Volkswagen patents could lead to the Czech brand’s entry into the U.S. market

Americans may not be familiar with the automotive brand Skoda, but over in Central Europe, the Czech manufacturer is considered as one of the region’s biggest automakers. The company is also regarded as one of the Volkswagen Group’s biggest money-makers alongside Audi and Porsche. That status could very well pave the way for the company to make its first ever foray into the North American market. Recent reports indicate that Skoda has filed a number of trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, specifically trademarking the names Skoda Superb, Octavia, and Yeti. Not surprisingly, those three models are some of Skoda’s biggest selling models in Europe.

The company hasn’t come out and explained the decision behind the trademarks, but there are a couple possibilities. The first is that Skoda simply wants those names protected and having them trademarked ensures that those names won’t be used by another automaker in the North American region. The second and more intriguing reason is that the Volkswagen Group could be planning to launch Skoda in the U.S., a possibility that has grown in the wake of the emissions scandal that has plagued Volkswagen. The drop in public trust for models with the VW badge has sullied the automaker’s status in the U.S., and it wasn’t even considered high in the first place. But with sales going south for VW models, the German auto conglomerate could mitigate that swoon by bringing in Skoda to either take Volkswagen’s place or just offer a new alternative for increasingly discerning U.S. customers.

Whether that situation happens is still up in the air, but the mere suggestion of Skoda entering the U.S. market is interesting to say the least. There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, particularly the reception the brand will get from a market that’s largely unfamiliar with the brand and its status over in Europe.

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