America — would you buy a modern Škoda?
According to AutoGuide, Škoda submitted four separate trademark applications for “Skoda Superb”, “Superb”, “Octavia”, and “Yeti” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on May 24 and May 25, 2016. USPTO has yet to publish them for opposition.
While this is nothing new for Škoda (the company has continually filed trademarks in America since the 1920s), it’s worth noting what the company applied to trademark compared to what it usually trademarks.
Škoda hasn’t sold a car in the United States since the early 1960s, when the then-government controlled automaker shipped its Felicia across the Atlantic for American consumption. The front-engined Felicia was a sales flop, and Škoda hasn’t been back to the U.S. market since.
From the 1920s to now, Škoda has continually protected at least one piece of intellectual property in the United States by way of trademark. In 1925, it was the Škoda logo. In the ’50s, Škoda filed to protect its name.
Yet, even though Škoda sold the Felicia in the United States, these latest filings mark the first time Škoda has filed to protect model names in America.
Aside from current names, automakers routinely file trademark applications as a way to protect names of historical products. One only needs to Google “Barracuda” to understand an automaker’s trademark love affair does not necessarily foretell an imminent future product.
But sometimes it does.
General Motors, for instance, recently filed a trademark application for the ZR1 moniker, which the automotive press posits will be a future high-po ‘Vette. (Whether or not GM affixes the ZR1 badge to a mid-engined Corvette is another topic entirely.)
Back to Škoda, the request for trademark comes at a very tumultuous time for its parent company Volkswagen.
The Volkswagen passenger car brand has struggled for years in the United States, and that was before its recent diesel emissions scandal.
Could Volkswagen leave the U.S. market and be replaced with Škoda-badged models instead?
Could the Škoda brand be used as a way to bolster offerings from current Volkswagen dealers?
Could Škoda’s filing be a simple protection mechanism for possible future plans?
Nobody knows at this point.
But, I will say this: I’d have a Škoda in a heartbeat. Ever since watching Octavia’s get trounced in WRC year after year, Škoda has always occupied a spot in my heart for Europe’s underdog automaker.
And that’s more than I can say for Volkswagen.
But why?
Markets are flooded here.
To replace Volkswagen? Nothing like a name change to get away from a scandal.
Let me paraphrase MacArthur’s chief of air ops arguing with an obstructionist of equal rank:
*makes bold black dot on sheet of clean white paper*
That dot represents all the cognoscenti for whom VW is now a tarnished brand. The rest of the sheet is the general public fond of or at least well acquainted with the brand for 50 years and knowing less about Dieselgate than they do about plasma physics.
Could a cover name that sounds like a brand of kosher dills really appeal more than VW, even now?
“That dot represents all the cognoscenti for whom VW is now a tarnished brand.”
Those ‘cognoscenti’ are the same people that were still willing to buy their cars after forty years of abysmal quality.
+1 Do they plan combo VW/Skoda dealerships?
BigTrucks,
How can the US market be flooded?? Just have a look globally at other markets and you’ll find the US market is one of the least flooded.
The US sells 270 000 vehicles (2013) per model. Somehow I don’t think Skoda will affect this much. Germany, the UK, have 60k and 40k each.
We in Australia have an average or 12 000 vehicles per model.
If the US doubled the number of models it would still be twice it’s nearest rival in offerings.
Anecdotal information is just that, not accurate normally.
Depends on your definition, but I’d say the US is totally overflowing with cars. Why, we have almost as many cars here as we have guns!
VoGo,
I interpreted BigTrucks comment as their is enough vehicle brand/model offerings in the US.
You can never have enough choice.
Choice is freedom, not V8s and guns.
Big Al’s spell checker;
THERE, not their
There are more interpretations of Big Trucks ramblings than there are of the Bible.
One of the reasons our cars are so attractively priced is the economies of scale achieved by selling hundreds of thousands of everything. You can segment the market as much as you want, but you won’t be able to offer a value proposition compared to a brand that sells 300,000 cars in five colors with four option packages.
BAFO, once again reading is not your strong suit. BTSR didn’t say that Skoda can’t sell their cars here, he’s saying their efforts will be futile. They’re welcome to try, but as much as I like the Skoda brand, they don’t have much chance of success.
And speaking about choice, I choose, as an American citizen to be able to buy a new Focus at a certain sale period for $15k and a Camry for $21k rather than the Australian way of considering $37k for an Accord a smoking good deal and have tons of cheap Chinese pickup trucks available for what it costs to get a Tacoma or Frontier here. Dude, stop being a hypocrite and trade in your Mazda for a Great Wall.
Once again, stick to telling your own country and government what to do. You have no skin in our game, you don’t own any property in America, you don’t care about our country and all you want to do is put down America to futilely convince others that Australia, which has had its automobile industry unceremoniously shut down (and wouldn’t have had one to begin with if American companies didn’t invest there) and that’s kept from going insolvent by Chinese mining concerns is still something special. The only good thing there are loose bogan women and Tim Tams.
If you put your money where your mouth is and become a legal American citizen, then I’ll take your opinions about America seriously.
A downwardly mobile, increasingly despondent American Middle Class will eagerly snatch up Škodas that are priced at a 20% discount to comparably equipped Volkswagens, so I say go for it.
Just make sure to do a Hyundai-style 10 year/100,000 mile warranty (but better in execution), and it will be a winning strategy.
In fact, Škoda positioned this way may be VW Group’s true path to growing mainstream-style market share within the U.S., for once in its history.
I’m an Audi/VW owner who would eagerly move my wife up-market from her Hyundai Elantra Touring to an Octavia or Superb Estate. I’m all for any car-maker obtuse enough to enter our market with a diesel- and wagon-centered line up.
This. Automakers who recognize the downward economic trajectory of the U.S. general population will succeed, especially if they brand up smaller cars and wagons that the current buyers eschew. VW and Hyundai will be laughing all the way to the bank 10 years from now.
I think this is a great move if true, especially in the wake of the diesel gate destruction of the VW brand.
If VW can price the Skodas to go up against Hyundai/Kia/etc. then they could really grab some market share.
I believe that Skoda is the green lit instrument cluster and buttons to VW’s blue/white. Skoda is the wasabi flavor kit-kat made for Japan but not the US. The cars are fundamentally the same thing but with flavors adjusted to market preferences. I have not yet figured out which Kit-Kat flavor corresponds to Seat just yet.
Well, the Skoda flavor is a lot similar to the Americanized VW flavor: Larger, cheaper cars than the VW equivalent.
This is true. Having ridden in a Škoda Octavia taxi a couple of times in Europe it was between a Golf and an Americanized Jetta. A lot of the U.K. reviews say that they’re more softly sprung than VW.
Hmm! I’ve had Tabasco-infused fudge before! Wasabi Kit-Kat has its possibilities!
Škoda doesn’t offer anything in the Canadian market, correct?
derekson,
I don’t think there would be much to worry about if Skoda had a presence in the US market. Skoda will only enhance the US market as there is plenty of room in the US market.
If Skoda can’t cut the mustard in the US market it will fold. This is what freedom is about.
Skoda build a good quality vehicle, they are essentially built on VW platforms.
Like Mark I do have a soft spot for Skoda.
Will Skoda replace VW in North America? No.
Will Skoda brand join VW in North America? No.
Will Skoda models and styling be sold in North America badged as VW’s? Quite likely.
I like Skoda, but their styling isn’t different enough to replace current VW models or be badged alongside them as VW. What would be the purpose, for example, of having a VW Octavia and a VW Golf/Jetta under the same brand? Or replacing the VW Golf/Jetta styling in the US with the very similar Octavia styling?
The VW roots of Skoda’s cars are fairly noticeable. The addition of the Yeti is the only one I could see making sense.
I have no idea how it could play out. But it’s not just the yeti. Fabia as polo equivalent – two door, four, station. Octavia a better Jetta but not quite Passat. In a world of fiat studios, that’s not bad.
Wait, when did they sell cars in the United States? I hadn’t heard that one before.
FYI that Skoda at the top of the article looks like a cross between a SAAB wagon and a Kia Optima. But I like it.
Skoda was available in 1960, along with DAF, Raleigh, Hillman, Borgward, and a host of other imports that went away in the 60’s
I’m a gearhead and I was aware of all you listed with the exception of Raleigh (and obviously) Skoda.
There was also the Wartburg, which was the other East German marque besides Trabant, and was sold in the US around the same time. I found my great grandfather’s old NADA book from 1964. He was a very successful Buick salesman for 40 years.
Yet another brand or supplier of little cars for poor global villagers is about as needed or desired in the US as yet another species of drug-resistant bacteria.
You mean Chevrolet, they sell them in South Korea
Crap, another species of drug-resistant bacteria.
I thought Skoda was a Vodka…LOL
I’m Absolut-ely positive it isn’t, but I’ll double-check with my good friend Tito on that. He might have a Ketel or two!
That is, if he’s not out hunting a Grey Goose!
I’m trying to imagine a bunch of people here proudly stating that they own a “Skoda Yeti” or a “Superb” with a straight face. But I guess if dancing hamsters can sell a vehicle named Soul, anything is possible.
I myself wouldn’t mind the Octavia vRS wagon.
I came here to call out just those names. Calling your car ‘Superb’ is just *asking* for snarky headlines from auto journos. Heck, they’ll probably pan it just to have an excuse to write, “The Superb Isn’t”.
On the other hand, the cars *do* look nice. They might be a few hundred dollars’ worth of leather and OEM sensors and one alphabet-soup naming scheme away from carving a semi-premium niche out among Skoda-unaware Americans…
That’s a handsome wagon, Jackson.
I think people would go for a crazy name like Yeti, really it is exactly the car the USA wants when you think about it. Also it is beloved by the English– who are sticklers for language and yet embrace the ‘Yeti’ badge.
Skoda could do well in the US, I’m all for it.
The Yeti is the only vehicle I’ve wanted to own based solely on the name.
With the Passat built for cheap in Tennessee how would Skodas compare? No Fabia trademark so they’re probably not bringing over anything smaller than the Golf. As much as I’d like to see more reasonably priced station wagons I’m not sure how Skoda doesn’t cannibalize VW, although people in Europe have been saying that about Skoda and SEAT for fifteen years, now.
Skodas are built in the Czech Republic, India, China, Slovakia, and Russia – all low-labor-cost locations.
So, if they could Federalize some models, it might be affordable to bring them to the US.
But then you need a dealer/service network, marketing, etc.
They should ask Sergio how it’s going with Fiat, Alfa, and Maserati before considering a US reentry.
As BTSR says, it’s already a very crowded market.
Skodas were sold in Canada circa ’82 to ’89. Dacias were also sold here but for a shorter period.
I for one would love to see Skodas available, in particular the Yeti.
At a price point competing with Mitsubishi and Kia and some FCA products, it could well be successful.
Completely off topic. Can the B&B post their comments on the pros & cons of purchasing a new 4 cylinder FWD Venza?
I guess they are still on lots, but you realize the Venza is dead, right? Seems to me there are better choices to be had.
It’s heavy and only 4-cyl. Get the V6.
‘John’ & ‘Dan’. Thanks. Still available in Canada and some real deals to be had on the 4 cylinder models. Also it would be predominantly driven by 3 young drivers, so slower might be better. Yes the 6 would be the preferred choice but outside the spending parameter.
Primary concerns are 1) gas consumption which I hear is high, 2) size of the tires which are an almost unique size and may be both expensive and hard to find in winter models, 3) eventual re-sale of a ‘dead’ model although the plan would be to keep it for 7 – 10 years so in Canada and with the estimated mileage it would have trade-in value would probably not be much more than a couple of thousand.
If they really want to move them, demand a normal wheel size swap.
agreed.. go as small as the brakes will allow.
I like it. I hope they do set up shop. Having a sister brand to VW may be a smart move. It works for Hyundai-Kia and Chevy-GMC.
I also think that VW needs to bring its pickup, Transporter, Caddy, Polo and Scirocco here. What do they have to lose? If they really want to compete in North America, why not challenge Ford, Nissan, GM, etc with everything thing they’ve got?
Why not the Crafter? Sure it is basically a Sprinter made by Daimler with VW badges and made in the same factory too.
Yeah, but that might conflict with their arrangement, I don’t know. I realize they are sold together in other markets, but who knows? I can just imagine Diamler throwing a b¡Г©h fit over it.
Why not the Crafter? See below, the commercial van market is already overfilled with players and getting a foothold with a badge engineered version of the van with the worst reputation in the market would be next to impossible. Fact is with its E-Series, Transit and Transit Connect trifecta Ford has more than 50% of the market, GM takes another ~20% leaving FCA, Nissan and Mercedes to scrap over the remaining 30%.
Scoutdude,
I really can’t believe you guys that claim the US market is overflowing.
The US has the most scope to attract new brands and models in the world, especially vans and pickups.
But, as JimZ stated the dreaded UAW inspired Chicken Tax is a killer here.
I suppose if you have never had something, ie, many vehicle options you will never miss it.
The pickup/van markets are huge here, with just a handful of players, yet the Nissan can’t give away Titans and NVs to save their life.
“The US has the most scope to attract new brands and models in the world, especially vans and pickups.”
no it doesn’t. It’s not enough just to have a “new brand,” you have to offer something no one else does. A Sprinter with a different nose and different name does not offer anything new. Why buy a Skoda Crafter over a Ford Transit? Especially when Ford is cultivating an ecosystem of upfitter equipment?
A handful of cars which are lower-rent VWs do not offer anything new. If you want to establish a new brand in a saturated market, you’d better be doing something unique and groundbreaking. Like Tesla.
Chicken tax. they would be too expensive to import, and Daimler already ships the Sprinter here CKD for final assembly. Trying to introduced the Crafter here would be pointless.
What do they have to lose? A lot of money! Those models could never support the volume needed to justify certification and/or setting up a NA assembly plant, even one slapping together CKDs, to avoid the chicken tax.
Some sand boxes are just too small for everyone to play in and if you didn’t get there first or have something that totally leap frogs the competition it is best to go play in the larger sandboxes where even a small percentage is decent volume.
Well, what they’ve been doing in North America recently hasn’t worked out very well. A more complete lineup would give them the opportunity to achieve their sales goals here. I mean, its not hard to see that North America is missing out on a lot of VW’s products, maybe if that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t be struggling so bad here.
They have a large manufacturing presence in Mexico that could build the Caddy for sure, possibly the Transporter and Amock as well. That would negate the chicken tax.
Sure its a risk, but it could really turn things around for them.
Skoda is more popular in India than VW because their cars are nicer, better looking and better equipped. I would buy a Superb in a heartbeat. It’s SO much nicer than a Passat (atleast in India).
prabirmehta,
I do know the Superb Wagon was awarded Pretige Car of the Year back in the mid 2000’ish.
I had a look and drove one and found it to be a exceptionally nice, well put together vehicle.
I’d be curious to know how that Octavia wagon in the pic compares to the Euro versions of the Passat and/or A4 Avant. Some of those used to be on the same platforms if only off by a gen or so.
That is what I want today: a regular station wagon. Off to see the tech specs …
The Octavia wagon is a few inches longer than the Golf wagon. The Octavia is about the same size as the Mk VI (bigger) Jetta.
The Superb wagon is a few inches longer than the Passat wagon. The Superb sedan is about the size of the US Passat.
Thank you for clearing that up. I am all very impressed with the superb wagon. Wow, just wow. I’ll try to test drive one the next time I am in Europe.
The Octavia’s a cute little wagon
that provides modest driving satisfaction.
Will it come here? Not a peep.
It’s simple, shiny and cheap,
Skoda is the new Volkswagen!
I had once had a keen interest in a Skoda Superb wagon with the VW V6. It was nicely put together, powerful enough and very price competitive, even compared to a VW product.
It even had AWD. They are all VW underneath.
We have Skoda in Australia and the people who own them seem generally happy. The ones I have mainly spoken too are the Yeti people at work. The Yeti is more of a trendy niche vehicle here, but they do exist in large enough numbers to keep Skoda alive.
I like Skoda, they need to build a ute.
Yeti or not, here comes Skoda!!
Thank you, I’ll be here all week, tip your servers.
Canada had Skoda until 1989. I don’t think they were quality vehicles back then… but then again neither were Volkswagens.
The Tito hard currency earning, air cooled rear engine Skodas were well below the original beetle’s build quality. Skoda were probably too scared to reattempt reentry in the U.S. post Nadar.
My feeling is Skoda stand about as much chance making it in the U.S. market as Cadillac and Lincoln do in Europe.
VW NA has Audi.
And ya know it’s probably just to keep Sergio begating a Jeep Octavia or Yeti coming back to sting Skoda.
I associate the Yeti name with super-expensive coolers that some of the social-climbing butthead parents bring to the tailgates before high school football games.
I’ve ridden in a couple of Octavia taxi cabs in Europe, and thought they were pretty great cars. The interior parts are not as nice as a Golf, but better than an Americanized Jetta.
What’s the positioning of Skoda vs VW in Europe? Is there a reason it couldn’t work in North America?
If VW was GM in the 1970s, Škoda would be Chevrolet, SEAT (Spanish–check ’em out) would be Pontiac, VW would be Oldsmobile, Audi would be split between Buick and Cadillac.
Nice explanation! Yes, Skoda is the value champ (not “cheap” in any way, just more centimeters per Euro), Seat is the “sporty” but affordable line, VW is the one with sound deadening and upmarket engine options, and Audi goes from entry-luxury to over-the-top. And like GM of old, the cars are actually VERY similar under the skin, and they could probably get by with VW and Audi (Chevy and Caddy) alone, just with more trim levels.
The Internet is an incredibly useful medium for checking your facts and making sure they’re correct and yet Internet journalists seem strangely averse to using it for that purpose.
The 60’s Skoda Felicia (not Felica) was front-engined not rear, as a quick search on Google Images will show. The rear engined models came later during the 70’s and 80’s.
Also, there were relatively few Octavia’s [sic] campaigned in WRC. The smaller and more competitive Fabia was more common and the current model is in use up to this day.
The manufacturer team ran Octavias in the top division of WRC in the 2000s.
They did indeed but as I said, the Fabia is a much more common and successful WRC car. It’s also a bit remiss to comment on Skoda’s rally history without making mention of their class success with the rear engined cars from the mid 70’s to the early 80’s.
From what I gather, Škodas were a good bit better than Ladas, Dacias, and Zasatavs (Yugo anyone?), but still low end. These days Škoda often scores up with Toyota in reliability in the UK and Germany.
The last time i sat in a Skoda was back about 1990-91 in Helsinki, Finland. I was just coming back from my daily early morning run when going thru my hotel lobby they had a Skoda 2 Cycle on display. It was a well built simple car that could hold 4 people and the price was quite low. I know they also sold 4 cycle cars but this model seemed to be a price leader. I know they sell both the VW & Skoda in Germany and the locals do buy the Skoda over the VW because the price is lower.
All of the running gear is VW but the body is built by Skoda. I have seen many of them on the roads in Europe and they are quite nice looking.
If they brought the Skoda Octavia RS wagon (like the one pictured) to the US, I’d have to seriously consider buying one as my next car. No one sells anything quite like it here. I’m not much of a fan of VW-derived products but it drives a hard bargain and it looks great.
If Mazda sold a Mazda 6 wagon I’d buy that too, but they decided that the US wouldn’t get iti
I saw a few Mazda 6 wagons in Germany and France. I’d almost kill to have one. Beautiful.
Japan’s largest car manufacturer will buy them out, and they will name a car after a famous Star Wars character.
The Skoda Yoda, by Toyota.
Given that the Octavia has a similar size and mission to the US/Brazil Jetta, and the Superb has a similar size and mission to the US Passat, it has always puzzled me why VW didn’t just sell us the Octavia and Superb, even if they called them the VW Jetta and Passat. The Skoads seem a little better in materials and construction, so maybe cost is the issue, but Octavia, like the US Jetta, has the sort of cost-cutting that’s supposed to push picky buyers to the Audi dealer, eg hard plastic armrests in an otherwise pleasant cabin.
Skoda would have to be branded and priced a bit above a VW but below a Audi. Essentially what Mercury was to Ford, a premium car just below a Lincoln. We know where they ended up.
Some facts (straight outta Yurop):
Skodas are in fact considered to be frugal VWs. They are usually (not always!) cheaper than the comparable VW models, but tend to have lower quality interior materials. Build quality is very similar though.
Usually they get state-of-the-art gadgets only ~3 years after VW/Audi.
Sound insulation and NVH in general are less refined than in VW/Audi models.
While it’s a general misconcept, Skodas are usually not larger than the comparable VW models – except for trunk size. They do offer different option packages though, again more on the frugal side.
I’ve driven a Mk2 Octavia hatchback for ~100k miles and a Mk6 Golf Wagon (SportWagen) for ~50k miles. They had different powertrains, but were essentially the same experience.
Finally a couple of model comparisons (VW – Skoda pairs):
– Polo – Fabia (almost exactly the same size in 5dr hatchback version; Skoda offers a sedan /called Rapid/ and a wagon too)
– Golf – Octavia (same interior size, although the Octavia is a sedan-looking 5dr hatch, with a large trunk; Wagons are exactly the same size, the Golf wagon has a slightly larger (!) trunk)
– Passat – Superb (Superb has longer wheelbase and therefore larger rear legroom; also, the Superb feels much more “yesteryear” than the Passat)
The Jetta doesn’t have a respective Skoda model – no, it’s NOT the Octavia.
The Yeti doesn’t have a respective VW model (Tiguan is larger).
The new (yet-to-be-shown) Kodiaq SUV will most probably have to do something with the VW CrossBlue SUV – or whatever its name will be.
I sat in the Rapid Space back at the auto show in Zagreb a few weeks ago and really liked it…not that it will ever make it to U.S. shores…