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ŠKODA KAROQ wins ‘small SUV’ category in the ‘Bild am Sonntag’ and ‘Auto Bild’ readers’ choice

The car magazine ‘Auto Bild’ and the ‘Bild am Sonntag’ newspaper have awarded the new ŠKODA KAROQ with the 2017 Golden Steering Wheel. Readers from over 20 European countries had voted the KAROQ into the final of the ‘small SUV’ category. In the end, a jury of experts chose ŠKODA’s newcomer as the winner after a number of challenging test drives.

“With the KAROQ, which sets benchmarks in many areas, we are consistently pressing ahead with our successful SUV campaign,” said ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Technical Development, Christian Strube. “I am delighted that the latest addition to our model range is also going down so well. The Golden Steering Wheel shows that with the KAROQ, we are currently offering the most attractive overall package in the compact SUV category,” added Strube.

The Golden Steering Wheel is one of Europe’s most coveted car awards. This year, a total of 42 models competed, split into the following categories: small and compact cars, small SUVs, large SUVs, mid-size and executive cars, and sports cars.

The ŠKODA KAROQ competed in the ‘small SUV’ category – with twelve nominees, the category containing the most participants. First of all, readers of ‘Auto Bild’, ‘Bild am Sonntag’ and their sister publications in more than 20 European countries voted for their four favourites in each vehicle category. During challenging test drives in Balocco in Northern Italy, the finalists were appraised by a jury of 53 experts including racing drivers, engineers, celebrities, designers and editors of leading European car magazines.

In typical ŠKODA style, the KAROQ impressed the judges with qualities such as comfort and a generous amount of space. In addition, the jury awarded more points for connectivity: the KAROQ impresses with the latest generation of infotainment systems, which can be operated via a capacitive touchscreen. The KAROQ is also the first ŠKODA to offer a freely programmable, digital instrument panel. Thanks to an LTE module and Wi-Fi hotspot, passengers in the ŠKODA KAROQ are ‘always online’. Furthermore, the compact SUV impressed the testers with its powerful drive and winning chassis set-up.

Article source: www.skoda-auto.com

On course for a record once again: Together with its production partners worldwide ŠKODA AUTO has already produced one million vehicles this year, making it the fourth year in a row that the number of vehicles rolling off the production line has reached seven figures. Never before has this milestone been achieved as early as in October of a calendar year. The ŠKODA models OCTAVIA, FABIA and SUPERB have made the greatest contribution to this success. Additionally, the large SUV, the ŠKODA KODIAQ, promises further growth for 2017. The ŠKODA KAROQ will also provide impetus for growth. The company is currently introducing the compact SUV to the markets, thereby continuing its SUV campaign.

Mladá Boleslav, 31 October 2017: “Reaching the mark of one million cars produced is an important milestone for us this year,” said ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, Michael Oeljeklaus. “This number, which has now already been reached, underlines the performance of our production sites as well as the expertise of our team. This year, we are once again aiming for a new production record,” added Oeljeklaus.

ŠKODA AUTO has reached together with its production partners worldwide the mark of one million ŠKODA vehicles produced in a financial year for the fourth consecutive time. The long-established company from Mladá Boleslav has reached this milestone earlier than ever before. In addition to the high demand for its bestseller, the ŠKODA OCTAVIA, FABIA and the SUPERB model ranges, the successful debut of the ŠKODA KODIAQ also made a contribution to increasing the production volume. Furthermore, the market launch of the large SUV in February this year marked the start of ŠKODA AUTO’s SUV campaign as part of the 2025 Strategy. As the most recent addition to the ŠKODA family, the ŠKODA KAROQ compact SUV is currently being introduced to the markets.

The landmark of one million vehicles produced, which was reached at the end of October, underlines once more ŠKODA AUTO’s positive development over the last 25 years in particular. Since joining Volkswagen Group in 1991, the Czech car manufacturer has increased its production sevenfold and transformed itself from a regional operator into an established high-volume manufacturer. Whilst there was only one model range rolling off the production line back then, today it is seven model ranges and over 40 model variants.

As it has grown, the company has been cultivating an international and efficient production network. In its home country of the Czech Republic, besides its main plant in Mladá Boleslav, the manufacturer operates further production plants in Kvasiny and Vrchlabí. In addition, ŠKODA vehicles also roll off the line at Volkswagen Group plants or with local partners in China, India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Algeria and Slovakia.

ŠKODA AUTO has set a course for long-term growth beyond 2017. The roadmap for this comes in the shape of the 2025 Strategy, with which the Czech manufacturer is preparing itself for the upcoming challenges in the automotive industry. The future strategy’s key topics include electromobility, the digitalisation of the company, internationalisation and new mobility services. With this, ŠKODA AUTO aims to grow in two dimensions: on the one hand, vehicle sales are to be increased further and on the other hand, new business areas, such as digital mobility services, are to create a broader base for growth.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

A pillar of the ŠKODA AUTO production network: three ŠKODA models, around 8,000 employees .

ŠKODA AUTO is celebrating 70 years of ŠKODA car production in Kvasiny. ŠKODA vehicles have been rolling off the production line at the Kvasiny plant from as early as 1947. Today, approximately 8,000 employees produce around 1,000 cars each day. In early 2017, the brand’s two-millionth vehicle was made here. In the future, more than 300,000 vehicles are to be produced at the location in Eastern Bohemia every year – to this end, ŠKODA AUTO is constantly modernising the plant.

“Kvasiny is a state-of the-art plant with a rich tradition and an excellent, highly competent workforce,” said Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics. “As a key part of the production network, our plant in Kvasiny is playing an important role in achieving the production targets defined in our 2025 Strategy. In the coming years, the plant’s annual production volume will increase further. To this end, we are investing heavily in the location and are upgrading Kvasiny to a production competence centre – for SUVs amongst other things,” added Oeljeklaus.

Cars have been built at the production site in Eastern Bohemia from as early as 1934; ŠKODA commenced production in Kvasiny with the ŠKODA SUPERB 13 years later – even back then the car was the brand’s flagship. Subsequent years saw further models being made here, including the FELICIA (1958 to 1964), the 110 R Coupé (1970 to 1980), the PICK-UP (1995 to 2001), the first and second generations of the SUPERB, and then the ROOMSTER and the YETI.

Currently, the ŠKODA AUTO plant in Kvasiny is undergoing the largest modernisation and expansion in its history. As part of the SUV campaign, which began with the ŠKODA KODIAQ, the manufacturer will invest a total of around seven billion Czech korunas in modernising the production processes. In the next few years, the production capacity will increase to more than 300,000 vehicles per year. Today, ŠKODA’s SUPERB and KODIAQ models are made here, as well as the newly developed compact SUV, the KAROQ. The ŠKODA AUTO plant in Kvasiny produces also the SUV SEAT ATECA.

In 2016, the workforce was augmented by a further 2,600 employees. ŠKODA AUTO currently employs around 8,000 members of staff in Kvasiny, making the company one of the region’s largest employers. In addition, the car manufacturer invests in regional infrastructure measures and promotes the appeal of the location by pursuing a variety of social endeavours.

Article source: www.skoda-auto.com

Deliveries in the first nine months of the year increased by 3.6 percent to 871,100 vehicles.

ŠKODA AUTO’s success story continues with the brand once again recording profitable growth. In the first three quarters of the year, the Czech car manufacturer increased its global deliveries to customers by 3.6 percent compared to the same period in 2016 to 871,100 vehicles. Sales revenue rose by 22.0 percent compared to the first nine months of the previous year to 12.3 billion euros. ŠKODA AUTO posted a significant increase of 28.3 percent on the previous year’s operating profit. Both the extensive revisions to the model range and the large SUV ŠKODA KODIAQ’s very successful sales launch are the main drivers of this positive development.

"The significant increases in sales and profit in the first three quarters of the year demonstrate that we have devised an effective strategy," says ŠKODA AUTO CEO Bernhard Maier. "The full potential of our SUV campaign is now unfolding. The KODIAQ has been very well received by our customers. Now, we are launching the little brother – the ŠKODA KAROQ."

Demand for the ŠKODA KODIAQ on the global markets has been high since its launch in February 2017, and by the end of September, 61,600 vehicles had already been delivered. With the brand’s first large SUV, ŠKODA is conquering new customer groups. The next stage of the SUV campaign is the compact ŠKODA KAROQ, which has been available in the first markets since October.

In the first nine months of 2017, the automobile manufacturer’s sales revenue rose by 22.0 percent to 12.3 billion euros (January to September 2016: 10.1 billion euros). ŠKODA AUTO also achieved significant double-digit growth in operating profit, which increased by 28.3 percent to 1.2 billion euros (January to September 2016: 940 million euros).

ŠKODA AUTO once again surpassed the previous year's return on sales, which stood at 9.8 percent at the end of September 2017 (January to September 2016: 9.3 percent).

"With these excellent results, ŠKODA AUTO proves its financial strength and profitability," says ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Finance Klaus-Dieter Schürmann. "The new ŠKODA KODIAQ contributed significantly to the improvement in earnings. The continually increasing profitability is largely attributable to positive volume and mix effects."

ŠKODA AUTO’s earnings strength provides a reliable financial basis for the further development of the company and brand. The core areas of this development are defined in Strategy 2025, which lays out the brand’s electromobility plans and its entry into new digital business fields, as well as the continuation of the model and SUV campaigns.

ŠKODA AUTO Group – Key figures for January to September 2017*:

	Units	2017	2016	Change in %
Deliveries to customers	no. of cars	871,100	840,900	3.6
Deliveries to customers excluding China	no. of cars	658,500	615,700	7.0
Production**	no. of cars	648,500	573,800	13.0
Sales***	no. of cars	699,600	605,800	15.5
Sales revenue	million EUR	12,338	10,113	22.0
Operating profit	million EUR	1,206	940	28.3
Return on sales	percent	9,8	9,3	-
Net cash flow	million EUR	1,690	928	82.1

* Percentage deviations are calculated from non-rounded figures
** Comprises the production of the ŠKODA brand, excluding production in China, Slovakia, Russia and India, but including other Group brands such as SEAT, Audi and VW; vehicle production excluding part/complete kits
*** Comprises sales of the ŠKODA brand to sales companies and includes other Group brands, such as SEAT, Audi and VW; vehicle sales excluding part/complete kits

Article source: www.skoda-auto.com

ŠKODA’s award-winning Kodiaq range is set to earn its badges with the arrival of a new Scout model. Priced from £32,330 and positioned between the SE L and Edition models, the Scout is the first new addition to the Kodiaq range since the seven-seater SUV arrived earlier this year.

Milton Keynes, 3 October 2017: To meet anticipated customer demand, the Scout is available with six engine and transmission options, all of which feature four-wheel drive. The engine range consists of two petrol offerings, a 1.4 TSI unit that produces 150PS and a 2.0 TSI unit that generates 180PS. The 1.4 TSI is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission as standard with a seven-speed DSG available as an option, while the 2.0 TSI features a seven-speed DSG as standard.

Customers opting for diesel can choose between two 2.0 TDI units with outputs of 150PS and 190PS. The 150PS version offers the choice of a standard six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DSG while the range-topping 190PS version is equipped with a seven-speed DSG as standard.

In keeping with ŠKODA Scout models, the Kodiaq Scout comes with a tent-full of special features that mark it apart from other models in the range. The bespoke exterior design package includes special Scout off-road front and rear bumpers, a rear diffuser, Scout plaques on the front wings and silver door mirrors. 19-inch Crater Anthracite alloy wheels complete the rugged new look.

Inside, the Kodiaq Scout features Alcantara trimmed seats and door panels, along with wood finish dashboard and door inserts and a Scout plaque on the dashboard. Equipped with seven seats as standard, Scout cabin also features aluminium trimmed pedals and LED ambient lighting.

As befits a model bearing the Scout badge, the newest member of the Kodiaq family is ideally equipped for adventures off the beaten track. All models are equipped with an off-road mode that adapts the chassis, engine and brake settings for rough terrain. It also engages Hill Descent Assist on steep downhill slopes, holding the car at a safe speed while it's descending. The Scout also features a ‘rough road package’ as standard that includes a tough engine guard and underbody stone guard.

Scout models have been part of ŠKODA’s range since the first Octavia Scout joined the range in 2007. Characterised by their rugged design and enhanced off-road ability, Scout models have won numerous industry accolades and enjoy a loyal following with buyers. The Kodiaq Scout will join the current Octavia Scout model in the brand’s 2017 line-up.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

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