After posting a successful quarter for Volkswagen Group, Skoda will be releasing a dedicated model for the Group’s and Skoda’s single largest market – China. Unsurprisingly, the specially designed model for the Chinese market will be a compact SUV.
Skoda’s latest offering will be the third member of the brand’s SUV family for the Chinese market. It will incorporate specific requirements and preferences of Chinese customers regarding concept, design and features.
According to a report by AutoCar UK, the yet-to-be-named SUV will not share the same MQB platform as the Volkswagen T-Roc (both are compact SUVs); instead, it will be built on the China-only PQ platform. Skoda will likely position the new SUV at a lower price bracket to attract more Chinese buyers hence it will not be offered with an electrified powertrain to keep the cost low.
The new Skoda SUV will be unveiled at the 2018 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2018) and is expected to grow Skoda’s market share in the SUV space. In 2017, the carmaker delivered 325,000 vehicles in China, a 2.5 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
