Skoda rides high in polls and sales

It’s awards season in the automotive industry, and Škoda has driven away with the popular vote. As one of Volkswagen’s leading brands, the superiority of Škoda’s design and engineering has been consistently praised by technical experts. However, the ultimate arbiter of automotive excellence is the buyer, and Škoda’s 2006 awards and sales results point to a very satisfied bunch of Škoda drivers.

Last month, Škoda was voted the number one car manufacturer of 2006 in the annual Top Gear owner satisfaction survey, with the Octavia, Fabia and Superb models all making the top ten. Fifty-six thousand UK readers rated 152 cars, and put the Octavia – described by the magazine as “a masterpiece of dependability” – in third place. The “charming” Fabia took fourth position, with the luxurious Superb in seventh place.

A spokesperson for Top Gear, the UK’s top-selling general interest car magazine, said: “It’s a stunning achievement by the Czech manufacturer to break the Japanese monopoly – particularly by Lexus – at the top of the table, and just reward for a decade of producing spot-on cars that press exactly the right buttons for its owners.”

Škoda’s reader-poll success capped off an exceptional 2006 for the brand, which saw an 11.7% increase in sales internationally from 2005. “Worldwide, we managed to get over the magical threshold of 500,000 vehicles produced and sold, and closed the year with record-breaking results,” said Škoda Auto BOD Chairman Detlef Wittig. “We have confirmed our ambitions as a renowned automotive brand.” The Škoda Auto Group’s pre-tax profit increased a stunning 40.6% over 2005.

Škoda’s results in the Asian market (which includes New Zealand) were especially stellar, with a 21.1% increase on the previous year. Škoda New Zealand Sales and Marketing Manager James Yates said that New Zealanders would have the opportunity to develop the same appreciation for the brand that UK drivers have. “Everyone will be seeing a great deal of Škoda this year. We wanted to make it easy for people to try the car out without having to go to the trouble of a conventional test-drive, which is how we came up with Free Fare Škoda.”

The Free Fare Škoda campaign will run in downtown Auckland for three months, from March to May, and will offer free rides to passers-by within a five-kilometre radius of the CBD. “It’s all about hands-on experience,” Yates said. “Each driver has extensive knowledge and can answer all passengers’ questions about why they should consider owning one. We find that once people are inside, they are surprised by the high quality of design and value for money the car offers.”

Yates said that with several major model launches in 2007 – the all-new Roomster, Octavia Scout and Fabia – it was a new era for the brand in New Zealand, and the time was right to introduce people to Škoda in an innovative way.

“A unique strength of the brand, and one which we believe helps to account for its international popularity, is Škoda’s very attractive price point versus comparable brands in the marketplace,” Yates said. When it launches in New Zealand in July, the award-winning Škoda Roomster will offer motorists an extraordinary range of features for less than $30,000.

Although the brand is still relatively new to the New Zealand marketplace, having been relaunched here just four years ago, its credentials have seen it recognized at the highest levels; the Škoda Superb is one of three cars being considered for the official ministerial fleet and the Škoda Octavia RS TDI Combi has just taken away the Medium 4 Cylinder Car award at the AA Motoring Excellence Awards.


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About Škoda
Škoda is one of only four carmakers in the world with more than 100 years experience. Škoda was re-launched in the NZ marketplace in March 2003. Today Škoda can be found at seven dealerships across the country in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

For further information:
Škoda New Zealand
James Yates
Sales and Marketing Manager
+64 (0)9 360 2911
+64 (0)21 897 544
jyates@skoda.co.nz Kate Alexander
Alexander Communications
+64 (0)9 524 4957
+64 (0)27 244 6094
kate@alexandercomms.co.nz

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