Slow sellers pick up pace
Some of Skoda’s slowest selling models have started to gain traction in Australia, with the Czech car-maker benefiting from better supply from the factory and shifting market conditions Down Under.
Its Fabia light hatch and wagon range, the Superb large liftback and wagon and even the virtually invisible Rapid have all reversed their fortunes in recent months, with the Fabia getting a boost from improved supply from its Czech factory following stock shortages that hampered its growth when it was launched in mid-2015.
In the first five months of this year, Skoda has sold 502 Fabias, representing a 28.1 percent increase over the same period last year.
In May, its 126-unit haul was 50 percent ahead of the same month in 2016.
Year to date, the Fabia is the only light car in Australia in positive territory, up 28 percent to the end of May, with all other offerings, including the top-selling Hyundai Accent and Mazda2, are going backwards.
Last year’s haul of 857 units was the best result for Fabia since it launched in Australia in second-generation guise in September 2011, but the little city car is on track to beat that convincingly this year.
Skoda Australia director Michael Irmer said the recent sales boost for the Fabia was largely down to supply.
“We have better supply now and could emphasise it a bit more,” he said.
“Don’t forget we haven’t been advertising in the past two years, mainly because we just haven’t had enough supply. Now we have, and it is good. It is enjoying a healthy level of sales.”
Despite the lift, the Fabia is still at the back of the light-car pack, only edging out the likes of the Honda City sedan with 380 sales, the Toyota Prius C, 318, and the slow-selling MG3 hatch, 26, so far this year.
Mr Irmer said the real surprise with the Fabia was the popularity of the wagon.
“In the previous generation it was 10 percent. We planned for 20 percent with the current generation. We are selling between 40 and 50 percent wagons,” he said.
“We have had times when less than half the dealers had the vehicle on showroom floors. They were all sold before landing.”
While sales of the Rapid hatchback are still low compared with its rivals in the massive small-car segment, it has lifted by 4.5 percent to 140 units so far this year.
Mr Irmer said poor supply in the first quarter has now freed up and the incoming facelift should give it a boost.
Despite low sales numbers for Rapid, Mr Irmer said it was important to have an offering in Australia’s smallcar segment.
The updated version is likely to be offered in Australia with the company’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine when it arrives in the third quarter of the year.
Mr Irmer said the mid-size Octavia had a successful run out campaign ahead of the launch of the facelifted version, with the company running out of stock.
“Octavia was very strong in run out. We ran dry on Octavia stock,” he said.
“We have emotional discussions about can we have more, but if you realise now that you need more cars, it will take about four or five months until we have them in the country.
“So obviously not all customers are willing to wait so you lose a bit of business.”
The Superb appears to be picking up at least some business in the large segment on the back of the demise of the locally built Ford Falcon and the imminent loss of the Aussie Holden Commodore.
In a segment that is down by 21.8 percent in the first five months of this year, Superb sales have increased by 78 percent to 386 units, outpacing other lower volume offerings including the Hyundai Genesis, 64, and Peugeot 508, 53.
The all-new Superb arrived in March last year and was given a further boost this year with the arrival of the sporty Sportline.