Skoda Auto eyes going past all-time peak sales volume next year

NEW DELHI: Czech car maker Skoda Auto is confident of crossing its historic peak sales volumes in India achieved nearly a decade ago by the middle of next year as it continues ramping up and launching new products despite businesses being hit by the second Covid-19 wave, according to a senior company official.

Skoda Auto India, which hit its peak volume of 34,265 units in 2012, is targeting to sell at least 60,000 units next year as it brings new products, including those under Volkswagen group’s India 2.0 project.

“Historically, we sold around 35,000 cars in India (peak volume) and I think next year we will surpass that number, probably in the middle of the year already. We plan to sell at least 60,000 cars. So certainly we are on a huge growth path and the long term plan is to sell 1 lakh cars (annually) in India,” Skoda Auto India Brand Director Zac Hollis told PTI.

As for 2021, he said the company plans to sell “three times as many cars as last year”.

“Last year we sold just around 11,000 cars, obviously heavily impacted by the pandemic but this year with the ramp-up curve and the launch of the new products, we are confident of selling about three times that number this year and then doubling again in 2022,” Hollis said.