ŠKODA is marking its fourth year of partnership with the Goodwood Festival of Speed with a spectacular display that celebrates the brand’s rich sporting history – on two wheels and four.
Milton Keynes, 19th June 2014 - The annual three-day festival remains an unmissable date in the motoring calendar, thanks to a dizzying mix of cars, stars and motor sport royalty. Held in the grounds of Goodwood House from June 26-29, the 2014 Festival of Speed promises to be the most spectacular to date, with some of the greatest drivers and rarest cars in the world putting on a show to entertain the crowds. 
 
Fully interactive ŠKODA Pavilion 
As in previous years, the ŠKODA Pavilion forms the centrepiece of ŠKODA’s Goodwood activities. For 2014, the pavilion explores and celebrates the brand’s cycling heritage, with a host of interactive displays and activities designed to engage visitors of all ages. These include a remarkable ‘Ride the ŠKODA Summit’ attraction that allows brave visitors to ride a ŠKODA bike up a special course constructed at the back of the pavilion. Other interactive features include a virtual Tour de France-style stage, and regular displays from a cycle stunt team. 
 
The pavilion also plays host to two striking ŠKODA concept cars – the Yeti Xtreme and VisionC. Appearing for the first time in the UK, both are guaranteed to draw a crowd, with the rally-themed Yeti perfectly suited to the high-octane atmosphere of the Festival of Speed. Powered by a 1.8 TSI 160PS engine, the Yeti Xtreme incorporates an Octavia vRS braking system, 17-inch alloy wheels and chunky off-road rally tyres. Inside, the Xtreme includes four individual Recaro sports seats, four-point safety harnesses and a sports steering wheel with integrated paddles. 
 
The VisionC takes the form of dynamically elegant five-door coupé, combining pure lines with perfect proportions. It also embodies ŠKODA’s passion for practicality and the environment, incorporating a large, aerodynamically efficient five-door body and an innovative natural gas drive system. 
 
Thrills guaranteed: the Forest Rally Stage presented by ŠKODA 
The theme for the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed is ‘Addicted to Winning – The Unbeatable Champions of Motor Sport’ - a title that fits perfectly with ŠKODA and its heritage of motorsport success. The brand’s legendary Fabia S2000 – the most successful rally car of the Super 2000 era – will be demonstrating its remarkable talents on the ŠKODA-supported 1.7-mile Forest Rally Stage. 
 
This year, British star Neil Simpson will be in charge of serving up the action, with multiple daily runs through the stage. With vast experience in the world of rallying, Neil is currently campaigning his Simpsons Fabia S2000 on selected European Rally Championship rounds, and has already recorded a number of impressive results in 2014. 
 
The 227mph, record-breaking Octavia vRS Bonneville Special will also be on display, along with the very latest incarnation of ŠKODA’s performance flagship. The sporting theme continues with the Citigo Monte Carlo, along with a Service Park Challenge area where visitors can pit their wheel-changing skills against each other. A further challenge awaits those who fancy their chances racing remote control Fabia S2000s, while younger fans can find out more about ŠKODA’s innovative Young Driver initiative.
 
Article source: www.skoda.co.uk
ŠKODA has continued its remarkable 2014 performance with another double-digit increase in monthly registrations for May.
Milton Keynes, 5th June 2014 - A total of 6,339 vehicles were registered in May – a 15.9% increase over the 2013 figure. Over the course of the first five months of 2014, a total of 32,699 were delivered to customers – the most ever by ŠKODA in this period and an impressive 25.7% increase on the brand’s 2013 figure. 
 
ŠKODA’s UK market share increased once again to 3.1%. That compares to 2.7% for the same period in 2013. 
 
The new Octavia was ŠKODA’s most popular model in May with combined hatch and estate registrations of 1,735. The new Yeti and Fabia (hatch and estate) completed the top three with 1169 and 1072 registrations respectively. Citigo recorded 898 registrations, with the Rapid (hatch and Spaceback) rounding off the top five with 652 models registered. The ŠKODA Superb (hatch and estate) reached 564 registrations and 249 Roomster were delivered to customers in May. 

Alasdair Stewart, Brand Director for ŠKODA UK, commented: “These impressive figures prove the strength in depth of our current range. Our retailers are doing a fantastic job of keeping up with demand for our cars, and I’d like to thank them for their hard work. We plan to build on this success throughout 2014.”

Article source: skoda.co.uk
It’s another excellent result for ŠKODA in the respected annual JD Power satisfaction survey. The manufacturer scored a top five position in the brand rankings, with two models inside the top 10 vehicles and one overall class win.
Milton Keynes, 29th May 2014 - This latest success means that ŠKODA has been inside the JD Power Survey’s top 10 manufacturers for more than 20 years without a break – a truly impressive result. 
 
Alasdair Stewart, Brand Director for ŠKODA UK, commented: “The JD Power survey is acknowledged throughout the automotive world as a benchmark standard for customer satisfaction. For ŠKODA to have been in the top 10 for over 20 years is outstanding, and tribute to the hard work of everyone associated with the brand.” 
 
ŠKODA came fourth overall in the brand rankings for 2014, just as it did last year. It remains a fantastic achievement considering the top three spots are all held by premium marques. 
 
Also repeating its success of 2013 was the ŠKODA Yeti compact SUV, which was placed third out of 109 ranked cars and took the overall title in the SUV category. The judges commented: “Owners like the spacious cabin and that they can get in and out of it easily. The raised driving height and large windows mean that the driver’s view of the road is very good, too.” 
 
The ŠKODA Octavia came 7th overall, with the Superb in 15th position. 
 
Judged by thousands of car owners who live with their vehicles day-to-day, JD Power is one of the most influential and eagerly anticipated reports in UK motoring. The results are published in the July of What Car? magazine.
 
Article source: www.skoda.co.uk
ŠKODA has continued its remarkable 2014 performance with another double-digit increase in monthly registrations for May.
Milton Keynes, 5th June 2014 - A total of 6,339 vehicles were registered in May – a 15.9% increase over the 2013 figure. Over the course of the first five months of 2014, a total of 32,699 were delivered to customers – the most ever by ŠKODA in this period and an impressive 25.7% increase on the brand’s 2013 figure. 
 
ŠKODA’s UK market share increased once again to 3.1%. That compares to 2.7% for the same period in 2013. 
 
The new Octavia was ŠKODA’s most popular model in May with combined hatch and estate registrations of 1,735. The new Yeti and Fabia (hatch and estate) completed the top three with 1169 and 1072 registrations respectively. Citigo recorded 898 registrations, with the Rapid (hatch and Spaceback) rounding off the top five with 652 models registered. The ŠKODA Superb (hatch and estate) reached 564 registrations and 249 Roomster were delivered to customers in May. 

Alasdair Stewart, Brand Director for ŠKODA UK, commented: “These impressive figures prove the strength in depth of our current range. Our retailers are doing a fantastic job of keeping up with demand for our cars, and I’d like to thank them for their hard work. We plan to build on this success throughout 2014.”

Article source: skoda.co.uk
At this year’s GTI event at Wörthersee, ŠKODA will be presenting the ŠKODA Yeti Xtreme – a world premiere of this solid and sporty concept rally car based on the popular compact SUV. The event will also mark the debut of the ŠKODA CitiJet – a design concept built by ŠKODA apprentices. It is with these expressive vehicles that the brand once again underlines the emotional qualities and versatility of its attractive model range.
Mladá Boleslav/Reifnitz, 23rd May 2014 - This is the 33rd time that the legendary Volkswagen tuning event will be taking place. Around 200,000 tuning fans will be making the pilgrimage to the cult event in Reifnitz, Austria (28 to 31 May). ŠKODA will be taking part in the GTI event for the fifth time. 
 
“We want to continue the positive development and to grow further with new models over the coming years,” says Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “Therefore we are going to strengthen the emotional vibrancy of the brand. ŠKODA Yeti Xtreme – as a dynamic and powerful compact SUV concept – demonstrates the brand’s strong expertise in four-wheel drive technology, as well as our know-how when it comes to rally sports.” 
 
In creating the ŠKODA Yeti Xtreme, ŠKODA designers have converted their successful compact SUV into a particularly sporty and dynamic rally design. The show car combines the power of an all-wheel drive SUV with strong design elements and equipment features of a racy rally car. 
 
The car is powered by a 1.8 112 kW strong TSI engine and features a six-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG). The maximum torque of 250 Nm is achieved between 1,500 and 4,200 rpm. The Yeti Xtreme accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9 seconds; its top speed is 192 km/h. The Yeti Xtreme features special Octavia RS brakes. 
 
The striking matt-grey Yeti stands on powerful 17-inch alloy wheels and large off-road tyres. It features tinted side windows, roof and wheel rim inserts are set off in bright yellow-green. At the front, the brawny athlete has a powerful bumper and a large air intake, along with LED headlights. For robust sporting use, the height of the chassis can be adjusted. 
 
The ŠKODA Yeti Xtreme flexes its muscles with strikingly shaped wings and powerful door sills. At the rear, the strong rear bumper bears witness to the power and dynamics of the vehicle, so do the two wide exhaust tailpipes, which sound particularly throaty as a result of the absence of silencers. The boot includes a spare wheel and so-called ‘recovery tracks’, special traction mats that can be pushed under the wheels, should the car get stuck in sand. 
 
The interior wows with a racy rally design and includes equipment required for rally use. Passengers can sit on 4 individual Recaro sports seats with integrated four-point safety belts. Other features include the ‘Super Sport’ steering wheel with integrated gearshift paddles. 
 
The designers have used selected high-tech materials for various parts in the car’s interior: the inner door covers have been made entirely from carbon fibre; a sand shovel and a thermos flask have been integrated into holders fitted in the panelling; the floor panel is made from aluminium. 
 
The Colour & Trim package includes further carbon fibre elements and high-quality, dark Alcantara surface with green colour accents. Further aluminium details can be found throughout, such as aluminium pedals and special door sill plates. The centre console has been completely re-defined. This is where standard rally car accessories, such as a belt cutter and a fire extinguisher, can be found. An iPad cradle is integrated into the dashboard, a first aid kit into the glove box. 
 
With the ŠKODA Yeti Xtreme, the manufacturer once again demonstrates the versatile potential of its popular compact SUV. The ŠKODA Yeti was completely redesigned in 2013 and is now available in two exciting versions for the first time: the ŠKODA Yeti for the city and the adventurous ŠKODA Yeti Outdoor for rough terrain. The Czech manufacturer celebrated its premiere in the dynamically growing SUV segment with the ŠKODA Yeti in 2009. Around 640,000 ŠKODA Yetis have been sold to date. The brand achieved a market share of more than 4% in the compact SUV segment within the European Union last year, making the Yeti one of the best-selling A-class SUVs in Europe. 
 
The ŠKODA CitiJet design concept is going to be another highlight of ŠKODA’s appearance at Wörthersee. The vehicle is a dynamic and emotionally designed city-cabriolet based on the ŠKODA Citigo. The two-seater is the result of the ŠKODA apprentices’ project, carried out for the first time this year. Six months in the making, 16 ŠKODA apprentices present the fruits of their labour to the public for the first time.
 
The ŠKODA CitiJet features a distinctive metallic finish in blue and white and has sporty, blue 16-inch alloy wheels, accompanied by a handmade rear spoiler and a powerful exhaust with two tailpipes. A 1.0 MPI petrol engine with 55 kW (75 PS) can be found under the bonnet. 
 
The car features a sporty interior, with equipment based on the interior of the special edition ŠKODA Citigo SPORT. In addition, the creators have installed a special 300 W sound system, and music-reactive blue LED interior lighting.
 
Article source: www.skoda.co.uk