Zac Hollis on reopening bookings of the Kodiaq and future plans | Interview | Autocar India

In conversation with Sergius Barretto, Zac Hollis - Director Sales and Marketing Skoda India, talks of the Skoda Kodiaq comeback, upcoming products and future plans.
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[@The_PGK]

A European guy saying 10 *lack* instead of 1 Million is satisfying

[@Bravinbhaskar]

Oh, him and VW are very much Indian now. 2.0 project cars are the living proofs of this statement. 😅

[@yaswanthravuri8450]

Yes He would say that.. since he is Sales and marketing Director and he is giving interview to an indian. So, there is a high chance that most people who watch this will be an indian.

[@bhuwanchandra2066]

zac is one of the best CEO of car manufacturers in india. his views are straight forward with right understanding of market. he is right saying people in india are buying ev as thier 2nd or 3rd car. so their no point of bring cars like enyaq to india, unlike kia bringing ev6 and failing miserably. skoda really need a sub 4m suv with 1.0tsi and next gen fabia. and need to bulk up and elongate kushaq for their next gen update.

[@PRODEMON371]

skoda should enter into the premium hatch segment.

[@ritamyadav8428]

The Fabia is coming

[@kaustavmandal24]

Fabia is 4.2m and will cost more than Kushaq to manufacture as it isnt an india based car. also profits on smaller cars are less so it makes sense for VW group to focus on bigger cars

[@rajpawar9343]

Škoda Fabia and Scala.

[@soumenb22]

Good thing learnt this 2 litre TSI has low end torque supplementing diesel engine. Zac please add a sunroof and 360° camera in Octavia I will book tomorrow 🙂

[@PRODEMON371]

@@kaustavmandal24 True that but,to enter deep like maruti they need to be within reach of customers by pricing someting under 10-12.

[@mitradaniel2656]

Indeed it is excellent … Since I’m a Sedan lover had to go with Superb L&K with Massage seat variant. Loved it

[@SkiNett]

Agree with him completely on TSI engine refinement, fuel efficiency and low end torque, own one of those and can say the TSI is much better than the loud Diesel engines.

[@kr63]

I own a 2011 Passat tdi and a 2019 Octavia 1.8 tsi and yes, the tsi’s engine refinement is on another level. The quietness at the lights and the ultra smooth shifts from the dsg make it feel like a more expensive car than it is. The tdi is irritatingly noisy at times and vibrations alone take away from the fact that it’s a luxury car and wear down the interior with rattles in the long term. That being said, the 1.8tsi is no match for the blue motion 2.0tdi of the Passat in terms of efficiency. The kmpl returned with a light foot is just unbelievable for a car of this size and with a heavy foot is more than agreeable. The tsi on the other hand is agreeable with a light foot and a bit pinching with a heavy foot. A full tank almost lasts 1000kms on the tdi. It’s a fill it once a month and forget about it type of deal but with the Octavia, the frequency of gas station visits does bother me. Also, yeah the tsi does have ample torque (250nm) and most of it being accessible low down makes it more handy in the city but the tdi’s 350nm makes you feel much more of a surge in contrast and is arguably more exciting and definitely alarms the passengers more. Also, the weight of the number of passengers in the car doesn’t affect the tdi as much as it does to the tsi. It does get a bit loud with 4 or more passengers in the car. A lot of people ask / assume why I picked two cars that are almost similar (which they are in some ways) but the reality is these engines make them feel like two completely different cars.

[@ADITYAKUMAR-yr1po]

Mr Zac Hollis has turned the tide fr skoda in India. Starting frm Kushaq, slavia and kodiaq evry product is selling like hot cake. I myself bought the slavia. Loving it.

[@anucray]

Any update on Octavia VRS?

[@throttlestravelthrust4896]

This SUV is just on point. I feel it's the best car to have till the 65L mark if you don't bother about badges much!

[@aas1801]

Any updates on price hike?

[@shaileshsharma1]

Please ask if new Fabia will come to India?

[@uwaissyed2170]

Is there a possibility of the karoq coming back?

[@gopalpadhi4922]

Great to see Zac …

[@dheerajdadlani6713]

Top class build and sophistication. I wish to buy one soon. Zac is so passionate. No wonder the company is turning around in India.

[@soumenb22]

Great answers 2 litre TSI having good low end torque to supplement diesel engine. Zac please bring sunroof and 360° camera in Octavia, I will book tomorrow 🙂

[@dbw8076]

Wow 🤩

[@jamshedbhumgara8931]

I booked the L&K trim Kodiaq on August 10 itself. However I have been informed there will be no test drive cars available prior to the delivery. That’s disappointing for any car - especially a car which is for 45 lakhs on road. Would suggest that Mr. Zac look into this….

[@mithupaulkurian1050]

Skoda misses largely on mid premium segment,Skoda karoq would do the perfect fit and the updated fabia can snatch few customers from the VW polo frenzy

[@pritpalsingh5844]

Hi, Autocar India, host Sergio Breata and Skoda"s Zac.Holis. Congratulations! for the re-launch of Kodiq SUV. Honestly, for majority of potential buyers in upper India and Punjab particular, wants a big-butch SUV to be with a Diesel power train. So, guys sorry!, Skoda misses out once again. I wish they truly understand the customer"s liking and expectations. O.k. & Good Luck to Skoda India.

[@niksingh22]

I really love this car...😍😍😍

[@MahipalSingh-cr1yx]

Please convey my request to respected Zac Hollis sir that .. kindly add some very needed features in kushaq like 7 airbags, automatic folding mirror and under engine cap.This is a necessity not an accessory.. increase price but fulfil this requirements

[@pritamghosh4158]

I own Skoda Karoq in UK.. It is very good decision for me to buy this. 1.5L engine is so so smooth to drive and when i put it on Sport mode, i feel the car flys..Extremely good build car. 650 Litre boots space..

[@karthikynbharadwaj]

Mr.zac has understood the market for Škoda and Volkswagen in india very well..love for the engine and transmission and built is impeccable. I think the group should consider hatchback..wanted a hatch for my family but miss the polo a lot !

[@_MS__]

Skoda should launch the kodiaq sportline with features of l&k as the interior of the sportline is much nicer the black alcantara seats

[@lingobol]

Slavia and Virtus are gems, but why are their combined sales less than Honda City for July 2022???

[@divyanshusinghgaur9551]

largely because of their AC issues I think

[@kaviarasu11107]

Issues are still there. Features are less when compared to city price. Even base model city comes with auto ac, Android Auto, rev cam and alloy wheels,even spare wheel was alloy before now chanded to steel rim and same features not available in slavia for same price. But still people's buying for engine and handling of slavia and virtus.

[@mrperfect971]

Kuch bhi ???? What's the source of this news ????

[@lingobol]

@@mrperfect971 please check the July month sales data from whichever source you can get online and see the truth for yourself. 🙏

[@Dr.GOWTHAM_EM]

Fabia will be the real deal and will be the game changer for Škoda

[@kdr4684]

Skoda karoq...launch date plz

[@anuragkumar-fm7hc]

I know TSI engines are gr88.. Bt that milage of 6 to 7 lt per km... Hurts the most....in todays time.. Nd for Kodiaq TDI were the best...for long highway runs...

[@throttlestravelthrust4896]

I just got mine a week back. Deliveres 8-9 kmpl in the city easily. 12 to 14 on the highway at speeds between 100 to 120!

[@snehaljagtap]

Look at Zac, the way he speaks I can guarantee he can even sale 🍅Tomatoes 🍅under any brand. Loved how Skoda is becoming budget premium without loosing the brand value. They brought down the service cost. Now they need to make car parts more reliable. Skoda service dealers can easily take you for a ride you if are not a auto enthusiast.

[@jushyasiddhartha5705]

I love the kodiaq over the tucson. But the pricing may affect the sales of the kodiaq over the tucson.

[@KetPan]

One of the greatest reasons people don't buy VW-Skoda vehicles in India is because of horrible after sales experience despite the products themselves being fundamentally good, and even for those who're willing to pay extra for the product as well as service. This is because of both lack of replacement parts availability (problem common throughout India) and callous attitude of individual dealerships and workshops (more of a local problem, but something in which VW-Skoda group has margin to intervene). These aspects should have been covered in the interview if VW-Skoda is serious about attracting more Indian customers.

[@ashwinshaji1794]

Either you haven’t owned a Skoda or have owned one 6-8years back. Owning a Rapid and super happy with Skoda service every single time!

[@anoopbenny7193]

Skoda should launch Kodiaq RS and new Fabia in India

[@vanshverma1465]

❤️💯💯❤️

[@arvindersinghwarraich5468]

That’s a gem car. You could easily enter the mainstream by make it more affordable by ditching few features which other companies are not offering either. But keep the key traits of Škoda intact.

[@akshaylomate8294]

please launch fabia.

[@tusharmahaley5484]

Awaiting Škoda to relaunch Karoq in India.

[@VivekKumar-wp2zm]

They should add red or maroon colour in sportline

[@shriramt8073]

Huge fan of RS variant of car....there is no question about it ?

[@karthikbtl1234]

The real suv 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@neelrajlokegaonkar6823]

Should have ADAS features at this price point.

[@cnvsaahit6407]

In diesel or petrol??

[@dhyeyapatel]

Obviously petrol

[@ritamyadav8428]

Skoda sells only petrol cars in India

[@capricornus993]

Diesel has been discontinued by VW group long back.

[@kaustavmandal24]

No diesel from skoda in any car in future also

[@anuragkumar-fm7hc]

No diesel bro...only petrol..... One of the major reason y buyers are nt interested in even considering it 🤦

[@pingkubrahma2894]

we want fabia

[@ritesh31kumar]

I always had the impression that Kodiaq sales numbers were poor. Is it just me?

[@soumenb22]

Though not comparing the performance of Kodiak and dynamic suspension aspect, still Tucson with ADAS 2 and dashboard technology with 10L less will give a competition

[@kaviarasu11107]

they are producing in limited numbers. I saw so many people's asking in twitter to book kodiaq but zac replied bookings are closed and no way to do more production now. We will open for next year booking shortly.

[@devdattabaidya]

....when is skoda going to bring Fabia back to the indian people??

[@RohitGupta-pw7qp]

Bring diesel engine back

[@LuvvSURYA]

They are now late to the party. At this price point, they should now offer ADAS.

[@throttlestravelthrust4896]

With the quality this offers, the engine and other performance tech i don't think ADAS wouldn't make much difference to the sales.

[@Anjuraj]

No diesel no buy

[@ajaysonune1625]

ADAS ??

[@yashpaithankar4023]

German will never understand the Indian market, when market was diesel oriented they stopped selling one and when its going in direction of hybrids they have nothing.