Zac Hollis: Skoda ANB sedan looks “absolutely fantastic”, arriving in 2021
The design of the Skoda ANB sedan, the upcoming Hyundai Verna rival in India, is ready. Zac Hollis, Director - Sales, Service & Marketing, Skoda (India), has already seen the upcoming sedan and he says it looks “absolutely fantastic”.
In an interview recently, Hollis talked briefly about the second Skoda model based on the India-specific MQB A0 IN platform. Below is what he said:
The second product is a mid-size sedan. I have seen the car and it is absolutely fantastic! I think it will stop the drop that is happening in the sedan segment in India right now. We’ll bring in this sedan before the end of 2021.
‘ANB’ is the internal name of the aforementioned future Skoda sedan. Whether it will be launched as the second-gen Rapid isn’t known at the moment. However, we expect Skoda to continue selling the first-gen Rapid, as a cheaper alternative to the MQB A0 IN platform-based sedan. Honda, similarly, is going to sell the previous generation City alongside the new generation City in our market. Skoda may, however, give its old sedan another facelift.
Skoda will likely offer the ANB with the Mk1 Rapid’s 1.0-litre TSI turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, and maybe even a 1.5-litre TSI EVO turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. The 1.0-litre engine produces 110 PS and 175 Nm of torque in the Mk1 Rapid. If that’s the only engine planned to be offered, maybe the tuning will be higher in the ANB. If it’s offered as an option along with the 1.5-litre engine, the tuning could be the same.
Offering the 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine in the ANB would be a really bold move, and while we are not so confident about it, there’s no denying that it’s a possibility. The company could offer in the 130 PS/200 Nm version. 6-speed manual and 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic would be the transmission choices.
The Skoda ANB should come with a host of premium features, including LED headlamps, LED tail lamps, Virtual Cockpit customisable fully digital instrument cluster, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, connected car services, six airbags, 360-degree camera, electric sunroof, wireless charger and more.
Also Read: Skoda Rapid Matte Concept confirmed for launch this year
The prices of the Skoda ANB may start somewhere between INR 9.5-10 lakh (ex-showroom). Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com for more Skoda updates and other four-wheeler news.
[Source: autox.com]