China-made Skoda Fabia goes on sale now

Shanghai, December 22 (Gasgoo.com) Shanghai VW launched its sedan model Skoda Fabia to market this morning, said xinhuanet.com today. The Chinese-made Fabia will sell from 85,800 yuan ($12,560) and is expected to be the best-seller of Skoda cars in the Chinese market.

The Skoda Fabia produced by Shanghai Volkswagen Co features a 1.4L or 1.6L engine for choice as well as a Tiptronic 6 gearbox. In the China market, the Fabia will surpass the Octavia, another Skoda model, and may compete with Shanghai VW's Polo as an A0-class model. The Fabia model is believed to become the top-selling Skoda car in China.

By presenting its European models at the 2008 Beijing auto show back in April, Skoda Auto, the Czech unit of Volkswagen, shows its technological potential (Octavia RS and Scout) and environmental orientation (Fabia GreenLine) to the Chinese auto industry.

Since its birth in 1999, the global output of Fabia has exceeded 2 million units, and in the first half of 2008, Fabia sales neared 137,000 units, up 14.5% form one year earlier. The Fabia was voted as "the most expected car model" at Chengdu auto show in mid-September by Chinese customers.

Following its launch of the Fabia at the end of 2008 to the China market, Skoda Auto is going to launch other new models for Chinese buyers in the coming years.