Keeping up with Skoda’s existing strategy for India, the company will continue to focus on the Rapid and above segments, while the 2015 Fabia is not in the launch pipeline in the near future.
Skoda discontinued its most affordable product the Fabia hatchback last year and since then speculations have been rife that the next generation model would make its way to India as well. However negating all rumours, the Czech automaker has now confirmed that the 2015 Fabia will not be coming to India and the company will instead focus on the Rapid as its most affordable and successful (in terms of sales) model currently.
Skoda had to discontinue the Fabia due to the low sales that made the hatchback financially non-viable for the company to continue selling in the country. The automaker took the decision almost two years ago to keep the Rapid sedan as its most affordable model and will continue with the same. The automaker has been working to revamp its Indian operations and recently announced improved localisation on its products in the future.
The 2015 Skoda Fabia on the other hand has received positive feedback from world over. Scheduled to make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show next month, the hatchback sports a new design and a tonne of new features. Skoda has also introduced new powerful and fuel efficient engine options and the new Fabia is 17 percent more frugal than the outgoing model.
With the Fabia no more a possibility, there have been speculations of Skoda working on a new sub 4-metre sedan to be slotted below the Rapid and will also be based on the same platform. The company is also working on the Rapid facelift that has been designed in India and will be launched next year while the same car will get the new 1.5-litre diesel engine later this month.
