After wrapping up 2022 as its Biggest Year in terms of sales, ŠKODA AUTO India opens 2023 with its first introduction. Not a new car, but an all-new, revolutionary, customer initiative aimed at enhancing ownership experience and customer satisfaction. Called Anytime Warranty, it is a 1-year/20,000 km warranty package that can be used to enhance any existing standard or extended warranties.
 
Petr Šolc, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India, said, “We began 2023 by telling you the way forward for ŠKODA AUTO India is not going to be just about newer cars, but several innovations that provide an unparalleled ownership and maintenance experience for our customers. Anytime Warranty is one such offering, that delivers on our promise of customer satisfaction and hassle-free ownership experience, in our path towards Accelerating Growth.”
 
ŠKODA AUTO India already leads the Indian automotive market with a 4-year/100,000 km standard warranty when the industry standard is about 3-years/75,000kms. In addition, ŠKODA offered an option to extend the 4-year standard warranty to the 5^th and 6^th year/150,000 km under its Peace of Mind programme. The all-new Anytime Warranty is in addition to the existing standard and extended warranties and allows customers to have an additional warranty coverage of up to 8 years/150,000 km (whichever earlier).
 
The Anytime Warranty is designed especially for the older generations of the KODIAQ (TDI), SUPERB, OCTAVIA, YETI and the RAPID for a 1-year/20,000 km period. Any ŠKODA within 7 years of age and/or mileage less than 130,000 km is eligible for the Anytime Warranty post inspection and certification. And all of these warranties – be it the standard, extended or the Anytime Warranty – are transferrable to the next owner. Customers who have had their existing warranty expire can also purchase the Anytime Warranty subject to the car meeting inspection standards.
 
In 2022, ŠKODA AUTO India took the number of customer touchpoints to over 240 from 175 at the end of 2021. The company also brought down maintenance costs by up to 21% through high levels of localisation. The Anytime Warranty is yet another step in the manufacturer’s customer-centric endeavour to provide satisfaction and a hassle-free maintenance and ownership experience.
 
The year 2022 saw ŠKODA AUTO India achieve its Biggest Year ever in terms of sales. India also became ŠKODA AUTO’s third largest market in the world and largest outside Europe. Most importantly for the company, the ŠKODA KUSHAQ, the first product under the INDIA 2.0 project and sitting on the made-for-India, ready-for-the-world MQB-A0-IN won a full 5-stars in the Global NCAP crash tests, that too under the newer, more stringent test protocols and for both adult and child occupants. Four months on, and other cars tested, the KUSHAQ continues being at the top of safety charts.