Skoda to Spearhead VAG

[cmdrfire]

"The Škoda brand stands for driving  pleasure, technology, and quality in a first-rate price/performance  ratio. That is the core of “Simply Clever“. And with this positioning,  Škoda is a strategic spearhead for our Group."

Professor Doctor? That's an awesome title, only bettered by Lord Professor.


On a related note, Skoda's got a proud history and is older than VW by some margin; and were known for their luxury vehicles before the War and subsequent subsumation into first the Reich and then the USSR. Kudos to Skoda, always had a little soft spot for the Czech company that could...


...unlike SEAT, which is Spanish and therefore a) impoverished and b) lazy.

[Richn83]

Skoda the word means Pity in Czech and is named after mr Skoda (Pity) I used to date a Czech bird they absolutely love Skodas in the Czech republic.  I would think the Spear head is going to be more of a financial one rather than a technological lead there isnt much profit margin in having 10 billion different models with lots of different spec options and all the latest gadgets with high R&D costs Audi.  but if you can sell lots of similar cars with small option list to lots of people for good money with tech that R&D has already been covered then you can make a very good GM% Seat should be doing the same but people only want the hot versions with lower margins.

[cmdrfire]

VW AG's great strength is they can leverage their wealth of brands such that the staggering costs of R&D (the A5 platform which underpins the Mk5/6 Golf, A3, Leon etc cost 0.5B euro) can be amortized across a whole range of cars, enabling companies like Skoda and Seat to put out highly competitive well-equipped vehicles at a very reasonable cost which they would not be able to do otherwise. Ford is doing the same thing with the new Focus platform, which is not only behind the new "Global Focus", but also in thirteen other vehicles. The problem is of course product differentiation, and this is where GM failed, and which VW is in danger of (because how different is a high spec Golf from an A3 these days?).

[Richn83]

Answer not very!  Only think Audi have is use of haldex on more vehicles and a longer option list!  At least Seat and Skoda have body type limitations.

[h4rdy]

Quote from: Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn
"The Škoda brand stands for driving  pleasure, technology, and quality in a first-rate price/performance  ratio. That is the core of “Simply Clever“. And with this positioning,  Škoda is a strategic spearhead for our Group."

Sounds like someone is decorating their house before they sell it!