Some 3500 dealers around the world will be completely redesigned, including 34 full dealerships in Australia. Almost 2500 have already been completed, while the local do-over is slightly behind schedule, according to Skoda Australia director Michael Irmer.
“We are in the midst of a worldwide revamp,” he told journalists at the launch of the Fabia Monte Carlo in Sydney. “Out of 3500 dealers we have already done 2500 in two years. Here, we have 17 or 18 done out of 34.
“We need to go with the times. The ID we had was developed 15 years ago when the brand was in a very different stage. With the new design language of the Superb and the Kodiaq, it was important to make sure we deliver the customer an experience in the dealership that matches the quality of the vehicles. It’s not appropriate to sell our cars through 15-year-old dealerships.”
Brand wagon: Skoda’s 15-year-old brand ID is being refreshed in the lead up to the launch of the Kodiaq SUV next year.
Mr Irmer said that half of the rebuilds will be finished by the end of this year, and the rest of the end of 2017.
Two thirds of the car-maker’s volume comes from one half of its Australian dealer base, according to Mr Irmer, who also confirmed a new dealership for Mt Gravatt, in Brisbane.
“The dealerships are based on a worldwide standard,” he said. “All of our Australian dealerships will have new premises by the end of 2017.”
The brand also operates 17 service points through Volkswagen dealerships.
The revision of the car-maker’s identity comes as it transitions from being a passenger car specialist to a more full-range player.
“At the moment you know our sales are largely dominated by the passenger segment, and that segment is going backwards in Australia,” said Mr Irmer.
“Ten per cent year on year is quite a heavy decline, but we have still been able to punch against this and increase our share in the segment. We have quite a decent penetration in that passenger segment and we have quite a lot of room to catch up on the SUVs.”
Skoda has revealed details of its large SUV contender, the MQB platform-based Kodiaq, which will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show, before touching down locally next year. Mr Irmer, meanwhile, all but confirmed that the replacement for the Yeti would be heavily based on the forthcoming VW Tiguan.
“It’s hard to tell which will be the sales leader, but looking at the new Yeti, which is similar in size to the new (VW) Tiguan that is probably what you can imagine as a size perspective for the Yeti,” he said. “When you go by the other manufacturers, we think that Kodiaq can do a decent job for us and drive growth next year.”
Mr Irmer was bullish about the prospects for the brand, which he believes has performed well despite some obvious handicaps.
“We have been relatively successful in the passenger space, even though we’re a unique brand, and it’s such a competitive space,” he said. “We also have to draw customers month in and month out from other brands. Two thirds of our customers have to come from other brands because we have such a small carpark.
“I’m happy with how our sales have gone, given those tough conditions, and the SUVs will ultimately give us the catalyst to grow to the next level.”
By Tim Robson
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