Skoda Auto has started a new assembly plant in Vietnam in association with its partner Thanh CONG Group, where Skoda Kushaq SUV and Slavia sedan will be assembled with the help of CKD (Completely Knocked Down) sent from India.
Currently, the assembly of Kushaq has started here, while the production of Slavia will start in summer this year. This unit is located in the Quang Ninh province of Vietnam, where modern facilities of welding, painting and final assembly are available.
Skoda started its operations in Vietnam in September 2023 and has opened 15 dealerships so far. The company aims to increase this network to 32 outlets by 2025.
Skoda Auto's CEO Claus Zelar said, “This new assembly plant will not only strengthen our presence in Vietnam, but will also increase the grip of Skoda in the ASEAN region. Our partnership with India is the cornerstone of this success.”
CKD kits prepared at the plant in Pune, India are being sent to Vietnam. The models found here will be the left-hand drive and these will be given modern features like adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and synthetic leather upholstery.
Vietnam is already an important market of SUV models imported from Europe like Skoda Karoq and Kodiaq. Now Kushaq and Slavia's local assembly is expected to get stronger in the market of Skoda.
According to Skoda, Vietnam is the fourth largest automobile market in South-East Asia and its growth possibilities are the fastest.
In India, the price of Skoda Kushaq is ₹ 10.99 lakh to ₹ 19.11 lakh and Slavia is between ₹ 10.34 lakh to ₹ 18.34 lakh (ex-showroom). Both trains have received a 5-star safety rating in Global NCAP.
