Skoda - once more, with Felicia

Will Skoda broaden its range over the next two years with the introduction of a five-door Octavia hatch into the range to sell alongside a resurrection of the dead-for-a-decade Felicia nameplate applied to a four-door sedan and a wagon?

Reports from far-flung Skoda markets suggest the Czech car-maker is beavering away at its next-generation Octavia, from whence will spring Felicia sedan and Octavia hatchback variants duplicating what Volkswagen does with Golf/Jetta. Then, also Golf style, there are stories circulating of a (Felicia) wagon as well.

The sedan and wagon seen in the Carparazzi renderings are touted to be a new-generation Octavia reborn as the Felicia with a European launch date, for the sedan, maybe as far out as 2013. The wagon is further away again, with the likely date tipped to be 2014.

Our renderings from Carparazzi show what the next generation small Skoda, in sedan and wagon form (both labelled Felicia), might look like. The Golf/Jetta connections are obvious -- the former (wagon) in the former and the latter in the latter. Renderings of a hatchback Octavia version are yet to appear.

If this scenario develops into reality, Skoda in Australia will be given a more workable range that should help improve its market penetration. Should the company successfully mirror Volkswagen, the hatch (Octavia) will be the volume seller, while the sedan (Felicia) would be seen as slightly upmarket.
 
All this is on top of the knowledge Skoda in Australia has the Polo-sized Fabia on its wish list as an entry level contender that would allow it access to a more youthful end of the market than it currently enjoys with the Octavia and Superb ranges.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site