ŠKODA AUTO has reached yet another milestone in China: today, the three millionth ŠKODA rolled off the assembly line in Ningbo since production started in China in 2007. Together with its joint venture partner, the Czech car manufacturer is currently producing nine different ŠKODA models in different vehicle segments at four Chinese plants. China has been the strongest single market for ŠKODA since 2010 and is the only country in which the manufacturer offers five SUV models. The vehicle marking the production record is an SUV too: the three millionth ŠKODA built in China is a KAROQ.
Dr Michael Oeljeklaus, a board member of KODA AUTO’s management for production and logistics, said: “I don’t forget very well how proud we were when the first KODA built in China came out of the meeting line. Attending this occasion on the site was a very special moment for me. Today, once again, I am pleased to congratulate the team on some other wonderful success: 3 million KODA built in China is 3 million reasons to celebrate. On behalf of the entire board of directors of KODA AUTO, I would like to thank everyone who works at SAIC Volkswagen. They have made it possible to succeed in the milestone of the 3 million cars produced, thanks to their team spirit and commitment. I would also like to thank our Chinese joint spouse risk: combined, we are more sensitive quality construction cars that are incredibly well earned through our consumers in China.
Dr Ralf Hanschen, President of KODA China, said: “The production and delivery of 3 million cars is a special step for ‘KODA’ in China. This wonderful good fortune has been made imaginable through our exceptional diversity of models, in close collaboration with our spouse of the joint venture SAIC Volkswagen, professional facilities provided through KODA distributors and the main point of commitment and hard paints of our colleagues. We are very grateful for the acceptance as true with the position of our consumers in us. KODA will continue to offer you even smarter mobility responds in the future »
ŠKODA was already active on the Chinese passenger car market in the 1930s: in 1936, the Czech brand had five sales agencies there. The recent success story began in 2007, when ŠKODA returned to the Chinese market as part of the SAIC Volkswagen joint venture and started producing the ŠKODA OCTAVIA locally in Shanghai.
ŠKODA’s production in China quickly gathered pace: while only 39,000 cars rolled off the assembly line in the first year (2007), ŠKODA already produced 385,000 units of its models between 2008 and 2010. In the following three years, from 2011 to 2013, this number rose to 705,000 vehicles, and between 2014 and 2016, as many as 873,000 new ŠKODAs were built in China. With 953,000 vehicles produced between 2017 and 2019, the manufacturer was able to increase its output once again.
Today, KODA produces nine models for the Chinese market in 4 factories of the Volkswagen SAIC joint venture. In addition to OCTAVIA, which is also the center and engine of the logo in China, the KAROQ is also under structure in Ningbo. THE KODIAQ SUV and its derived coupe, the KODIAQ GT, are produced at the Changsha plant. THE RAPID and RAPID SPACEBACK leave the meeting line of the Yizheng plant, while SUPERB, KAMIQ and KAMIQ GT are manufactured in Nanjing. China is the place of market where KODA offers five SUV models, adding the KODIAQ GT and KAMIQ GT designed exclusively for China, which as coupe variants explicitly specify the image of the young, active and passionate logo.
China has been the Czech brand’s largest single market worldwide for as many as ten years – one in four ŠKODAs is currently sold there.
KODA AUTO DigiLab China opened in Beijing in April 2019. At this innovation center, KODA has partnered with new local companies to advance joint projects. The network, now composed of 4 DigiLabs -KODA AUTO founded on other foreign sites, focuses on long-term mobility and digitization, as well as the progression and implementation of new spaces of activity. New mobility responses not only evolve for the Chinese market, but also adapt to European or foreign needs.
SOURCE: KODA
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