Skoda To Launch 19 Cars In The Next Two Years Globally

Skoda has been showcasing concepts at Motor Shows recently and it's been saying that the production models will be coming soon. The folks at Skoda announced that the company is all set to bring in 19 new cars by 2020 globally and this big announcement comes shortly after the company announced its sales performance last year. The company delivered a total of 1,200,500 cars globally which is a rise of 6.6 percent more than a year before making 2017 the best year by far for Skoda.

Also Read: Skoda To Take Lead In Product Development For India

"2017 has impressively demonstrated how well our broad and attractive model range has been received: 2017 was the most successful year in the company's history with more than 1.2 million vehicles delivered," says Skoda Auto CEO Bernhard Maier. "I would like to thank all our customers around the world for their confidence in our products and loyalty to our brand. We are more motivated than ever to continue this course. Not only will we be bringing out 19 new models by the end of 2020 but we will also be launching the most comprehensive investment program in the company's history: Within the next five years, Skoda will invest around two billion euros into electromobility and new mobile services. We are actively implementing our Strategy 2025."

(The SKoda Superb Plug-in Hybrid will be launched in 2019)

Skoda will take its first step in the world of electromobility by launching the Superb plug-in hybrid in 2019 and although the details are scarce, we assume that it will share its powertrain with the Passat GTE. 2019 will also be the year when the company launches its first pure electric car and it will be the Citigo. Though it won't be introduced in India just yet, we are hoping that the powertrain might make its way here somewhere in the next decade. The Citigo will ride on the group's new MEB platform and by 2025 Skoda plans to have a total of 10 electrified models, hybrids in its global portfolio.

Beyond the EV push, Skoda is also interested in expanding its footprint on the automotive map by extending its presence from 102 to 120 countries, starting with Singapore later this year and South Africa in 2019.

Another area where Skoda is looking to expand is the SUV segment and this is where the Vision X small crossover that debuted earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show comes into the picture. We will see the production version of the car in 2019 as well. As far as the company's India plans go, Skoda is driving the emerging market strategy for the VW group and is leading the development process for new models in India which are expected to be rolled out post 2020 when new regulations related to safety and emissions come into force in the country. The proposed six new models, three each under Skoda and Volkswagen brands, would cater mainly to the domestic market.