The Czech Republic’s biggest car producer Škoda Auto says it will present the series production model of its planned new compact limousine later this year.
A prototype of the so-called MissionL car, which the carmaker says will be positioned between its existing small family car Fabia and popular Octavia estate, was unveiled last year at the Frankfurt motor show.
“Our model offensive continues in 2012 with the new compact limousine,” company board chairman Winfried Vahland announced in the 2011 annual report released Wednesday. The company will also take on more workers this year, although new precise figures were given.
Production of the existing four by four SUV Yeti model will be started this year in Russia at the joint venture Nizhny Novgorodplant operated with Russian partner GAZ and next year production of the model will start in China, the member of the German-based Volkswagen Group announced.
‘Our model offensive continues in 2012 with the new compact limousine.’
Vahland said that Škoda Auto is counting on rolling out a new model on average every six months in order to boost worldwide sales. A major step was taken in 2011 with the launch of the Škoda Rapid, a model conceived for the Indian market and produced there with the aim of plugging into one of the fast growing auto markets worldwide.
The Czech car maker has the target of nearly doubling car sales to around 1.5 million a year by 2018.
Škoda Auto predicts an overall increase in car sales in 2012, in particular in the fast growing Indian, Chinese and Russian markets. However, Russian sales this year are unlikely to grow as fast as in 2011, the company warned in its annual report. Russian sales last year grew by 62.5 percent year-on-year to total 74,100. Car sales on the domestic Czech market are expected to remain flat at 2011 levels.
In 2011 the Czech car producer sold 879,200 cars, a 15.3 percent rise on the previous year with revenues increasing by 18.1 percent to 10.3 billion euros.