New Models
New Models

Skoda sales surge by 54 per cent in early 2021

The Czech brand has grown its sales by more than half in the first few months of the year, with much of its success pinned to a single model.


Australians purchased 83,977 cars in February 2021, with 835 of those from Czech car maker Skoda.

While that sounds like a relatively diminutive slice of the pie, there's a bigger story to be told about the still-somewhat-undiscovered gem in the Volkswagen Group crown.

In fact, Skoda's February 2021 sales reflect an almost 54 per cent increase on where it was this time last year, and a 655 per cent increase on where it was this time 10 years ago.

February 2021 sales results bring Skoda's running total for 2021 to 1736 sales, a large proportion of which are made up by the Kamiq small SUV, which only launched in late 2020 and yet already comprises 30 per cent of the marque's sales.

Part of this swift rise can possibly be attributed to the delayed arrival of the Kamiq Monte Carlo and Limited Edition 110TSI variants, which faced delayed deliveries due to an electrical bug with the fuel-saving stop/start system.

Kamiq sales are closely followed by the Kodiaq – Skoda's largest offering – which has shifted 314 units in 2021 so far, with the Karoq claiming third place after 279 sales.

Its lowest-volume seller was the Superb – a large passenger car with a sole competitor in its VFACTs class: the Kia Stinger.

Skoda year-to-date sales by model – February 2021

ModelVehicles sold in 2021
Skoda Fabia116
Skoda Scala175
Skoda Octavia242
Skoda Superb102
Skoda Kamiq508
Skoda Karoq279
Skoda Kodiaq314

Relaunched in its current form in Australia in 2007 (although it previously enjoyed an almost two-decade stint here from 1965 to 1983), Skoda's range has steadily expanded from just the Roomster and the Octavia to a comprehensive spread of smaller passenger cars, functional SUVs and roomy wagons and sedans.

While Skoda still lags behind its better-known sibling, Volkswagen, in the sales stakes – representing just a third of Volkswagen's year-to-date sales in 2021 – its sales numbers are equalling or exceeding established premium brands like Land Rover, Lexus and Volvo.

What's more, it's increasingly closing in on fellow VW Group stablemate Audi, which has reported 2636 cars as sold so far this year.

Interestingly, this year-on-year sales surge can't be attributed to a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the effects of stock shortages, delivery delays and consumer spending anxiety not yet felt in Australia as of February 2020.

Skoda will be aiming to continue on this trajectory, with a fourth-generation, redesigned Octavia touching down in April 2021.

It will also be hoping to benefit from the uptake of the new Scala hatch, which was also delayed due to the same technical glitch that befell the Kamiq variants, with deliveries finally commencing in mid-January 2021.


MORE:SKODA Showroom
MORE:SKODA News
MORE:SKODA Reviews
MORE:Search Used SKODA Cars for Sale
MORE:SKODA Showroom
MORE:SKODA News
MORE:SKODA Reviews
MORE:Search Used SKODA Cars for Sale
Susannah Guthrie

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and two-year-old son.

Read more about Susannah GuthrieLinkIcon
Chat with us!







Chat with Agent