Skoda Auto will not enter into CNG for any of its vehicles -- whether it is a sedan or sports utility vehicle (SUV) -- because they already have refined engines with better mileage, a top official at the company said.
“We have no plan for CNG...it does not make any sense because we are already offering very efficient engine...the engine can provide 20 kms per litre, so you can hardly do much better. Because CNG on a turbo-charged petrol engine is a very expensive thing. People who drive CNG are usually on aspirational engines which are much more simple and CNG is a synonym of ‘being cheap’...So this is not an option for us which we are involving...for all our cars,” Petr Janeba, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, told businessline.
Also, he said Skoda customers value for their time and currently if looking at the CNG filling stations, customers are spending more time, waiting longer than sometimes the charging stations for the electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, the company announced pricing of its upcoming compact SUV -- Kylaq -- ranging between Rs.7.89 lakh and Rs.14.40 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom). The company is looking for a market share of 8 per cent in this highly competitive segment with models like Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Tata Nexon, Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet.
Kylaq will be rolled out from January 27 and Skoda Auto India has started bookings of the vehicle, Janeba said adding that the first 33,333 customers will also get three years of extended warranty.
The sub-four meter SUV will be competing in the most competitive segment that has a market of around one-lakh vehicles every month (Domestic sales of 94,402 units in October as per Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers).
When asked about the market share, Janeba said, “We are looking for around 8 per cent of segment share. Our capacity is around 80,000, but anything around 60,000 will be good achievement. But, we are getting ready for the best and we can even expand the capacity without any additional investment at the plant.”
The company is also adding 100 more touchpoints (showrooms) in the next few months, in addition to the existing 260 customer touchpoints, he said adding that the company will add 30 touchpoints in December itself, especially in tier-II and III cities, to cater to the market.