Škoda Auto launches new Octavia MingRui at Beijing Motor Show
(News - Detail)
Date : 28.07.2010The official launch of the redesigned Octavia MingRui took place April 23 at the Beijing Auto Show. The Octavia MingRui was the first product of carmaker Škoda Auto manufactured in the Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Company plant. The Octavia is Škoda`s best-selling model, accounting for about 70 percent of Škoda sales in China.
The car’s market share of the small family car class is currently over 2 percent. The Octavia MingRui has been available in China since June 2007. More than 85,000 units were sold last year. The Shanghai Volkswagen plant has been manufacturing the Fabia JingRui since 2008 and the Superb HaoRui since 2009, according to Škoda.
“The introduction of the facelifted Octavia MingRui is another important step in our expansion in the prospective Chinese market and is also in line with our growth strategy of launching one key model every year,” Škoda Auto board chairman Reinhard Jung said, adding that last year was record breaking. “Using a network of 245 dealers and authorized garages, we delivered altogether 122,556 vehicles to our customers in the Chinese market; it represents an increase of 106.6 percent. Moreover, we sold over 42,700 cars over the first three months. China is therefore becoming an increasingly important market for Škoda Auto because it is one of the countries offering the biggest potential for growth in these difficult times,” said Jung.
The outside design of the Octavia MingRui has been enhanced with chrome-plated elements. The basic package includes air-conditioning and lightweight alloy wheels in all models. A range of gasoline engines are available.
Škoda Auto is also going to present other redesigned derivatives of the Octavia—the Octavia RS with a two-liter turbo engine with an automatic Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission system and the economical Octavia MingRui GreenLine with a 1.4 TSI fuel injection unit, also in combination with DSG.
China is currently estimated to become the world’s largest automotive market in 2010, with over 10 million cars sold in the country, and Škoda also sees it as an essential market.
This article was originally published by Czech Business Weekly journal, author: Raymond Johnston.
Contacts :
Aleš Červinka
Consulate General of the Czech Republic
CzechTrade Office
Room 405
Dynasty Business Center
Wu Lu Mu Qi (N) Road 457
200040 Shanghai
China
WWW: http://www.czechtrade-china.cn
Phone: +862162490917
Fax: +862162490912
