Koda in the U.S. Would Be 'Pure Suicide,' Says Volkswagen Brass

by Steph Willems

Published: December 9th, 2016

koda in the u s would be pure suicide says volkswagen brass

Volkswagen AG’s Škoda subsidiary claims it’s interested in bringing the value-packed Czech brand to the U.S., even going as far as copyrighting model names, but the powers that be in Wolfsburg couldn’t hate the idea more.

According to comments published by Automobile Magazine, Volkswagen execs want nothing to do with the idea of a stateside Škoda. It looks like the surging brand’s parent company is prepared to kill the dream for good.

Earlier this year, amid rampant speculation on the brand’s U.S. return, CEO Bernhard Maier claimed the automaker would make a decision sometime in 2017. The recently introduced Kodiaq SUV, which takes its name from an Alaskan island, was a sure-fire “home run” for the American market, he claimed.

After posting record sales in 2015, the brand’s low-priced cars were even seen as a possible replacement for certain Volkswagen models. Others claimed the two companies could never exist alongside each other. Those “others” now include top VW brass.

Speaking to Automobile, one senior VW board member stated, “We may be crazy, but we’re not mad.”

“Entering this huge market with an unknown brand, a model range focused on Europe, and a non-existent dealer network is pure suicide,” the board member said. “Furthermore, the last thing Volkswagen of America needs now is in-house cannibalization.”

In the U.S., the three-row Kodiaq SUV would compete directly with VW’s 2017 Atlas. After weathering a perfect financial storm with its diesel emissions scandal, VW’s U.S. turnaround hinges on the success of that model, as well as other crossover and SUV models targeted at American buyers. The frustration of Škoda’s parent isn’t hard to understand.

While the deliberation continues in the Czech Republic, it seems the verdict is already in.

#ProductPlanning #Skoda #SkodaKodiaq #Volkswagen #VW

Steph Willems

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Truckducken on Dec 09, 2016

Cannibalize? Cannibalize what? A name change would be the smartest thing VW could do in this market.

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- 993cc on Dec 09, 2016
  
  I was thinking VW could sell rebadged Skodas in the U.S. Say, replace the Passat with a Superbe with the VW corporate grille. But that would risk ruining Skoda's reputation.
  
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Kmoney on Dec 10, 2016

Bring it to Canada. We had Lada here and they managed to sell some units...

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- 993cc on Dec 10, 2016
  
  Of course Skoda WAS in Canada, briefly, in the eighties, so it wouldn't be the first time the company used us as a test market. Hopefully no one will remember because it was a bit of a fiasco. I think Skoda could make a go of it here with an abbreviated line up. Say, Fabia hatch (plus hot version), Rapid sedan, Octavia sedan and wagon, Yeti. All with the 1.4 litre Tsi in various tunes, but mostly tuned for efficiency. Maybe sneak in a few non-cheating 1.4 litre Tdi's. Just don't call them Tdi, or "clean diesel". True diesel fans won't care. It would be a good fit here. Canadians like cheap cars, like sedans and wagons more than the U.S. does, and buy proportionally more diesels and manual shifts.
  
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- JimZ on Dec 11, 2016
  
  so did Yugo. that doesn't mean they were worth buying.
  
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