In July 2012, information appeared in the media about Skoda's plans to expand its model range with a new SUV designed specifically for the Russian Federation. Apparently, the management of the Czech auto concern to make this decision was inspired by the constantly growing demand for the Skoda Yeti crossover among Russian motorists.
Skoda in Russia - a little history
Skoda dealers appeared in Moscow in 1996-1997. The Skoda Felicia model offered by them became the first foreign car officially sold in the Russian Federation. Simple design and affordable price made Felicia very popular. In the future, the lineup was repeatedly updated and replenished, and the number of Russian motorists wishing to purchase a solid foreign car at an affordable price only increased.
In November 2007, a Skoda assembly plant in Russia was inaugurated in the Kaluga Region. And already the next year became a record for Czech cars in terms of the number of sales in the Russian Federation. The situation at the end of 2008 was somewhat spoiled by the financial crisis, but the disaster did not happen, and its consequences have already been forgotten.
2012 - Skoda in the top ten most popular
As the head of Skoda in Russia, Petr Yaneb, noted, the presence of its own plant on the territory of the Russian Federation allows the Czech manufacturer to fully participate in the current Russian state programs for scrapping and concessional lending of cars. In matters of ordinary lending, the company actively cooperates with the largest Russian banks. And it is not surprising that more and more Russians prefer to buy a suitable car of this brand.
According to the results of the first half of 2012, the Skoda concern rounded out the top ten most demanded automotive brands in Russia, according to the Association of European Businesses. The table published by the RBC Rating agency shows how significantly the sales of Czech cars in Russia are growing.
"Bigfoot" on Russian roads
The lineup of Skoda cars on the market is diverse. The time-tested Skoda Octavia remains the bestseller of sales, but the company's management could not fail to note the constantly growing demand for the Skoda Yeti crossover.
This compact SUV fell in love with Russian motorists not only for its original appearance, but also for its excellent technical characteristics, which (not only according to the estimates of ordinary consumers, but also according to experts) many sedans and hatchbacks can envy. The owners of the crossover note that it “feels” confidently off-road - and this is an eternal and ubiquitous Russian problem. But the most important thing is that the Yeti has proven itself well in the harsh winter conditions.
The number of Skoda Yeti owners is steadily increasing every month. For example, in February 2012, according to data published on the KP. RU website, 1,048 brand new crossovers were sold in the Russian Federation, which is 148% of sales in January. At the end of May 2012, the press service of the auto concern announced that sales of Yeti in Russia, compared to the same period in 2011, doubled, and since January 2012, a total of 5,642 Russians have become owners of an SUV. In June, almost 2,000 more people joined them and the total was 7,571.
Some people like it better
The dimensions of the Skoda Yeti allow you to maneuver and park comfortably in a metropolis. However, it is no secret that some Russians, when choosing a car, continue to be guided by the "coolness" of its appearance and prefer "iron horses" of more impressive dimensions. Apparently, Skoda decided to take this into account and attract the attention of such potential buyers.
The head of the Czech carmaker Lubomir Naiman announced that his engineers have already begun developing a large SUV especially for the Russians. The working name of the model is Grand Yeti or Snowman. The specifications of the Big Sasquatch have not yet been disclosed. However, it is already known that it will be much larger than the Yeti, and the concern plans to establish its serial production as early as 2014.
