Skoda's Big Announcement at the Sydney Motor Show

[BlackOctaviaRS]

Has anybody had a look at the Skoda website recently? It's finally starting to look a site for a company actually making an effort to promote their brand and sell cars.

Any idea what their "big announcement" will be at the Sydney Motor Show? I'd guess it's the Yeti, but could the Fabia RS be the biggest suprise of all...?

[dArK5HaD0w]

i've also noticed a graphic on the main page stating sat nav is now standard on a number of models!
we knew this way back in july - tis only now they're mentioning it.
they still haven't updated the octavia rs brochures to my11.

[K1W1]

Skoda NZ have the Fabia range (three models) on their web site and I've been told that they will be released here as well so the big announcement may be an extended range including Yeti and Fabia rather than just a single model.

BTW. Skoda NZ also have a Superb Wagon with the 103hp TDI engine and 4WD. That's a car I'd love to see here to take on the Subaru set.

[CanberravRS]

Most of the Media reports getting around are saying the Fabia and Yeti are comming to Aus, and the new RS Fabia is likely to be the big announcement as it will be placed well in the market to take on the hot hatch brigade which VW have out priced them selves from.
Being that your Clio/Mini/GTI Golf and such are over 40k now and the runners in the 30k range are SP25/Swift Sport/Fiesta/Polo GTI/Ralliart Colt the RS Fabia can out do most of them on performance and delivery of it through great looks and dynamics like that in the Octavia.
The Fabia RS has rave reviews overseas and its very popular as its hard to get a quicker car that handles as well and has as much room and has that Solid Skoda build feel. Ive been in a ralliart colt, fiesta zetec, and a swift.. they are all very average. I look forward to seeing the Skoda range grow and allow differing sectors of the market to get into the Brand.

[bobski]

Fabia RS in the low 30s would be a smash hit for Skoda and I think a better showcase than the Octavia RS.

[Antiplastix]

Fabia RS in the low 30s would be a smash hit for Skoda and I think a better showcase than the Octavia RS.

You can buy a new polo GTI for way under $30 drive away, so the Fabia RS is going to have to be cheaper than that.

[midlifecrisis]

Has anybody had a look at the Skoda website recently? It's finally starting to look a site for a company actually making an effort to promote their brand and sell cars.

Any idea what their "big announcement" will be at the Sydney Motor Show? I'd guess it's the Yeti, but could the Fabia RS be the biggest suprise of all...?

Yeti - SUV market is booming and this is their real entry (not Scout) into it.

Yeti is doing really well overseas, and at the moment the small SUV market is eroding (a bit) the Golf car market, so its the logical choice.

[Frufru]

Got another possibility anouncement-wise...Skoda has just released new version of low-cost Octavia version. It is based on pre-FL Octavia with choice of engines being very restrictive (you can get up to 2.0 TDi with 81 kw but no more than that). I still think it is a good value for money considering that they can start pricing at $20,000 for sedan. I still prefer pre-FL lights.

The new

[team_v]

Got another possibility anouncement-wise...Skoda has just released new version of low-cost Octavia version. It is based on pre-FL Octavia with choice of engines being very restrictive (you can get up to 2.0 TDi with 81 kw but no more than that). I still think it is a good value for money considering that they can start pricing at $20,000 for sedan. I still prefer pre-FL lights.

The new

Not bad.
You could chip it to around 103kw which would be very decent.

[brad]

Got another possibility anouncement-wise...Skoda has just released new version of low-cost Octavia version. It is based on pre-FL Octavia with choice of engines being very restrictive (you can get up to 2.0 TDi with 81 kw but no more than that). I still think it is a good value for money considering that they can start pricing at $20,000 for sedan. I still prefer pre-FL lights.

The new

I can't see that being the announcement when they have only just released the 90kw entry level Octy. The pre-FL didn't seem to capture too many hearts & minds in Australia (10 years behind was how one mate described it) & the FL is doing nicely despite stock shortages.

[K1W1]

I think that would be a big backward step to start with it would effectively devalue all FL Octavias because it would cause confusion in the market.
The Fabia the Yeti and maybe the electric car are my picks.

[CanberravRS]

I don't think an electrical car with a 140k range will ever sell in Aus in any great numbers..

450-600k range and your going to have something special on your hands.

I think K1W1 is on the money.. Fabia RS and Yeti

[K1W1]

I don't think an electrical car with a 140k range will ever sell in Aus in any great numbers..

If it was on display at the show it would be there as a demonstration of Skodas technical ability and forward thinking and green credentials rather that as a car to purchase. It would be just like the show special prototypes that many manufacturers trot out to create interest in their brand.
If you were a bored motoring journalist would you rather write a piece about yet another variant on the Tiquan/Q5 or a brand new, practical, amost production ready fully electric car with a solar panel on the roof for recharging and a boot bigger than any electric car currently in production?

BTW: Just to put the 140km in perspective. The average mileage per vehicle in Australia is 15,000km per year and that translates to 40km per day. One hundred and forty km is 3 days running for the average car and if it charges while it's sitting in the sun in the car park outside school or at the supermarket or the coffee shop then for a lot of people they may not actually have to charge it on mains power all that often so it may well be a very practical second vehicle for many families. Obviously it won't be suited for the Christmas trip from Melbourne to Byron Bay but that's what the main car is for anyway. All of a sudden people might want to start parking on the roof top level of car parks.