Skoda Roomster 2010 News

And it wasn’t done any favours by offering unusual looks and no automatic transmission. But Skoda is not giving up on it just yet. The little people mover has sold just 66 over the whole of 2008 and is lagging behind that sales level this year. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Skoda Australia head Matthew Wiesner admits. “We didn’t give it enough attention – probably through the fact that we had to focus on (medium-size passenger) Octavia to give us best cut-through and best return on investment. “Quite frankly, Roomster has suffered a bit because of that.” However Wiesner says that situation will change next year. “There will be a facelift in the new year – and some drivetrain changes and updates — which means we will then give Roomster the focus it requires, and give it the space to be a far better contribution to what we’ve been doing. Wiesner says that the Roomster has also been hampered by not having an automatic transmission. “Having it in manual only doesn’t help in the Australian market. People want an auto. “And it is a quirky design – you either love it or you don’t. “Is there a market for it? Yes, but it’s a niche market definitely. “But do you give up on it? No. Now that we’ve had a few focus groups, we now better understand who a Roomster owner is – and what they do and how. “They are very different to an Octavia buyer. We now don’t assume they will pick up on us as a brand by what we’re doing with Octavia, so we’ll start to target them specifically.” Wiesner says Skoda missed the mark in thinking there “might been some carryover between wagons, given what Roomster represents”. “But there is quite a distance even between a wagon buyer and somebody interested in Roomster – but their intentions, their motivations and interests are very different. “They are incredibly practical … we just need to be practical about how we talk to them. And we haven’t done that well yet. No question.”  

Skoda’s brand presence in Australia has surprised the local office by growing much faster than they expected. When the badge launched here late in 2007, they were aiming at a brand awareness of 60 per cent within two years, at a stage when they would have a range of additional models. They’ve hit that mark six months early, and with mainly only the Octavia model to work with. Although the quirky Roomster people mover has been on the market here, it hasn’t had a sales impact, moving just 66 over the whole of 2008 and lagging behind that momentum this year. “We’ve virtually had just one model, with a few variants, since launch – which is not ideal,” the carmaker’s local head, Matthew Wiesner says. “So our brand awareness hitting this level, this early, is much better than expected. Wiesner says that because Skoda’s limited range has not been able to rely on the exponential effect of having vehicles across a range of segments, there should be further boosts as they bring new models – like the large passenger Superb sedans being launched this week, and the Yeti SUV slated for next year.. “What generally will drive this further will be when you launch new product into new segments you don’t compete in — your awareness rises more then. There’s an exponential effect. “If you don’t have product in a certain segment you’re going to miss out on chunk of people, for a start. “And the ‘early rejecters’ (those who consider the brand but defer from buying) – a lot of that response is driven by segment spread. “So we are surprised by how well we’ve managed to cut through into reasonably good awareness numbers.” Wiesner says that as the badge’s profile is growing, the proportion of ‘rejecters’ is steadily decreasing. “The early rejecters were the most frustrating part for us and the dealers. They would go through the normal process and then run out of reasons not to buy,” he says. “They would be putting all the right ticks against the product, but then it would come down to ‘maybe not this time’. “They would see the brand as being ‘a bit quirky’, they ‘just can’t be sure’ and ‘it’s a big investment’. “They’re the people you see the second time around, and now we have more product in the market we can talk to them better. It’s all about being heard. “The only thing that will fix that is spending time in the market. What we need to do is prove ourselves, do it well, get the products right. “We just need to prove the brand here to stay, it’s a bloody good brand, and has a lot to offer.”

Fresh-faced and with stronger engines, the new car arrives here in September along with a new-look Scout wagon. The RS gets a contemporary look based on other models in the recently-released Octavia range. But it hits harder with a different valance, fog lights, body-coloured trim and LED tail lights. The punch is the choice of a 147kW direct petrol injection 2-litre turbo mated to either a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch or a six-speed manual transmission as Skoda moves closer to align drivetrains with parent Volkswagen. Optional is a 125kW 2-litre turbo-diesel with the same transmission choices. Skoda Australia boss Matthew Wiesner says the company's range in Australia is being tightened and adjusted to maximise appeal. Speaking from the Czech Republic, he admits there are gaps in the range. The Scout, which arrives in its new form in September, still has no automatic option. "But its coming," says Wiesner. "It's only available as a manual from the factory _ it is not sold anywhere as an automatic _ but we've been fighting for an auto on the basis that Australia is a special market that needs this option. "Finally, there's clarity in the issue and I'd expect a DSG version perhaps within 12 months." Modifying the Skoda line up has seen the workhorse 1.9-litre turbo-diesel dropped from the Octavia range. The replacement as the entry-level model is the 1.6-litre petrol-engined sedan at $26,990 _ a price Weisner says gives entry into a price segment usually occupied by small cars. Octavia models now come as a 1.6 and 1.8-litre petrol and the 2-litre 103kW turbo-diesel. The Roomster will be retained despite having a practically invisible road presence. "We're looking at some ideas with Roomster," Wiesner says. "It gets a face lift in mid-2010 and were prepared to persist because we see potential in this product. "It is possible that sales will increase when we get Yeti because they would complement each other," he says of the Skoda small SUV that's earmarked for Australia. Yeti will join the upmarket Superb saloon as new entrants. "Roomster is being bought by young people and retired people. It's very difficult to pinpoint it because its market is broad." Wiesner says the Yeti wasn't being considered as just another product line. Rather, it will give Skoda entry into a younger demographic of buyers. That would be assisted by the Yeti's two-wheel drive option _ it will come standard as an on-demand all-wheel drive _ that would offer the SUV package but at a reduced price. However, the 2WD could be seen as a future replacement for Roomster. Wiesner says the Volkswagen Group was holding up well on global markets and Skoda was part of that modest success. "Skoda has been helped in Europe because of the scrappage system which has helped new car sales, and also because of presence in China," he says. "We're in a better position than some because we are under exposed in places like the US and Japan." In Australia he says sales are steady, up 12 per cent for the year compared with the corresponding period in 2008. "Hopefully we're growing on a wave," he says.