Skoda voted top brand for third straight year

Skoda’s astonishing record of success in the Auto Express Driver Power customer satisfaction survey continues in 2011 with another outstanding performance.

The Czech brand has scooped the top honourin the ‘Best Manufacturer’ category for the third year running.

And when the votes of more than 23,000 magazine readers and website users had been analysed, Skoda models also dominated the ‘Best Car’ category. Three were inside the top four, with the Superb scooping the prestigious number one position. The Yeti was second and Octavia fourth.

Graham Hope, Acting Editor of Auto Express, said: “It’s been another fantastic year for Skoda in our Driver Power survey. Its cars are setting the pace for rivals to follow, and as the brand’s performance over the years has shown, others are struggling to keep up.”

Commenting on another brilliant survey result, Robert Hazelwood, Brand Director for Skoda UK, said: “Being voted ‘Best Manufacturer’ in the Auto Express Driver Power Survey for the third consecutive year is a fantastic achievement for Skoda and our retailers.”

He added:  “Winning any award is always a great boost, but those linked to customer satisfaction are particularly well received. Along with value for money and excellence in engineering, great customer service is one of the key strategies in our continuing mission to take the Skoda brand forward.”

The Auto Express Driver Power survey is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and Skoda’s performance over the decade mirrors the brand’s achievements generally. In the first report in 2002, Skoda was fourth in the manufacturer category, with the Octavia ninth among the cars. But in more recent times, Skoda’s record speaks for itself:

Auto Express Driver Power Survey:

2011
Voted ‘Best Manufacturer’ for third year running
Superb in first place in ‘Best Car’ category
Yeti in second place in ‘Best Car’ category
Octavia in fourth place in ‘Best Car’ category

2010
Voted ‘Best Manufacturer’ for second year running
Octavia in third place in the ‘Best Car’ category

2009
Skoda becomes the first car maker to knock Lexus off the top spot in the ‘Best Manufacturer’ rankings
The MkI Superb and Octavia are second and third respectively in the ‘Best Car’ category

2008
New Octavia takes top spot in the ‘Best Car’ category
Skoda retailers voted second best of all brands

2007
Skoda retailers voted third best
Octavia wins in the ‘Best Car’ category

2006
Three models in the top six in the ‘Best Car’ category.