Something Hot (and Foreign) This Way Comes? Skoda Trademarks VRS Name in U.S.
Czech vehicle names and badging are piling up at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, adding fuel to the rumors of a stateside Škoda launch.
On July 14, Škoda Auto filed a trademark application for VRS, which is the performance variant of the brand’s Octavia lineup. If the Czechs do invade the American marketplace, they might bring something fun with them.
A month ago, Škoda filed for use of the “Skoda H-Tec” name, but the rumor mill mother lode came in late May, when the Volkswagen-owned automaker filed trademark applications for “Skoda Superb”, “Superb”, “Octavia”, and “Yeti.” That’s an entire lineup of vehicles, even though the company hasn’t sold a product in the U.S. since the early 1960s.
Parent company Volkswagen Group hasn’t said anything about its plans for the surging European brand. The trademark filings could simply be a way for the company to preserve the names, even if it has no plans to use them.
Still, Volkswagen’s starting to show some newfound flexibility in the post-emissions scandal era, and a U.S. Škoda introduction can’t be ruled out. Vojta Dobeš, TTAC’s resident Czech, speculated that Volkswagen could abandon its traditional entry-level passenger car lineup and slot Škoda vehicles into that market niche.
Volkswagen’s putting most of its U.S. development efforts into cranking out money-making crossovers and SUVs. The guilt-ridden company also wants to be an electric car leader. Where does that leave someone looking for an affordable, gas-powered econobox with European pretensions?
Škoda’s star is rising overseas. Just today, the brand announced record sales in the first half of this year. With 569,400 deliveries in the first half of 2016, the brand’s sales performance topped last year’s figures by 4.6 percent.
[Image: Škoda Auto]
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Not to be a poor sport but the correct name is Czech Republic. Slovakia is another country. Been that way for a few years and KIA has quite a large factory there. I did business with Slovakia for quite a few years. Some American companies are based in that country. Would like to mention names but not the right thing to do.
The Skoda Yeti could be a big hit in the US, where we love us some Kia Soul. Then again, it could be a big flop in the US, where we hate us some Fiat 500L. The compact-tall-wagon space is very fickle: witness the market's rapturous reception for the first-gen Scion xB vs. its utter disdain for the second-gen xB, even though the second-gen was undoubtedly more pleasant to live with on the daily.