Skoda Showroom Opens in Bangsar, KL
Auto Praha, the importer/distributor for Skoda cars, yesterday opened a new showroom along Jalan Ma’arof in the Bangsar district of Kuala Lumpur. The showroom was opened by a minister of the cabinet of the Czech republic and was attended by representatives from the country’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur as well as from Skoda.
The opening of the showroom represents a new phase in the development of Auto Praha’s network which includes a service centre in Shah Alam, Selangor. According to the company’s Executive Director, Dato’ Mohammadiah Moner Ahmad Zazuli, Auto Praha has appointed a number of service dealers around the country to provide after-sales support to Skoda owners.
Since the launch of the marque last year, some 100 units have already been sold and Auto Praha expects to sell between 450 and 500 units this year. These will comprise the Fabia 1.4 hatchback and Octavia and Superb sedans, the latter also having made its debut yesterday in conjunction with the showroom opening. The Superb has a 2.8-litre V6 30-valve engine and retails for RM238,066 (excluding insurance premium).
Dato’ Mohammadiah Moner also said that Auto Praha has established Auto Praha Marketing And Bhd, a joint-venture with another party said to be an experienced player in the local market. While declining to reveal the identity of the party, the presence of a number of staff from Quasar Carriage, the Renault distributor, would suggest that this is the party involved.
“Our business partner will be assisting us in marketing programs as well as provide us access to the widespread retail and after-sales network which they have nationwide,” he said.
Although it is known that Skoda’s unit in India will be assembling some models there, Auto Praha said it has no plans for a local assembly operation in Malaysia. He did not rule out the possibility of Skoda assembling cars in the region to take advantage of AFTA but this was dependent on the factory and might not necessarily be in Malaysia (Skoda cars are also sold in Thailand and Singapore).
Skoda is part of the VW Group and its models share platforms with some VW and Audi models. The Superb, for example, uses a Passat platform with an extended wheelbase. The company’s business is very significant to the economy of the Czech Republic, accounting for as much as 10% of the country’s GDP.
