Skoda said it would make a decision this year on whether or not to enter the U.S. market, but it looks like the Czech automaker needs more time to make up its mind. According to a report from Autocar, Skoda is putting its U.S. ambitions on hold to focus on low-cost cars for India.
Earlier this year, Volkswagen Group teamed up with Tata Motors in the hopes of building a low-cost car for emerging markets. Skoda was recruited to lead the project for VW, leaving the brand little time to focus on its plans for the U.S. “We will need more time to work on the U.S. plans now,” Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier told Autocar.
“There is no hurry to rush into the U.S. and no deadline to even decide if we should be looking to go there,” Maier added. “There’s no need to make a decision right away.”
Skoda is currently considering the Group’s MQB A0 platform for the new low-cost vehicle. But if VW uses its own platform, it would have to set up manufacturing infrastructure in India to keep production local and costs down.
India is expected to become the third largest car market starting in 2020, making it an important location for auto brands to secure market share. But the automaker also appears at least somewhat poised to enter the U.S., the world’s second largest market, now that it has expanded its lineup of crossovers to include a seven-seater. VW Group was reportedly hoping that Skoda could rake in sales in the U.S. because its reputation wasn’t as affected by the dieselgate scandal as many of VW’s other brands.
Source: Autocar
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