Tariff Price Reductions

[Antiplastix]

I m not sure how roof racks, bike holder and floor mats add up to $2k, but at least its a nice gesture. Tell them to keep the accessories and pay all the on roads including stamp duty.

[K1W1]

I just looked at the details of the $2000 Accessory promotion and I'm confused.
When you mouse over the vehicles it shows what purchasers get for their $2000 worth of freebees on each model. On the vRS is says that the freebees include a "Set of 4 floor mats". Now the confusing part. The vRS brochure on the Skoda Australia web site clearly says "Floormats with silver/grey trim" are included.
I guess vRS purchasers will end up with two sets of floor mats.

[KWICKS]

Or special mats unique to the promo. Actually, come to think of it two sets of mats is useful if you keep your cars a few years - they are the first thing to wear out in my experience.

[kenvik_7]

Just had a clarification from my dealer, who said that the current promotion ($2k accessory pack) is only applicable on 2009 built cars and not 2010 ones coming into the country.
So the cars will not get the $2k promotional pack plus the reduced import duty.
So overall I'm not too dissatisfied with my experience with the purchase of the RS, and the price I was able to negotiate before the promotion. Since my car will have a 2010 built date, I will get a further $500 reduction at the time of taking the delivery - not much, but every $$ helps
cheers

[K1W1]

Just had a clarification from my dealer, who said that the current promotion ($2k accessory pack) is only applicable on 2009 built cars and not 2010 ones coming into the country.
So the cars will not get the $2k promotional pack plus the reduced import duty.

In that case Skoda had better change the wording of the promotion really quickly. The promotion fine print simply states that the vehicle must be delivered by 28 February 2010. There is no stipulation as to the when the car was ordered or what the compliance plate date is.
As it stands if you have a car on order and it arrives in say early February and is plated 2010 and you get delivery BEFORE 28 February 2010 you are entitled to receive the benefit of the promotion. Skoda must comply with the actual words that their advertising agency has published on their behalf not what their perception of those words is.

[kenvik_7]

Hi K1W1,
Like I said, this was just my dealer's interpretation. Perhaps he might have said that to me to make me go away, since I was complaining about this. But having said that, he was pretty sure that the the cars receiving the $2k promotion weren't eligible for any other 'assistance', and that this was only for cars in stock or factory orders delivered before end of Feb 2010 (again most of these I'm guessing would have 2009 plates). I doubt whether a factory order placed after the promotion was announced in December is going to be delivered before end of Feb 2010. It will be more like April or May 2010, and would have a 2010 compliance plate, and only eligible for the $500 import tax reduction.

Chris (or other dealers on the forum), can you confirm or comment on this?
Thanks

[K1W1]

I agree with that in that no order placed today will arrive before 28 Feb 2010 but anybody who placed orders in say September or October will be getting their vehicles in January or early February and those vehicles should be plated 2010 and should have the tax rebate and according to the wording of the promotion as it stands at the moment they should qualify so for a dealer to say no 2010 plated vehicles qualify is possibly incorrect.

[Sales @ Mentone Skoda]

Sorry about the late response, i am at home with a viral infection that has been punishing me since yesterday afternoon. In answer to your question the Tariff issue is a completely separate thing to the promotion. If the vehicle has been sold after the 1st december it is entitled to the tariff reduction and should have been included in any negotiations that have taken place.
Factory orders aren't always a 4-5 month wait, we may sell a car that has been ordered by Skoda Australia and already being shipped. This would mean you are able to buy in December and take delivery before the end Feb, therefore making you entitled to the promotion and the tariff reduction.

[Spook]

From GoAuto

Skoda prices slide

18 January 2010

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS


SKODA is hoping to secure more sales in its third full year back in Australia with a tariff-induced price drop across the three-pronged model range.

The oddball Roomster range is $1000 cheaper than on December 31, kicking off from $25,990 for the base 1.6-litre petrol manual.

However, the difference in the amount that Octavia and Superb prices have fallen depends on which model you look at.

The base Octavia 1.6 petrol is now a full $2000 more affordable, but the 1.8 TSI petrol and 2.0 TDI diesel engine cars are $500 cheaper while the RS performance versions cost just $200 less than before.

Meanwhile, the Superb now commences from a tenner under $40,000, instead of $42,990 for the Ambition 1.8 TSI DSG (representing a $3000 drop). The same amount has been lopped off the diesel version, while the Elegance 1.8 TSI DSG, Elegance 2.0 TDI DSG and Elegance 4x4 3.6 FSI V6 DSG are all $1000 cheaper than before, at $44,990, $47,990 and $55,990 respectively.

2010 Skoda range pricing (RRP, excluding dealer delivery and on-road costs):

Roomster 1.6.................................$25,990
Roomster 1.6 (a)............................$28,290
Roomster 1.9 TDI...........................$27,990
Octavia 1.6...................................$24,990
Octavia 1.6 (a)..............................$27,290
Octavia 1.8 TSI.............................$30,990
Octavia 1.8 TSI DSG (a)..................$33,290
Octavia 2.0 TDI.............................$33,490
Octavia 2.0 TDI DSG (a)..................$35,790
Octavia Wagon 1.6.........................$26,990
Octavia Wagon 1.6 (a)....................$29,290
Octavia Wagon 1.8 TSI...................$32,990
Octavia Wagon 1.8 TSI DSG (a)........$35,290
Octavia Wagon 2.0 TDI...................$35,490
Octavia Wagon 2.0 TDI DSG (a)........$37,790
Octavia Scout 2.0 TDI.....................$39,490
Octavia RS 2.0 TSI.........................$37,490
Octavia RS 2.0 TSI DSG (a)..............$39,790
Octavia RS 2.0 TDI.........................$39,490
Octavia RS 2.0 TDI DGS (a)..............$41,790
Octavia RS Wagon 2.0 TSI...............$39,490
Octavia RS Wagon 2.0 TSI DSG (a)....$41,790
Octavia RS Wagon 2.0 TDI...............$41,490
Octavia RS Wagon 2.0 TDI DSG (a)....$43,790
Superb Ambition 1.8 TSI DSG (a).......$39,990
Superb Ambition 2.0 TDI DSG (a).......$42,990
Superb Elegance 1.8 TSI DSG (a)......$44,990
Superb Elegance 2.0 TDI DSG (a)......$47,990
Superb Elegance 4x4 V6 FSI DSG(a)..$55,990

[Jake02]

From GoAuto

Superb Ambition 1.8 TSI DSG (a).......$39,990
Superb Ambition 2.0 TDI DSG (a).......$42,990
Superb Elegance 1.8 TSI DSG (a)......$44,990
Superb Elegance 2.0 TDI DSG (a)......$47,990

That makes the Elegance a whole $5 GRAND more expensive than the Ambition. I hope they added leather as standard equipment because that is pathetic that the Elegance doesn't get a $3k drop, but rather only a $1k drop (N). And is there an Octavia 1.9TDI or not? The dealers on this forum say yes as well as other sections of the GoAuto website of which the news is located, but everyone else says no. What gives? Anything would be better than the 1.6MPI (why isn't it called FSI, being the same engine as the Roomster isn't it?)! 1.4TSI hello!

[gregozedobe]

And is there an Octavia 1.9TDI or not? The dealers on this forum say yes as well as other sections of the GoAuto website of which the news is located, but everyone else says no. What gives? Anything would be better than the 1.6MPI (why isn't it called FSI, being the same engine as the Roomster isn't it?)! 1.4TSI hello!

AFAIK in England the old 1.9 PD TDI engine has been replaced by the new 1.6 CR TDI. I have no idea what Skoda Oz intend to do.

Given that Skoda still make the Mk 1 Octavia (mostly for use as Taxis) it is likely they could continue to make and sell the 1.9 TDI engine if they wanted to, but ever-stricter emission regulations may prevent them from selling it in some markets.

[woofy]

I'm a little confused as to how Skoda came up with the tariff reductions, the more expensive a car is, the bigger the the tariff they pay, but it seems that the lower models got a bigger cut and the higher ones less so. So I assume they are using the savings from the RS to subsidise and make the lower models more attractive. Not really fair all in all.

[Antiplastix]

The RS s are selling themselves because they are a specialist car without much competition, the others need a little help to get out the door in a market flooded for choice for the buyer.

[woofy]

Yep I understand that, but when a tax drops it should drop the price in proportion, if the tax was raised I bet it would be equal then. So as I was alluding to, the RS is selling so they are taking the tariff reduction savings there and passing them onto the base model price.

[gregozedobe]

Yep I understand that, but when a tax drops it should drop the price in proportion, if the tax was raised I bet it would be equal then. So as I was alluding to, the RS is selling so they are taking the tariff reduction savings there and passing them onto the base model price.

I think you are starting from an incorrect premise, I believe most businesses operate to maximise profits, not to be equally "fair" to all their customers. Why should they reduce their price for a prouduct that is selling OK at the current price ? So yes, they are in effect cross-subsidising the base models. They can do that if they want.

They obviously want to increase volumes of the base models, and buyers of these are probably a lot more price sensitive than the people who are willing to pay more for the higher-spec versions (eg vRS).

It is perfectly rational corporate behaviour IMO, albeit slightly annoying if you are currently considering buying a new vRS.