Under the ongoing successful strategy of Skoda-VW’s India 2.0 Plan, the brand is going to enter the highly sought-after sub-4-meter C-SUV segment with a new Small SUV, which will take on strong contenders in the segment such as Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Tata Nexon, Kia Sonet and Mahindra XUV300.
Skoda will reveal more details or announce the whole C-SUV altogether at the upcoming Skoda India Event on 27th February. Enthusiasts can also expect some other steamy news since information related to the company’s plans regarding Electric Vehicles including new launches is also expected. So, stay tuned on 27th Feb.
The upcoming compact SUV will be based on the MQB-A0 (IN) platform that is also used by the Kushaq, Taigun, Slavia and Virtus. This baby SUV is not a part of India 2.0, but rather its successor, India 2.5 project. The launch of this new C-SUV will help Skoda boost their sales further which is actually on a steady decline for a few months now. What makes this launch more interesting is the fact that Skoda’s last C-SUV was the Fabia which was launched in India back in 2008 and was discontinued by 2013.
Powering the upcoming Compact SUV is rumoured to be the 1.0-litre TSI Petrol Engine that produces 115 PS of max power and 178 Nm of Torque. This unit will likely be paired with a 6-speed Manual and 6-speed AT.
To take on popular rivals and succeed, Skoda will have to launch this new SUV at a very competitive price point which is possible via tax benefits, available on sub-4-meter cars that use engines with a capacity of 1.2 litres or less. This new Skoda small SUV is expected to hit the showrooms by March 2025.
With Volkswagen’s complete focus on EVs, it will not be participating in the launch of any ICE-powered cars and hence Skoda is going solo in this project, which might cause some financial challenges. To overcome them, the Czech manufacturer will focus aggressively on export markets and this new C-SUV will be introduced in places such as the Middle East. Southeast Asia and North Africa.
Although the Sub-4-meter SUV segment looks congested, it is still a gold mine for carmakers with registered strong growth in recent years and growing at a rapid rate.
