Skoda Exits China, Doubles Sales in India

Škoda officially exits the Chinese market, with sales in China plummeting to just 15,000 units in 2025—down 95% from its 2018 peak—and its market share falling below 0.1%. Meanwhile, the brand achieved global sales of 1,043,900 vehicles in 2025, up 12.7% year-on-year, marking its return to the "million-unit club." India emerged as a standout market, delivering record-high sales of 72,700 units—a staggering 107% year-on-year increase. Škoda’s success in India stems from its localization strategy: a €1 billion investment to develop the dedicated MQB-A0-IN platform, launching three India-specific models with over 90% localized parts, precisely tailored to local road conditions and family needs, and positioned within the mainstream price range of ₹100,000 to ₹200,000. In contrast, Škoda’s failure in China resulted from delayed electrification, lagging smart technology, designs misaligned with local preferences, significant product overlap with Volkswagen-branded vehicles, shrinking dealership networks, and intense competition from domestic Chinese automakers—ultimately leading to its exit from the market.