Skoda plans to sell 8000 cars in '04

Skoda Auto India said on Monday that it was confident of selling 8000 cars this fiscal, despite lower sales in August.

The company sold 600 cars in August, which was slightly lower than July sales, Shashank Vaid, manager (marketing and communications), Skoda Auto India, told reporters after launching SkodaRS, India's first turbo petrol engine-powered car, in Chennai on Monday.

"Sales of all car companies were affected in August due to the prolonged truckers strike and bad monsoon. We were no exception," Vaid said.

However, compared to the corresponding period last year, the August 2004 sales were higher, he said.

He said Skoda Auto would launch more models during the current year. "In the last three months, we launched three models," Vaid pointed out. Driven by the new launches, he said the company would sell 8000 cars during this fiscal, up 60 per cent from last year.

Skoda Auto India has sold close to 14,000 units in India since it started operations in the country in 2001.

SkodaRS, a four-door luxury sedan, is priced at Rs 13.53 lakhs (Rs 1.35 million) in Chennai. In Delhi, the car is priced at Rs 13.23 lakh (Rs 1.32 million).