ŠkodaIndia, a fully owned subsidiary of ŠkodaAuto a.s. Czech Republic (Volkswagen Group), one of the fastest growing car manufacturers in Europe, today launched the country’s first super hatch - The new Škoda Fabia a day ahead of the Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi. With the launch of this vehicle, the company also showcased the technological might of ŠkodaAuto with a grand display of several vehicles from their worldwide stable.

With India becoming the hub for small and mid-size cars, ŠkodaIndia has launched the new Fabia. Setting a new benchmark the first super hatch of the country, has created a completely new segment. The new Škoda Fabia, a super hatch as big and spacious as other mid-size sedans, has won the Golden Steering Wheel 2007 award from the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, as the best car in its class.

Along with Mr. Thomas Kuehl, Member, Board of Directors (Sales & Marketing), ŠkodaIndia, Mr. Reinhard Jung, Chairman of the Board of Directors, ŠkodaAuto a.s. Mr. Fred Kappler, Member of the Board of Directors (Sales & Marketing) ŠkodaAuto a.s. Mr. Horst Muehl, Member of the Board of Directors (Logistics & Production) ŠkodaAuto a.s. and Mr. Eckhard Scholz, Member of the Board of Directors (Technical Development) ŠkodaAuto a.s. were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the media at the launch, Mr. Kuehl, said “The Fabia you see here is the same new Fabia which was launched in Geneva in March 2007. We have brought this model at the shortest available opportunity in India. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to the new Fabia worldwide continues to reaffirm the iconic place our products have in our customers’ hearts. New Fabia is much more than a car; it symbolizes people spirit and their over 110 year old obsession with the automobile.”

The new Fabia’s range is attractively priced from Rs 4.99 lakhs (Ex-showroom Maharashtra) to Rs 7.68 Lakhs (Ex-showroom Maharashtra).

India’s first super hatch offers outstanding build quality, safety, space and technology. The value of the car is enhanced by features like dual front air bags, alloy wheels, parking sensors, 300 litres of boot space, intelligent storage spaces, ABS, MSR and Dual Rate Brake Assist, auxiliary audio input, electric sunroof, dual tone interiors, completely adjustable driving position, projector headlamps, power windows and mirrors and 185/60 R 14 tubeless tyres among others.

The new Fabia will be available in 8 variants with petrol and diesel engines. The car will be introduced with 1.4 litre TDI PD diesel engine (69bhp, 155Nm) and 1.4 litre MPI petrol engine (85bhp, 132Nm).  Later in 2008, a 1.2 litre MPI petrol engine (69 bhp, 108 Nm) will also be introduced.

The new Fabia will be available in 6 colours like Corrida Red, Satin Grey, Brilliant Silver, Magic Black, Candy White and Cappuccino Beige.

The company is also in the process of increasing the dealer and service network in the country to 65 in 2008 to reach out to potential customers in more cities.

With a share of over 23 per cent in its segment where it has operated since the last 6 years, ŠkodaIndia has chalked out aggressive plans for the future and set to double the sales in 2008.

Even before the beginning of the discussions about climate, Škoda Auto had committed itself to environmental compatibility. Economically operating engines with low emission figures, material usage, which makes best use of resources and manufacturing processes with the optimised use of energy, are the cornerstones for a harmonious relationship between automobile and nature, something which the company is attempting to achieve.

Among environmentally friendly cars are those run on FlexFuel in which a mix of petrol and ethanol is used as the fuel. The Laura Combi FlexFuel is powered by a 1.6 MPI engine, which produces 75 kW (102 HP).

This concept is the second arrow in the quiver aimed at environmental pollution, whereby the fuel produced from wood residue or other plant substances can count for up to 85% of the ratio mixture. A car driven with this mixture has an almost balanced CO2 value, what means that the CO2 exhaust gases created by the combustion of ethanol are cancelled out by photosynthesis during the plant growth.

Doomster Style and Fabia Sport some of ŠkodaAuto top creations were also displayed at Auto Expo. Many of these cars were showcased for the first time in India. 

Sourced From :Image Inc