Almost two months ago we brought you news that Czech automaker and member of VW group, Skoda, had filed trademarks for the Superb, Octavia, and Yeti – three of Skoda’s best-selling models. Then, Skoda filed for the use of the name “Skoda H-Tec,” adding even more fuel to the fire. Now, Skoda is at it again, this time filing a trademark application for “VRS” – a badge that is reserved for the performance variant of the Octavia.

This being the case, it seems almost unlikely that Skoda isn’t coming to the U.S. at some point in the future. Sure, the brand could just be protecting the names the use in other markets, but there’s probably something more to it. Think about this for a minute. Skoda hasn’t sold a vehicle in the U.S. since the 1960s. Now, here we are in 2016, and the trademarks with Skoda’s name on them are piling up fast. On top of that, Skoda is the best-selling brand globally under Volkswagen’s umbrella with the exception of Porsche and Audi. In June, the brand sold nearly 100,000 models and, for the first half of 2016, that brand set a company record with just over 569,000 examples sold.

Obviously, Skoda is doing pretty well these days, and the U.S. market could certainly increase its revenue even further. Plus, this could be a strategic move by VAG. Keep reading to hear my thoughts on that.

Strategy at its Finest

Let’s not beat around the bush; Volkswagen got itself pretty deep in the dirtiest of scandals, losing trust and integrity along the way. The VW brand is currently putting the majority of its U.S. efforts into crossovers and SUVs in an attempt to exploit the American love for poor fuel economy and big, bulky vehicles. To put it simply, we don’t want to take a chance with VW cars after the scandal. So, why not use a company under its wing to make up for the lost trust in VW? Volkswagen could easily maintain its focus on premium vehicles and SUVs here in the U.S. and use Skoda to drive the sale of entry-level models. This could make up for lost cash flow after the ridiculous scandal while the uninformed flock to the Skoda brand instead of VW. I mean, why not? Skoda didn’t cheat on emissions testing, right?