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Leasing partners key to Kodiaq sales success

Henry Williams Skoda
Henry Williams: Skoda head of fleet

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31 January 2017

SKODA head of fleet Henry Williams is looking forward to the launch of Skoda’s first seven-seater SUV and says leasing partners are key to Kodiaq sales success.

Kodiaq sales success
Kodiaq – coming soon

Previously national fleet sales manager between 2013 and 2015, Henry  was announced as Skoda’s new head of fleet in early 2016.

We reckon it’s an exciting time to be heading up Skoda fleet operations, with key models such as the Octavia and Superb performing well and the impressive Kodiaq SUV available in April.

So we caught up with Henry to find out his fleet plans for this important addition to the range.

What proportion of Kodiaq volume will be going through the leasecos in 2017?

Kodiaq is an important product for Skoda and for Skoda Fleet in particular. It is our first seven-seater car, and first large SUV and also brings together the latest Skoda design first seen in the new Superb.

As with the rest of the range, our leasing partners will have a key role to play in the sales success of this product – Henry Williams

“Where this vehicle will work particularly well is the user chooser and SME sectors.

“As with the rest of the range, our leasing partners will have a key role to play in the sales success of this product, and as such we’ve been engaging with them for some time now to ensure residual values are what we’d expect them to be.”

How will Kodiaq volume be split between fleet/consumer? Can you outline the trim percentage split of fleet?

The market for this type of SUV has a split of 24% true fleet and our planning is in line with this. We will be launching with our much-loved SE Technology model, our fleet-focused trim, that has seen great success on the Octavia, Superb and Yeti.

“We’d expect this model to take the lion’s share of the mix for our Kodiaq fleet customers.”

With the arrival of Kodiaq, will Skoda be increasing its support for the leasing sector?

At Skoda we plan to increase our engagement with the leasing sector through 2017, from a desire to build stronger strategic relationships with our key leasing partners.”

What tactical campaigns can we expect from Skoda with the Kodiaq?

Already, despite it still not being officially launched in the UK, response to Kodiaq has been incredibly strong. At time of writing, nearly 30,000 people have registered their interest in the car. We of course will have a contract hire offer on the vehicle priced in line with the market.”

With the Kodiaq, are you developing a broker strategy to harness this fastest growing sector of the market?

Due to my short tenure in the role so far, and wanting to review every aspect of our business, we are currently reviewing our whole SME strategy. I understand the dynamics of the broker market, and want to shape our offering to reflect this.”

Can you give me nine business reasons to buy a Skoda Kodiaq?

  • A wide range of engines, gearboxes and drivetrains, balancing performance, efficiency and capability to ensure there’s the perfect Kodiaq for you.
  • It’s a clever car, full of the simply clever details that you’ve come to expect from Skoda – including the venerable umbrellas in the doors, ice-scraper in the fuel filler flap – and new items like the door edge protectors.
  • The Kodiaq features a level of quality, comfort and practicality that exceeds the standards set by the competition.
  • With the Kodiaq’s seven seats you can have your work car work for you at the weekends – no matter what your lifestyle requires.
  • Superb started our design revolution, and that has moved on a step further with the new Kodiaq – it’s clever and elegant, but it’ll also make you stand out in the car park.
  • All of our products offer exceptional value for money. With our SE Technology trim level in particular, our cars feature generous levels of equipment aimed at company car users.
  • Skoda has a great reputation for reliability – for the second year running the brand was voted top for dependability in the 2016 J.D Power survey with an extension of its lead over other manufacturers.
  • It’s our safest car yet, with Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Assist, Blind Spot Detect and Rear Traffic Alert.
  • You can also add Trailer Assist to make reversing a trailer easier, and Area View to make manoeuvring easier.

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