The Octavia’s sales have been disappointing throughout 2014 with just 61 units sold in December, while Skoda’s sales throughout the range have been consistently low with every passing month.
The Octavia has been one of the most loved brands from Skoda India that managed to pull a lot of enthusiasts as well as premium buyers towards itself in the past decade. With the last few years being sluggish for the auto industry, Skoda was one of the worst hit automakers and has been trying to gain momentum ever since. The new generation Octavia was supposed to resurrect the brand out of its misery; however, it now seems that the market is shying away from a much loved product as the Octavia managed an all-time low of just 61 units in December 2014.
Skoda Octavia 2014 Sales –
- January – 160 units
- February – 122 units
- March – 212 units
- April – 146 units
- May – 189 units
- June – 232 units
- July – 145 units
- August – 221 units
- September – 137 units
- October – 124 units
- November – 99 units
- December – 61 units
Launched in October 2013, the new generation Skoda Octavia managed to sell at an average of 200 units a month for the first 4 months, while sales plummeted to 150 units a month for the most of 2014. The Octavia managed its highest sales figure in June last year retailing 232 units, while December saw sales fall down to just 61 units. While pricing as it turns out is a secondary issue for Octavia buyers, it is the bad after sales and service experience that has been putting off customers from the vehicle.
D-Segment Car Sales December 2014 –
- Toyota Corolla – 895 units
- Hyundai Elantra – 139 units
- Volkswagen Jetta – 97 units
- Chevrolet Cruze – 96 units
- Renault Fluence – 29 units
Even though the D-segment space has been slow selling with the advent of compact SUVs at the same price, rivals such as the Toyota Corolla Altis are managing healthy numbers with 895 units sold in December. The Hyundai Elantra did a distant second with 139 units sold, while the oldest seller off the lot, the Chevrolet Cruze managed 96 units. The Octavia’s cousin the Volkswagen Jetta did a similar 97 units in the month. Unsurprisingly, the only car to beat Octavia’s de-growth was the Renault Fluence with just 29 units sold. But with the Duster being Renault’s cash crop, the Fluence just happens to be a brand builder for the company.
Apart from the Octavia, Skoda’s entire fleet of models have performed poorly in the past year and is a growing concern for the stable working of the company. December 2014 saw the automaker’s most affordable Rapid sedan clock just 1168 units, while rivals Honda City, Hyundai Verna and now Maruti Ciaz are easily managing three times more. The recently refreshed Yeti SUV managed to clock a bare minimum of 20 units in the last month and has not been in the radar for most buyers in the Rs. 16 lakh plus SUV segment. The flagship Superb sedan on the other hand did a consistent 112 units in the last month, much better than its rivals the Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata.
