Resurgent Czech brand Skoda is to start offering Mini-style personalisation on its new Fabia range soon after its initial May 17 launch.
On the recent European test drive of its all-new supermini at least one car featured a white roof, and UK product marketing manager Christopher Horrell confirmed it was something that Skoda would be bringing to market.
He told BusinessCar: “It’s the first time we’ve done anything like this. Right now it’s the white roof, but we’re looking into other stuff too. Not from launch but not long after. We’re speaking to companies regarding further personalisation with body graphics and even the possibility of putting a customer’s favourite photo on the roof as a transfer.
Horrell pointed out that there were several precedents for this within the VW Group already, from special edition Seats with black wing mirrors to Audis with chrome ones, but stressed that the quality of the personalisation product would be key, and would remain high.
Was he bothered that some might accuse the brand of jumping on Mini’s bandwagon? “People might say we’re copying Mini, but we can live with that.”
Skoda UK’s managing director, Chris Craft, was also enthused about the personalisation plans, adding “this sort of approach is absolutely in the right territory for us, in lowering our average driver age – currently about 47 years old”.
