Skoda Auto at the International Automobile Salon Skoda in Beijing

Skoda Auto is officially presenting the Octavia model designed for the Chinese market at the International Automobile Salon in Beijing. In addition to the current range of products, visitors to the Automobile Salon will also have the opportunity to discover the Skoda history and traditions of over one hundred years.

In addition to the Octavia, Skoda Auto will also be presenting further models from the current production program including the Roomster, Octavia vRS, Octavia Scout, and Superb L&K. The Yeti design study will be on display to demonstrate Skoda’s future development plans, as will the classic Skoda Superb 3000 as part of Skoda’s heritage.

The cooperation contract between Skoda Auto and Shanghai Volkswagen was signed on 11th April 2005. Work commenced in March 2006 with the official development of the sales and service organisation of SVW Skoda. The start of production of the Octavia is the next step to establish the Skoda brand on the growing Chinese market and will commence in early 2007 in Shanghai followed at a later date by the production of the Fabia and Superb model ranges.

Three model ranges of the Skoda brand (Fabia, Octavia, and Superb) will be produced in the factories of Shanghai Volkswagen for the local markets. The sales, service and customer care will be provided through the exclusive Skoda dealer network which is currently being developed.

Detlef Wittig, Chairman of the Board of Skoda Auto, said “We regard China as being one of the strategic markets fro the future development of the Skoda brand. With the official presentation of the Octavia model and with the pending production start, a new position for the Skoda brand in China is being created.”

The licensed production in China is a component of Skoda’s ongoing growth strategy, complementing existing assembly projects in the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India and, in the near future, Russia. The implementation of this growth strategy, including vehicle production in China, is an important step on the path towards establishing Skoda as a high volume international manufacturer.

In 2006 Skoda plans to supply more than 530,000 vehicles to customers in over 90 markets worldwide, continuing the brand’s impressive growth trend seen during the past year. This result means Skoda will once again set new standards for the brand by exceeding existing company sales records.