Just recently we confirmed that Skoda will not be launching the CitiGo in India anytime soon. The company plans to launch the car in India as late as 2014, which is really sad, considering the potential small cars have in our country. But what is causing such a massive delay is a question we need to probe into, right away. The CitiGo is based on the Volkswagen Up! and till the time, Volkswagen don’t launch the Up!, Skoda won’t get a chance to launch the CitiGo. Furthermore, the German automaker will setup an assembly line for the Up! and Citigo, probably at Chakan, which will take some time. The company also has to find the right component suppliers to ensure aggressive pricing.
The Volkswagen Up! should see an Indian launch in 2013. Both the Up! and CitiGo will be very similar in most respects, with the styling being the only distinguishing parameters between the siblings. Skoda being the low cost brand, will price the CitiGo slightly cheaper than the Up!, expect the CitiGo to be priced around Rs. 3.5 lakhs. We expect Skoda to offer both a petrol and diesel engine in the CitiGo. The Fabia’s diesel engine could make its way into the hood of the CitiGo, while a new 1.0-liter, 3-pot motor will drive the petrol CitiGo, producing around 56 BHP of power and offering exceptional fuel economy.
