Where are the SKODAS?

[XXX-1.8T]

I wonder how many VWs there were on the road in Australia 6 months after the beetle was first released ? Some people wouldn't buy anything made by the germans back then, as it wasn't so long since WW2.

Just FYI here are some import & production numbers:

Regent Motors Melbourne imported their first Beetle 11/10/1953, by years end they had imported 31 vehicles.

In June 1954 CKD packs arrived & were assembled at Martin & King under contract to Regent Motors. In the first year 1385 vehicles were produced with a further 360 sedans & 300 type 2's were imported giving VW 1.2% of the sedan market & 0.5% of the commercial market in Australia.

Even back when a family having a car was a luxury vs today of families owning 2 cars VW sales figures are kicking Skoda's.

The point is the Skoda's are over priced for a new brand in a very competitive auto industry.

Im glad i bought my Jetta 2.0T over a Skoda RS. If i have some more kids and need more room ill buy a RS Wagon as i dont think resale will be any good. I reckon in 2 years you'd be able to buy a RS for $25K to $28K which will be a bargain.

Lets hope Skoda dealers sharpen their pencils as its better to see Skoda's on the road than on a yard.

[gregozedobe]

Lets hope Skoda dealers sharpen their pencils as its better to see Skoda's on the road than on a yard.

I agree with much of what you say. I think the decision needs to be made at the importer (Skoda Australia), the dealers won't have that much room to move on price. I think the idea was to sell them as (yet another) premium priced euro brand, but there simply isn't enough awareness in the mind of joe public. In europe they are well known AND positioned significantly below VW price-wise, but here in Oz they are much closer to VW's prices, despite being hardly known at all.

If resale value was important to me I don't think I would buy a new Skoda at the moment. Happily I keep my vehicles for a long time, so resale values don't matter. If you are like me and looking for a roomy wagon with a bit of get up and go, reasonable fuel economy at a reasonable price point and fun to drive, then there isn't much around to compete with an Octy RS wagon. That's why I've got one on order (it has just left South Africa according to the ship tracking site).

Being realistic, if Skoda sales continue at the current levels the brand simply won't succeed - look at SEAT for a recent example of what could happen.

[Guy_H]

Our new one just arrived, and I think the pricing is spot on, and the product is excellent value for the price.

VRS Vs Jetta is a bit of a tough comparison, the VRS is more the GTI with more space, the Jetta is very non sporting compared to these two.

Time will tell, we see a new one or two at our place every week, so as far as we are concerned - they are selling well!

[zz2]

Our new one just arrived, and I think the pricing is spot on, and the product is excellent value for the price.

VRS Vs Jetta is a bit of a tough comparison, the VRS is more the GTI with more space, the Jetta is very non sporting compared to these two.

Time will tell, we see a new one or two at our place every week, so as far as we are concerned - they are selling well!

so is that yours Guy? looks great in white!
if it is yours i think you should make those massive OCTAVIA letters 'fall off' from the boot.... MrX's ones also mysteriously fell off too

[Guy_H]

so is that yours Guy? looks great in white!
if it is yours i think you should make those massive OCTAVIA letters 'fall off' from the boot.... MrX's ones also mysteriously fell off too

lol, hey Mark, then I might get mistaken for an AU falcon????

There will be an APR tuned one on shortly.

White is the new black they tell me (wife chose white this time, it will sign write up well though!)

[zz2]

its too fast and goes around corners too well to be a falcon

[mrx]

Im glad i bought my Jetta 2.0T over a Skoda RS. If i have some more kids and need more room ill buy a RS Wagon as i dont think resale will be any good. I reckon in 2 years you'd be able to buy a RS for $25K to $28K which will be a bargain.

Purchasing any car from brand new is an exercise in throwing money down the toilet. I had reservations about the potential resale value, but the car met my needs in every other respect, and I intend to keep it for several years, so if it's not worth much at the end of the day it's just too bad.

If I was in the market for a sedan I probably would have picked the Jetta too (despite my preference for a manual - especially when there are no steering wheel paddles). The RS wagon fills a gap in the VW lineup. Manual transmission, performance and space. A Passat would have been my first choice, but it just doesn't have the same boot space (headroom for my dogs was the major concern) and once again only comes in auto or DSG.

With regard to pricing I found that the dealers in Perth were not willing to budge at all on price when I bought the Golf GTI about a year ago (like only $700 off RRP). They had a real we don't even have to try with these cars, take it or leave it attitude - and there are only 2 dealers to choose from. By contrast the Skoda was offered at a $3500 discount without having to go through too much BS, so effectively the price IS a bit lower to begin with.

[mrx]

MrX's ones also mysteriously fell off too

Dodgy Czech build quality!

[MJKooLio]

Dodgy Czech build quality!

hahahaha

[Plicata]

I've finally seen my first Skoda on the road. Of all places, it was at Lake Dove car park at Cradle Mountain in Tas. A silver Octavia with what looked like a huge antenna stuck on the rear bumper. Haven't seen any around Wollongong but now we have a dealer locally, they should start appearing.

[gregozedobe]

At last I've seen my first Skoda "in the wild". Funnily enough it was an RS wagon and I was only minutes away from my dealer to pick up my own brand spanking new RS wagon

I'll be putting mine on the mandatory minor weight loss program shortly (removing the "Octavia" and "vRS" badges from the rear).

[rym]

gregozedobe,
Congrats, it was a long wait, should be worth it. Enjoy!

[mrx]

I'll be putting mine on the mandatory minor weight loss program shortly (removing the "Octavia" and "vRS" badges from the rear).

Wow, an extreme makeover! I've never seen one without both badges before. Enjoy your weekend with the new toy, and be sure to show us what it looks like!

[Alfy]

I've seen a red Octavia RS in Penrith being driven around

[NicZA]

Saw a blue roomster heading out of Bakershill towards Perth. Skoda wave