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Mladá Boleslav, 12 April 2016 – “ŠKODA is one of the longest-established carmakers in the world that has been writing an exemplary success story over the past quarter century thanks to a strong team,” said ŠKODA CEO Bernhard Maier, adding: “What began as a one-series producer with annual sales of 170,000 in the early 90s has since evolved into an internationally competitive car company with six model lines and over 40 versions. Nowadays, ŠKODA produces over one million cars per year at 14 production sites on two continents, selling products in over 100 markets. The good partnership between ŠKODA and Volkswagen and a competent and highly motivated workforce have paved the way for this exemplary development.”

“Supporting a stable economy, attracting new investments and creating new jobs are among the priorities of the government coalition. ŠKODA AUTO has become one of the drivers of the Czech economy over the past 25 years. The government recently supported the expansion of the Solnice-Kvasiny industrial zone in the Hradec Králové region. ŠKODA AUTO will be investing 7.2 billion crowns into the location and creating more than 2000 new jobs by 2018. This investment also underlines the fact that ŠKODA AUTO is one of the most important investors and employers in the Czech Republic. I wish the company stable and successful development over the coming years,” says Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.

By 1990 several car manufacturers from Western Europe and overseas had expressed their interest in the traditional brand, founded in 1895, to the Czech government, who ultimately decided in favour of merging ŠKODA with Volkswagen. Europe's largest automobile producer was seeking a strategic partnership with the traditional Czech brand, and welcomed the highly trained, creative and efficient workforce. Craftsmanship and engineering expertise had always been among the Czechs’ strengths. On 28 March 1991, Czech Industry Minister Jan Vrba and Dr. Carl Hahn as CEO of Volkswagen signed the agreement on the inclusion of the then ‘ŠKODA automobilová akciová společnost’ in the Volkswagen Group. On April 16, 1991, the document came into force. As a result, the Group gradually increased its share before becoming the sole owner of the joint stock company ŠKODA AUTO on 30 May, 2000.

“ŠKODA and Volkswagen represent a European success story. 25 years ago, ŠKODA was a company with a long tradition and great potential. Today, ŠKODA is the Czech Republic’s leading exporter, and one of the most dynamic automotive brands in the world,” says Volkswagen Group CEO, Matthias Müller. “Digitization and electromobility are presenting our industry with considerable challenges, but above all, they offer great opportunities. As part of the Volkswagen Group, ŠKODA has all the prerequisites to cope with change, in terms of their customers, employees and manufacturing locations. This will involve not only redefining the car, but also our company to a large extent. And we will be doing that together.”

Since then, a comprehensive coordinated investment programme has fuelled the ŠKODA brand’s dynamic development. Between 1991 and March 2016, more than 300 billion crowns (around € 11 billion) were invested in new models, research and development, and in expanding production capacities. With approximately 28,500 employees today, ŠKODA is one of the largest and most attractive employers in the Czech Republic. The production network, including ŠKODA’s three Czech sites in Mladá Boleslav, Kvasiny and Vrchlabí, has grown in capacity thanks to Volkswagen Group affiliations in China, India, Russia and Slovakia, in addition to the assembly plants in Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

“With this 25th anniversary, ŠKODA and the Volkswagen Group have reached a new milestone along their joint path,” says Jaroslav Povšík, head of the union OS KOVO MB adding: “We can be very proud of our employees’ performance. Without them, the impressive success story of the past 25 years would have been unthinkable. It has once again been shown that the Community Decision model that Volkswagen has successfully implemented ensures both satisfaction and records.”

The heart of the globally successful brand still beats in Mladá Boleslav – one of the birthplaces of the European automotive industry. The company’s main plant and headquarters have been located in the Bohemian town for the company’s entire 121-year history. The carmaker’s pioneers include Václav Laurin and Václav Klement, who – impressed by motorized mobility on two and four wheels – laid the foundation for today’s automobile company in 1895. Incidentally, they were contemporaries of Ferdinand Porsche, whose birthplace, Vratislavice, is situated near Mladá Boleslav.

ŠKODA is now one of the fundamental pillars of the Czech economy: In 2015 the manufacturer contributed around 4.5% of the Czech gross domestic product, accounting for around 8% of Czech exports. The brand consistently sets new sales records: In 2015 deliveries increased by 1.8% to 1,055,500 vehicles (2014: 1,037,200). Revenue increased by 6.2% to a new record of € 12.5 billion (2014: € 11.8 billion), and operating profit grew by 12.0% to € 915 million (2014: € 817 million). By the end of March 2016, ŠKODA’s global sales had climbed by 4.3% to 276,600 vehicles, thereby reaching a new record for the first three months of a year.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

Mladá Boleslav, 11. April 2016 – “With the best first quarter and the best single month in our corporate history, ŠKODA is building on the successful development of sales in 2015. We are optimistic for the coming months, taking into consideration our growth in China and Europe, as well as the success of the new ŠKODA Superb, Fabia and Yeti models. At the same time, the situation remains tense in some markets, particularly Russia,” says ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing Werner Eichhorn.

ŠKODA achieved significant growth in March and the first quarter in Western Europe. In March, deliveries rose by 6.4% to 49,600 (March 2015: 46,600). In the first three months of the year, the brand improved its sales by 8.5% to 115,000 vehicles sold (first quarter of 2015: 106,000). ŠKODA’s market share reached 3.2%. In Germany – ŠKODA’s second strongest market worldwide – the brand’s sales increased by 5.1% to 16,300 vehicles in March (March 2015: 15,500), and in the first quarter by 7.8% to 38,900 vehicles (2015: 36,100). ŠKODA has strengthened its position in Germany as the number-one automobile importer. In March, the Czech car manufacturer also recorded double-digit growth in France (2,300 vehicles; up 27.1%), Belgium (2,200 vehicles; up 31.3%), Italy (2,100 cars; up 20.9%), Ireland (1,500 vehicles; up 28.1%) Sweden (1,400 vehicles; up 10.1%), Netherlands (1,400 vehicles; up 18.6%) and Portugal (400 vehicles; up 50.0%).

ŠKODA also recorded significant growth in Central Europe. In March, the brand sold 16,500 vehicles in this region – an increase of 8.1% compared to the previous March (15,300). In the first quarter, deliveries increased by 6.8% to 46,100 vehicles (first quarter of 2015: 43,200). In its Czech home market, ŠKODA’s sales in March increased by 9.0% to 8,000 units (March 2015: 7,300), and in the first quarter by 8.3% to 21,900 vehicles (first quarter of 2015: 20,200). Also, in Poland (5,100 vehicles; up 10.6%), Slovakia (1,600 vehicles; up 7.2%) and Slovenia (600 vehicles; up 9.3%) ŠKODA sold more cars than in March 2015.

In Eastern Europe, excluding Russia, ŠKODA sold 3,000 vehicles in March (March 2015: 2,500) and thus 17.6% more than the same month last year. In the first quarter, the brand delivered 7,400 vehicles to customers (first quarter of 2015: 6,900, up 6.8%). ŠKODA’s market share had risen to 8.0% by the end of March (first quarter of 2015: 6.9%). Despite the challenging market conditions in Russia, ŠKODA delivered 4,800 vehicles in March (March 2015: 4,600); in the first quarter the manufacturer sold 12,500 vehicles (January to March 2015: 15,300). ŠKODA’s share of the Russian market stood at 4.2% in the first quarter (first quarter of 2015: 4.2%). Among other regions, ŠKODA achieved double-digit growth in Romania (900 vehicles; up 23.1%), Bulgaria (200 vehicles; up 13.6%) and Bosnia (100 vehicles; up 10.3%).

In the company’s strongest global market, China, ŠKODA deliveries increased by 1.3% to 25,600 vehicles in March (March 2015: 25,200). In the first quarter, ŠKODA’s deliveries increased by 5.2% to 75,400 vehicles (January to March 2015: 71,700 vehicles). By the end of March, ŠKODA had a 1.4% share of the Chinese market. ŠKODA achieved high rates of growth in March in Israel (1,800 vehicles; up 16.1%), Taiwan (400 vehicles; up 80.8%) and New Zealand (100 vehicles; up 41.6%). Turkey is another important market for the brand with 2,100 deliveries (up 0.7%). In India, the manufacturer achieved 1,400 deliveries in March (March 2015: 1,500; down 6.9%). In the first quarter, 3,700 customers opted for a ŠKODA (January to March 2015: 4,100).

In terms of model series, the brand's flagship, the ŠKODA Superb, the subcompact Fabiaand the compact SUV Yeti achieved above-average growth rates. This March, the mid-class Superb series achieved an increase of 79.3% over the previous March with 13,000 units sold. Between January and March, sales of the Superb increased 69.8% to 32,200 compared to the first quarter of 2015. This positive development is attributable to the base effect resulting from the discontinuation of its predecessor last year. The Fabia achieved significant growth both in March (20,500 vehicles; up 21.6%), as well as in the first quarter (49,500 vehicles; up 28.5%). The Yeti also recorded positive developments, with sales of 10,600 in March (up 14.6%) and 26,900 vehicles (up 16,9%) in the first quarter of 2016.

ŠKODA deliveries to customers in March 2016 (in units, rounded off, listed by model; +/- in % compared to March 2015):
ŠKODA Citigo (only sold in Europe: 4500; -0.9 %
ŠKODA Fabia (20,500; +21.6 %)
ŠKODA Rapid (18,300; -10.4 %)
ŠKODA Octavia (39,400; -2.4 %)
ŠKODA Superb (13,000; +79.3 %)
ŠKODA Yeti (10.600; +14.6 %)


ŠKODA deliveries to customers in the first quarter of 2016 (in units, rounded off, listed by model; +/- in % compared to the first quarter of 2015):
ŠKODA Citigo (only sold in Europe: 9700; +0.5 %)
ŠKODA Fabia (49.500; +28.5 %)
ŠKODA Rapid (48.500; -12.6 %)
ŠKODA Octavia (109.900; -1.8 %)
ŠKODA Superb (32.200; +69.8 %)
ŠKODA Yeti (26.900; +16.9 %)

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

Mladá Boleslav, 4 April 2016 – The ŠKODA Octavia is celebrating an important milestone with impressive interim results: In the 20 years since the debut of the first ŠKODA Octavia, five million customers around the world have opted for one of the various Octavia models offered. Its combination of above-average space, modern engines and safety features at an attractive price was to be the inspiration for all the brand’s later models.

Approximately one year after the Czech brand had joined the Volkswagen Group in 1991, the development of the completely new ŠKODA Octavia model series was underway. This was based on what was then an entirely new platform, developed at Group level in parallel with the conception of the Octavia. The engineers constructed a robust body structure with the help of modern CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology, while the ŠKODA design team created a timeless and unmistakable body shape, at the ŠKODA development centre in Mladá Boleslav led by Chief Designer Dirk van Braeckel.

The developers paid close attention to active and passive safety. In addition to front airbags, the brand offered side airbags for the first time. A special feature of the new compact was the practical liftback solution: The large rear door of the hatchback model allowed for excellent access to the 528-litre boot, which grew to as much as 1,328 litres by folding the rear seats down.

In 1996, the year the model was first released, customers could choose between two four-cylinder petrol engines and one turbo diesel drivetrain. The entry-level engine was the 1.6 MPI with 75 hp, the 1.8 20 V positioned above that brought it to 125 hp and the modern turbodiesel direct-injection 1.9 TDI generated an output of 90 hp, giving an average fuel consumption of over 55mpg. ŠKODA gradually expanded its engine range to include the particularly economical 1.9 SDI with 68 hp and the 1.8 20 V turbo with 150 hp.

The first Octavia Estate celebrated its world premiere in March 1998 and quickly became a bestseller, particularly in Europe. In 1999 a four-wheel drive Octavia Estate made its debut.

The Octavia/Octavia Estate name refers to the successful model of the same designation, of which ŠKODA produced approximately 364,000 units between 1959 and 1964 in Mladá Boleslav and Kvasiny. The Latin word ‘octavia’ means ‘the eighth’, relating to ŠKODA’s eighth automobile of the ‘modern era’ with independent suspension following the debut of this technology in 1933.

For the new Octavia series, ŠKODA built a new production line in a 37,500-square-metre hall at the Mladá Boleslav plant, followed by a new paint shop processing up to 1,800 vehicles per day. The new production line commenced operations on April 3, 1996. The capacity of the main plant increased by 90,000 units to 350,000 vehicles annually and ŠKODA became the largest industrial company in the Czech Republic.

The last vehicle of the first series eventually rolled off Vrchlabí’s production line in November 2010. From 1996 to 2010, ŠKODA delivered a total of 970,000 hatchbacks and over 470,000 estates to customers worldwide.

The second-generation Octavia continued unabated the success of its predecessor. ŠKODA sold a total of 1.6 million hatchbacks and 900,000 estates between 2004 and 2013. Technologies, such as direct-injection petrol engines, and the direct shift gearbox (DSG) made their debut in the Octavia II.

The third-generation Octavia, an important cornerstone of ŠKODA’s model range, has been running off the production lines since November 2012. At the end of March 2016, the one millionth vehicle of this model generation was produced at ŠKODA’s main production facility in Mladá Boleslav.

The traditional Czech brand has manufactured a total of five million Octavias since the ŠKODA Octavia was first launched in 1996. In addition to Mladá Boleslav, the ŠKODA Octavia is also produced in China, India, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk