Slavia, Virtus demand push Skoda, Volkswagen to production overdrive in India
- Skoda had launched the Slavia sedan with two powertrains earlier this year. Volkswagen will drive in Slavia's technical cousin Virtus in June.
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India is kept busy with rising demand for the latest premium mid-size sedans in the market - the Slavia and the upcoming Virtus. The carmaker said that high demands for both models have forced it to start a third shift at its Chakan facility in Pune, Maharashtra to keep up. Skoda Slavia, which was launched in March, has garnered impressive responsive with more than 10,000 bookings within the first month and sold more than 2,500 units in March alone.
Volkswagen Virtus, which is going to be launched in India on June 9, was unveiled last month. Together with Slavia, Virtus aims to rejuvenate the premium mid-size sedan segment which is currently dominated by established rivals like Honda City, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Hyundai Verna.
Piyush Arora, Managing Director at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, "The commencement of the third shift at our Pune facility is a testimony to the overwhelming response received by the cars launched under the VW Group’s INDIA 2.0 project. The Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun have been well received by our customers." The company is also gearing up to accelerate the deliveries of the Skoda Slavia. During its launch, Skoda had said it is aiming to sell around 3,000 units of Slavia every month.
"With the third shift, we have taken on additional manpower to help us cater to the increase in demand, that we foresee both on the domestic and export front. We are confident that we will continue on the growth path set in motion by the Volkswagen Group in the year 2021," Arora added.
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The Chakan facility in Pune is home to the Volkswagen Group's brands which include Skoda, Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini besides VW. The facility, spread across 540 acres, is where Skoda and Volkswagen manufactures its cars for India and exports. These include the Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun SUVs besides the Slavia and upcoming Virtus. The Group also has a manufacturing facility in Shendra in Aurangabad. The facility has seen 76 percent growth in volumes with 21 new launches and six luxury EVs introduced in the market.