Skoda Maruti tie up to produce new small car by 2012

After Volkswagen collaborated with the most popular and largest selling car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India, it is Skoda India that gets into action this time. The company is seriously contemplating on collaborating with Maruti Suzuki to develop a small car for the Indian market. The company wishes to launch this new small car under its current hatchback model Skoda Fabia by 2012.

The news is brewing in the Indian automobile industry as senior officials from Skoda India indicated that the company is more than willing to such pacts and collaboration. Skoda, Maruti and Volkswagen India are contemplating on the issue and look forward to a new small car under the combined expertise. The company official also added that Skoda India is looking forward to launch a new car that would be placed in the C segment. The car would replace Skoda Octavia and is most likely to hit the markets by the second half of 2011.

Around the festive season of Diwali Skoda India is all set to launch the much awaited SUV Skoda Yeti. Some of the short term plans of the company also includes a sales target that reaches to 10% share in the B+ segment as against 3% now. Thomas Kuehl, board member and director (sales & marketing), SkodaAuto India, in a recent press conference commented that the company plans to launch a small car that could be placed below Skoda Fabia by 2012. He further added that the Indian market throws great potential in this segment which the company wishes to tap.

Mr Kuehl said that the company would not rule out the possibility of launching the car in a collaboration with Maruti Suzuki as the company is known globally for its hold in the small car segment. He quoted that the trio, Volkswagen India, Skoda and Maruti Suzuki India would work towards finding the best combination of technology and engineering to develop this new small car.

The current line up of Skoda cars including Jetta, Passat, Superb, Laura, Audi is being rolled out from the Aurangabad plant of the company, while the small cars would be produced at the Chakan Plant of Volkswagen India. The same plant is used for the production of Volkswagen Polo.

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