Back in January 2000, Skoda Auto India laid down the foundation stone for their manufacturing plant in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad until 2022). Since then, the Czech carmaker has come a long way in the Indian market, with value-oriented offerings striking a chord with the Indian customers. They were the first of all the Volkswagen group brands to establish a presence in India.
The journey of Skoda Auto India began with the Octavia, which was launched as an SKD unit originally, and Skoda did something no other manufacturer had before—price the petrol and diesel models identically, thus removing the problem of higher cost of entry into diesel ownership. It didn’t hurt that the first-gen Octavia diesel was powered by the legendary 1.9-litre TDI engine which used Volkswagen’s Pumpe Düse technology, and was an effective alternative to common-rail direct-injection diesel engines that were gaining popularity at the turn of the millennium. With the first-generation Octavia in VRS trim, Skoda also introduced the first-ever turbo-petrol car to the Indian market, one which holds a special place in the hearts of enthusiasts even today.
One year before the first-gen Octavia VRS, however, Skoda introduced the Superb, the first car to be equipped with a DSG automatic transmission in our market. Skoda Auto India replaced the Octavia with the Laura, globally called the Octavia, but they renamed it for our market as they planned to sell the newer-generation alongside the older generation. Another significant milestone came up in 2008, when Skoda launched the Fabia, which was the first car to be manufactured locally at the Chakan plant. Next came the Yeti, which was one of the first AWD crossovers to reach our shores.
In 2011, Skoda Auto India launched the Rapid, which is still one their best-selling models in our market. Just two years later, the Octavia nameplate returned to Skoda showrooms, now in its third-generation. We didn’t get the VRS trim for this one, but the 190-hp 2.0 TSI was quite powerful. In 2017, Skoda Auto India launched the Kodiaq, their first seven-seater, as well as the Octavia VRS 230, which marked the return for the VRS Octy to our roads. This car had a 230-hp powerplant. Skoda also toyed with CBU models, as they launched the Karoq which was imported from Czechia (formerly the Czech Republic until 2016). The Octavia RS 245 also came along as another CBU model—the most powerful Octavia to ever come to our shores.
In 2021 and 2022, Skoda Auto India launched the Kushaq and the Slavia respectively, their first models under the INDIA 2.0 strategy, built upon the India-specific MQB-A0-IN platform, derived from the global MQB-A0 platform also used on other VAG cars. Their latest chapter introduces the Kylaq, which was named by an online competition held in India and is the first sub-four-metre SUV from the Czech brand. Here’s to another 25 years of Skoda in India.
