ŠKODA Australia celebrates its best ever August year to date sales with the launch of 7 Year Service packs and – until December 31 – 7-year warranty with each one of these sold.
This opportunity, unprecedented for a European brand in this market, comes as ŠKODA marks 7120 sales to August 31 – surpassing its previous best full year of 7001 in 2019 after only 8 months.
ŠKODA Australia was the first European auto brand to introduce standard five-year warranty. It has sold more than 15,000 Service Packs in all, with about 60% of new vehicle customers taking up the offer in 2021.
ŠKODA Australia Director Michael Irmer said that the 7 Year Service pack option, which provides the first three services at no cost, would remain available for all new ŠKODA cars after the complimentary launch promotion offer of two extra years warranty (on top of the standard five years) expires.
"These are 7 years of full cover without common exclusions such as infotainment systems or starter batteries," Mr Irmer said.
"We remain intent on becoming a leading brand in the sphere of lifetime ownership experience, with Service and Maintenance Subscription being a no commitment, 'pay as you go' offer complemented by the popular Service Packs."
"With ŠKODA Finance we can also guarantee the minimum future value of the vehicle, together with Service pack and ŠKODA Insurance all that can be combined in our 'No Worries Bundle'."
Mr Irmer, who has led ŠKODA Australia since 2013, said that the brand's sales growth – despite the unavailability of some current variants and impending production delays due to the global shortage of semi-conductors – reflected ŠKODA's "emergence from its earlier niche status".
"While I still see us very much as a challenger brand, there is growing awareness of ŠKODA's unique, Simply Clever qualities," he said.
"I think we have shown that value does not have to be built on a budget price sticker. Our customers have typically selected highly specified variants, which we make easy for them by bundling a wide array of options into attractive packages."
Mr Irmer said that while production issues – notably of the award-winning Kamiq 85TSI - had curtailed an even better YTD result, ŠKODA remained the "fastest growing European brand"
"We have proven adept at finding solutions to supply, for example introducing the Kamiq 110TSI while we await the renewed availability of the 85TSI," he said. "We hope to have the refreshed version of the Kodiaq SUV before year's end with the new petrol version of the Kodiaq RS early in the New Year. Fabia, which has continued to be a successful entry point to the brand, arrives in a new generation during 2022.
"Electrification is firmly on the agenda. Next year we hope to announce timing for the introduction of the Enyaq, which has been resoundingly successful in Europe."