Monte Carlo is usually based on the top-spec variant and will likely get the same feature-set as the Kushaq Style with the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine. It could even get additional features like the digital instrument cluster from the Slavia.

We are expecting to see Skoda enter the EV space in India by bringing its Enyaq iV electric SUV as a fully-built import in 2022. It is likely to be brought with the 52kWh and 58kWh battery pack variants that claim a WLTP range of upto 340km and 390km respectively. The Enyaq iV would be a feature-rich premium offering that could rival the likes of the upcoming Volvo XC40 Recharge. It is smaller and less luxurious than the likes of the Audi e-tron or Jaguar I-Pace.

There are no hints about what the other two new products for 2022 might be, but Skoda has assured that it will be bringing some updates for the Octavia and Superb as well. No, the new Octavia vRS isn’t included in the plan for this year. It is also understood that we will not be seeing another new model birthed from the MQB A0 IN platform this year.

The success of the Kushaq has helped Skoda attain a year-on-year growth of 130 percent in 2021, selling 23,858 units compared to the 2020’s tally of 10,387 units. With the arrival of the Slavia and as supply disruptions are resolved, Skoda is expecting to hit 70,000 unit sales for 2022 with 65,000 of those coming from the Kushaq and Slavia.