We at Management Punditz are always excited to see developments in the Indian Auto Industry. And when it came to publish our 150th blog post, we wanted it to be special. So, what better subject - which according to us is the most important product in Skoda's strategy.
The C-segment sedan which is touted to be Octavia replacement has generated a lot of buzz around and is in news from quite a while. Lot of rumors were around that it will be named 'Lauretta', which we personally didn't like and are happy that the name 'Rapid' is retained in reality. The vehicle was unmasked internationally (for the first time) at the 8th anniversary of the famous 'Car N Bike' show - NDTV's flagship Auto Show. This was termed as the Birthday Gift to CNB by Skoda honcho Thomas Kuehl.
On first looks the car seems to be elegant and elite. Although the nose is 'Fabia'-ish, it doesn't seem to be totally inspired by the hatchback cousin (like in case of Vento & Dzire which denote just an extension of Polo & Swift). Even though the car takes its design cues from the concept 'Mission L' - its doesn't look all flashy (which we feel is a huge positive). The side profile is a lot like its sibling Vento but it seems lengthier. Even Thomas in the Demo termed the inner space of Rapid as equivalent of a "Compact Limousine". The rear resembles the family Skoda look and is pretty decent. In totality we agree to the Skoda's implementation of the design with its motto 'Simply Clever'. We believe that the buyer in this segment wants an executive-looking car, with a lot of room on the rear and be fitted with all the gadgetry. Going around with Thomas's word we are sure about the looks and the space, but will have to wait to know about the interior dynamics.
The C-segment has proved to be the most exciting segment this year. We saw the onset of segment shakers - VW Vento and the fluidic Hyundai Verna which overtook Honda City as the market leader since their launch. Even Ford tried to bring enthusiasm with its kinetic Fiesta. The point to be noticed here is that Verna & Vento have proved to be number churners and were the primary reason of growth for both the OEM's. In some months Vento outsold the smaller sibling Polo which exactly delineates its importance.
The market size of the segment is around 50,000 units per month and carries significant importance for any Auto Maker to define its brand. And seeing Skoda's strategy (1.6L petrol & 1.6L diesel) we are sure that they are going to "Rapid"Fire sales with its upcoming saloon. Another important decision by Skoda team to supply dealers with sufficient stock before the launch is extremely wise. With a mid-November launch Management Punditz is all excited to see the market response for Skoda's new offering.
The C-segment sedan which is touted to be Octavia replacement has generated a lot of buzz around and is in news from quite a while. Lot of rumors were around that it will be named 'Lauretta', which we personally didn't like and are happy that the name 'Rapid' is retained in reality. The vehicle was unmasked internationally (for the first time) at the 8th anniversary of the famous 'Car N Bike' show - NDTV's flagship Auto Show. This was termed as the Birthday Gift to CNB by Skoda honcho Thomas Kuehl.
On first looks the car seems to be elegant and elite. Although the nose is 'Fabia'-ish, it doesn't seem to be totally inspired by the hatchback cousin (like in case of Vento & Dzire which denote just an extension of Polo & Swift). Even though the car takes its design cues from the concept 'Mission L' - its doesn't look all flashy (which we feel is a huge positive). The side profile is a lot like its sibling Vento but it seems lengthier. Even Thomas in the Demo termed the inner space of Rapid as equivalent of a "Compact Limousine". The rear resembles the family Skoda look and is pretty decent. In totality we agree to the Skoda's implementation of the design with its motto 'Simply Clever'. We believe that the buyer in this segment wants an executive-looking car, with a lot of room on the rear and be fitted with all the gadgetry. Going around with Thomas's word we are sure about the looks and the space, but will have to wait to know about the interior dynamics.
The C-segment has proved to be the most exciting segment this year. We saw the onset of segment shakers - VW Vento and the fluidic Hyundai Verna which overtook Honda City as the market leader since their launch. Even Ford tried to bring enthusiasm with its kinetic Fiesta. The point to be noticed here is that Verna & Vento have proved to be number churners and were the primary reason of growth for both the OEM's. In some months Vento outsold the smaller sibling Polo which exactly delineates its importance.
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| Sales Performance of C-segment cars for past 3 months |
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