Skoda Trademarks The Name Slavia In India; What Could It Be For?

According to a recent listing on the Ministry of Commerce and Industry's Patent Design and Trademarks website, Skoda Auto has trademarked the name Slavia in India. The listing says that the new name is for an "automobile and their parts and accessories," and we believe it could be the official name of the replacement model for the Skoda Rapid. While the Rapid is certainly performing well, it has been in the market for nearly a decade now without a generation upgrade, and right now Skoda is working on a replacement for the car, which has been codenamed - ANB Sedan.

Also Read: Next Generation Skoda Rapid Codenamed ANB Sedan

Slavia was also the name of the first motorised bicycle that was manufactured by Skoda Auto's founders in 1899

The name Skoda Slavia itself has a much deeper connection with the Czech carmaker. Slavia was the name of the first motorised bicycle that was manufactured by the company's founders Václav Laurin and Václav Klement in 1899. Much recently, in July 2020, the company also revealed the 7th Skoda Student Concept Car, a 2-door open-top roadster, which was also named Skoda Slavia, commemorating the company's first vehicle. It was designed by 31 students attending the renowned Skoda vocational school and was based on the Skoda Scala, which was the replacement for the Rapid Spaceback in Europe.

Also Read: Skoda Rapid's Rider Variant Sold Out For 2020; Temporarily Removed From The Website

The ANB Sedan launched under India 2.0 project looks fantastic. Trust me on this.

— Zac Hollis (@Zac_Hollis_) December 12, 2019

Earlier in December 2019, replying to a Twitter user, Zac Hollis, Brand Director - Sales, Marketing & Service - Skoda Auto India, said that replacement model for the Rapid or ANB sedan will be launched under India 2.0 project. While it was expected to arrive in 2021, due to coronavirus pandemic, and the resultant lockdown, the company product timeline has changed, and it's possible that the new compact sedan might be pushed to 2022. That's because 2021 will see the carmaker focus on bringing in the new-gen Skoda Octavia sedan, the Karoq facelift, and also the production version of the Vision IN concept. The company has also trademarked about five different names for the SUVs in India.

Also Read: 2020 Skoda Rapid Automatic Review

2020 Skoda Rapid right now comes with a 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine that is tuned to make 108 bhp and 175 Nm of peak torque

Right now, the Skoda Rapid comes with the company's 1.0-litre TSI turbo petrol engine that is tuned to make 108 bhp and 175 Nm of peak torque, while mated to a 6-speed manual and an option 6-speed automatic torque converter unit. Skoda has said that it will be the bread & butter engine for India 2.0, and thus we expect it to be offered with the new-gen sedan as well.