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Why didn't the vRS sell better?


AJR77

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I was wondering what people thought was the reason why the Fabia vRS wasn’t a sales success compared with cars like the Fiesta ST?

 

Looking at How Many Left website the Fabia out sold the Polo GTi with 1,329 compared with 2,592. But I guess that is understandable seeing that most people would overlook the Polo as the VW hot hatch and go for the more expensive but acclaimed Golf GTi. With Skoda the Octavia vRS isn’t really a competitor to the Fabia vRS as there is enough size and price difference to separate them.

 

The total taxed for the Fiesta ST-2 is 5,298 and that has only been on the market since 2013. I guess this means that the Fiesta not regarded as direct competition with the Focus ST and each model is bought on their own merits.

 

The marketing of the vRS has been a little lacklustre.

The only memorable marketing campaign was the vRS remake of the cake advert and when Jonny Smith broke seven national speed records in 2010 on Fifth Gear. These were only done in 2010 when the car was launched.

I know the Fabia went Rallying but I personally don't instantly associate it with Rallying.

When it comes to small hot hatch shoot out in magazines I don’t remember seeing the Fabias included.

 

As far as the oil consumption issue being a major factor I can’t see that myself as most consumers wouldn't know about it unless they read these types of forums.

Also if people were buying a new car that they really like with a warranty that covers any issues that will occur with the car do they care about possible issues.

 

I think if the vRS was marketed more, maybe sell them with free insurance to encourage younger drivers to buy them, this would encourage a wider range of customers. Also the Monty Carlo must have taken some sales away by offering a sporty look and a range of engines for a cheaper price.

 

Just my thoughts. What do you think?

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The average age of a Skoda driver is perceived to be around 73, which it probably is. Or so my kids tell me....

 

73 is younger than my mother and she is getting a vRS. :D

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The average age of a Skoda driver is perceived to be around 73, which it probably is. Or so my kids tell me....

Think you have a problem with age /Skoda.

 

Where are you getting your facts from?

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Fabia vRS MK2 could easily have been launched with a Hot Petrol and or a warm diesel, with manual and or DSG as options, the difference in sales volumes would have been huge in my view.

Edited by vrskeith
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Your How many left numbers are up to the 1st Quarter 2014, this is the 3rd Quarter.

 

There was the Seat Ibiza 1.4 TSI 180ps Twincharger before the vRS and there still is it has been out sold, 

then the Polo GTI that VW Promoted while Skoda never promoted the Fabia.

 

The 4 th Twincharger is the Audi A1 185 ps that has sold less than 20% of the Fabias.

& its numbers are odd, because Audi kept Registering them as Demonstrators and failing to sell them to the public.

 

Skoda Rallying with a S2000 4x4 car and a Fabia Body Shape was not going to get sales for a 1.4TSI and a Special S2000 edition that was a 1.4 tsi with stickers.

 

As to the Rally Inspired Monte Carlo, 

the fact is they have sold about double the 3,000 vRS is OK, but hardly a success,

 yet Fabias were the best selling Skoda in the UK last year with 32,000 sold.

 So the Monte is Small fry in Skodas sales, and in Cars appealing to young people, they are no place really compared to most from other Manufacturers.

*Monte Carlos were not selling in numbers because the price was too high & Skoda had to do the Tech and get the price down and get sales, 

then the Estate, but the Monte Carlo is still not cheap, you can go get a Demonstrator  vRS for less than a Monte Carlo Black Edition.*

 

If you want to see Magazine Reviews and Online reviews on the Fabia, the top of the page has plenty.

& the more recent reviewers seem to have got where the vRS is at in the 4 sister cars.

 

What is amazing is, you can go to a dealer tomorrow and buy a vRs with only a few miles on it, for the same or less than 4 years ago,

and its been like that for most of its Production.

Edited by goneoffSKi
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Hmm the polo is a nicer looking car isnt it. It may be expensive compared, but is a little extra money the be all and end all to this audience?

People who buy a vrs or gti are clearly interested in cars, their aesthetics and what other people think.

Skodas arent high up on that list compared IMO. Maybe theyre still somewhat overlooked

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A lovely lady in her 60's who volunteers her time as a fantastic administrator for the Runcorn Foodbank we run, rolled up in a yellow Fabia VRS with black roof and black wheels.

Very nice, low mileage, she said the sales person told her it would be very safe as underpowered Fabia's are often dangerous in understating exercises!!

Maybe Skoda need to work on their target consumer audience.

Not the right car for her but I've told her if she chooses to sell then see me first :)

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I'd like to see the development budget between skoda with the mk1/mk2 vRS to the likes of Ford with the fiesta ST and renaultsport with the clio's. I'd bet the skoda budget is much smaller.

My impression with VAG is most of the time they raid the parts bin. Doesn't the mk2 vRS use the same dampers as the monte like the mk1 did with the sport? Hardly the sign of developing the "hot hatch" side of the car. This is somewhat "key" with the like of ford and renaultsport.

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well maybe the Monte used the same dampers as the vRS because it came after, 

but it does not use the same springs.

 

The hight of Skoda Motor Sport Heritage , History & Experience in Design & Engineering on the MK2 vRS was sand bag the hatch,

it was lighter than the Ibiza, & what the Polo was going to be,

so thay put 25 kg of ballast on the Rear Crash Bar.

Showed it as 5 kg Heavier than the Estate, and they gave the wrong weights for the heavier Ibiza & Polo, 

Later Corrected.

(3 years later they have corrected the Estates Unladen weight, then a few months later changed the hatches to show it heavier again than the Estate.)

 

So the Polo and the A1 has lower Emission Figures and VED, and gets wider tyres, battery in the Boot etc.

then the revised Ibiza  2013 gets the Lower Emmisions figures & better Performance.

 

That is VWG Engineering, it is the Most Expensive must be faster and better, & when not, Engineer the Numbers.

 

A few Euros spent on the vRS suspension was all that was required to have something pretty good rather than just acceptable.

 

VORSPRUNG DURCH TECHNIK

Edited by goneoffSKi
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appologies for cross posting this on two threads but this thread is a better fit for my post

 

Skoda are saying the the new MKIII will not have a new vRS due to poor sales and customers "not being happy with running costs" with the MKII vRS

 

with things like this what do they expect, the car is good and liked (when running properly) BUT with so many needing major work under warranty and what many perceive (owners and non/perspective owners) to be poor reliability what is the market going to be for out of warranty, or will third party warranty companies start loading out of warranty vRS's?

 

also unlike the MKI vRS there is little options for Tuning etc the engine because it is right on its limits with little spare capacity in the engine

 

the MKI got a huge following due to its power and economy, but mainly there was so much spare capacity if you mapped it, added a FMC, bigger turbo, uprated the injectors. none of which are options on the MKII,

 

the engine and gearbox on the MKI were pretty much bullet proof, the two weakish points were the cam shaft (would wear is wrong oil used or not changed on time) and turbo failures at 80,000 / 100,000 miles when many took the chance to uprate it

 

the Octavia mkIII vRS they have the option of diesel and that is far outselling the petrol version

 

when the MKII vRS was announced and the power and engine size were announced many said "that much power from a 1.4 there's going to be reliability issues"  time has proved them right, the threads are on here if you want to look and I don't think the complexity of the twin charger hasn't helped, we now seem to be seeing a gradual increase in the number of DSG gearbox threads as well, but not so much on other models so is the vRS putting more stress on the box somehow? and skoda are doing the DSG oil change but not really explaining why

 

I think if a MKIII vrs was ever made something in the region of a 1.8-2.0 TDi in the 150-160bhp range would be good, more than fast enough for most, but with spare capacity for a bit of tuning a year or so down the line for those who want more

 

the biggest problem is the locking down of the ECU's making it difficult to unlock the potential due to emission regs

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The thing is too that this Fabia vRS is fighting at a different price point than Fabia 1 vRS.  I bought my 55 reg Fabia vRS for £12,300 brand new and I didn't think there was a car that could touch it for performance/fuel economy/cost.

 

I think the present Fabia 2 vRS that I have is good value, but if you bought it new you had enough money in your pocket to buy a BMW 1 series or a Merc A Class etc if you're a brand snob as well as having to fight it out with the other hot/tepid hatches, or big repmobiles that could be bought for the same price given the savage discounts given on Insignias etc.  

 

For the cost of a new Fabia 2 vRS you have a LOT of choice whereas I felt there was nothing like the original vrS.

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It didn't sell well because it was too much of a niche vehicle. Alienated a lot of potential buyers who would have migrated from the MK1 by being petrol and auto only. Also has dynamic shortcomings compared to rivals and lacks the image craved by traditional hot-hatch buyers and badge-snobs.

I love 'em tho! :-)

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The DSG Service Campaign on the DQ200 is nothing to do with just the 1.4 TSI and 180ps -185ps minimum.

 

It was a World Wide Recall that somehow did not include Europe as a Recall, just a Service Campaign.

It is on many models. not just Fabias.

 

http://skoda.co.nz/news/dsg-service-campaign

Also not a Recall, just call in the cars possible affected.

Edited by goneoffSKi
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I wondered if the CEO said this and its his grasp of English or the Reporters recording of what was said.

 

"But dont need an engine they can't afford".

 Just considering that the running of the engine is class leading in the Economy  to Performance, and the low insurance and maintenance if they sell you a good one.

 

I beleive that it was Skoda that could not afford the Failure Rate and still have not admitted to any issues from 2010-2012

& the need to revice the engine and engine management.

It must have proved to be an engine they could not afford to keep replacing 1 in 5 of.

 

The Skoda CEO had this opportunity to say that they had failed some customers and they would see that Skoda made good any 

faulty cars, because he took responsibility for any Quality Control Issues.

 

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/skoda-fabia-vrs-is-no-more-skoda-suv-coming-2013-08-21

Edited by goneoffSKi
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DSG is the main culprit.

 

in 2014 we've had the controversy of two major drivers cars being released in dual clutch only guise, the clio RS and the GT3 porker.  Both cars are great ( the later of course is out of this world) however you can see that when the package is good its still hard to persuade drivers to switch to an auto.  So how the hell was the Skoda Fabia going to cope.

 

Interesting thing is when you look at some other hot hatches such as the M135i which has given the buyers the option to go auto or manual the sales figures clearly show that 80% of buyers ticked the auto box compared to 20% for Manual.  but i do believe this turn around has happened mainly in the last two or three years.

 

Back in 2010 the Fabia had no chance.

 

Oh and lets not forget the Fabia mk2 was never the prettiest car, i think we'd all agree its no raving beauty and this affected buyers back then.

 

Many people think the Mk1 VRS was a big seller because it was an amazing car.  lets be honest it was nothing more than a boxy Ibiza TDi 130.  it was not that quick and was never a proper Hot hatch.  

 

 

It still amazes me at how many well versed petrol heads are not aware of the spec of the Fabia VRS.  The other week at the ring i was having to explain the engine to somebody who builds race cars.  So i would echo the above comments on advertising, where as the Mk1 got loads as it was a diesel and different.  strange thing is the marshals at the ring have been using a mk2 Fabia VRS estate for the last 3 years now yet most think its a bog standard fabia

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I'm not one for comments use the search to be honest rather than repeat post however I had the mk 1 fabia vrs for 3 years and the mark 2 vrs I'm into the 3rd year and still going strong. The fabia vrs mk 2 is a thinking mans car firstly you think to yourself whilst test driving the vrs can I change gear with my left hand quicker than this twin clutch you say no, before buying the vrs do I spend 2 to 3k more on the same engine in a car with a different badge you say no why would you . For me It just feels like no one likes change and the mk 2 vrs offers too much to some people ie dsg, it's also as if the technology of the vrs mk 2 has come too early and that there is a car missing that should have been brought out between mk1 and mk 2 vrs's. The main thing with the fabia vrs is car for money not many hatches out there get near it especially when you sit down and think about it.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Cos it didn't have a Diesel Engine and a Manual box

 

 

But the Monte Carlo is available with 1.6 CR TDI

that is a  Diesel Engine and Manual box, so why have so few of those sold.?

 

It should have had at least 150/160 BHP and to be honest it aint as good looking as the MKI Fabia Vrs

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If it had a manual and dsg option at launch it would have sold better.

If it had a 2.0tdi manual and dsg option at launch it would have been raved about and they'd be making a mk3 vRS.

Shame the 2.0tdi wouldn't fit that chassis but it should fit the new one as it's the Ibiza/A1 chassis?

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The Current vRS has the same Platform PQ25 as the

MK4 Seat Ibiza FL,

MK5 VW Polo FL

& the Typ X8  Audi A1 that are current.

 

The S1 has a Modified one, & the New Fabia due out has a differently modified one.

Edited by goneoffSKi
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