Skoda brand image

[Gti Dave]

I think I spoke a little too soon. I was just out washing my car at the car wash and another asian dude comes up to me and asks "hey man...what's a schooda?" followed by..."I'm sure I saw one the other day that looks like a Holden."

[manyu]

I have my dad's superb as my phone's wallpaper.
School mate looks at it and goes "Oh, you drive a mondeo too?"

Its not a mondeo mate, its a Skoda!
*I open a better picture and show it to him*
"yeah, its a mondeo."

"Yeah bro, cool story"

[dru]

Was filling up the vRS the other day and had a older guy walk up to me and point at the car and state "Volkswagen Engine right?"...I then explained the whole thing to him, and he seemed to know a little bit about them. He was considering the upgrade from a subby forestor - especially after I popped the boot for him

[bobski]

Most people I talk to seem to know who Skoda are and if they don't, I describe them as "rebadged VWs" and they get it. Anyone I've shown the car to went away impressed (and its always the boot that makes go "oooooOoOoo").

Haven't seen VFACTS for a while, but I reckon its still going to be a supply and dealer issue for Skoda. The Fabia and Yeti are going to fill two glaring holes in their range. If they can get the supply right and back the dealers, they can very quickly double or triple their figures once they have two of the most popular segments on the books.

Anyway, I'm not too fussed if Skoda's aren't that popular. As long as they sell enough to stick around, its all good.

[phaeton]

I think with the Yeti, Fabia, Roomster, Skoda's up! and the future sedan below Octavia - Skoda's presence will rise stronger in Australia.

Anyone seen any seats (SEATs) lately that was VWs learning curve here in Australia, this time they have Skoda dealers not VW dealers with SEATs inside them.

[K1W1]

Anyone seen any seats (SEATs) lately that was VWs learning curve here in Australia, this time they have Skoda dealers not VW dealers with SEATs inside them.

No it wasn't.
SEAT (and VW at the time) were imported into Australia by a privately owned UK distributor called Inchcape who just happens to be the same company who still has the distributorship for Subaru in Australia.
The VW factory were not involved in directly importing cars into Australia until about the year 2000.

[nightphotographer]

I think the Skoda brand image here is better than in Europe! I know certainly as a Skoda owner in the UK, it was almost a joke saying you owned one and very few people would drop the old skoda stereotype. I think Australia is a fresh start for Skoda and maybe not knowing the brands history actually works in its favour. It's better to tell people about a new brand than tell them about an old brand that's been redeveloped.

I love skoda to pieces though, I've only owned VW's Seats and one Skoda...the Skoda was the best of them all.

[VAG newbie]

I've come to a point realizing that it's not such a bad thing that Skoda is not well known! My wife had no idea what Maybach or Maserati is. She thought they are the same as Skoda, ie, unknown niche Euro brands!

Maybe that's what I'll say when people see my car!

[gldgti]

I've always thought of skodas as VW's..... the octavia is the first car i've owned thats not a Golf - but it feels like a golf when I drive it, and it looks like a golf underneath, so thats how I think of it.

My parents are VW people and they "get it". My father in law is generally interested in cars, and although he'd never seen a Skoda up close when we brought it around for him to look at, he was quietly impressed (despite being into bikes and owning a mitsu 380 for a car - that I cant understand at all).

But yes, generally I find people havn't a clue what the heck the Skoda is - all the better I say. Years ago when I started driving I really enjoyed having a Golf because NOBODY i knew owned golfs at all. Nowdays everyone drives them, and frankly I prefer to be obscure.

[phaeton]

No it wasn't.
SEAT (and VW at the time) were imported into Australia by a privately owned UK distributor called Inchcape who just happens to be the same company who still has the distributorship for Subaru in Australia.
The VW factory were not involved in directly importing cars into Australia until about the year 2000.

I know that but they still had to meet targets and get marketing budgets etc from manufacturer so VW group must have learnt something with the experience.