Skoda auto breaks world-wide sales record in March

Spring has sprung early at Skoda Auto this year with yet another new sales record. A total of 52,852 Skodas were sold world-wide in March – a car every minute – which represents a 17 per cent increase on the same period in 2005.

The record figures for March confirm that Skoda has made the strongest possible start to the year. Despite a global slowdown in new car sales, Skoda has once again outperformed the market with first quarter sales up 18.5 per cent to 129,778.

All models in the Skoda range recorded higher sales in the first three months of 2006 than in 2005 with the new Octavia leading the way. The award-winning family hatch and estate enjoyed a 31.7 per cent increase in sales, while the Fabia and Superb also recorded increases of 7.2 per cent and 14.7 per cent respectively.

Once again, the UK market has made a considerable contribution to Skoda’s ongoing success. With 10,242 cars finding homes in the first three months of the year, this is only the second five-figure sales result in Skoda UK’s history. March sales set a record with 6,694 new car deliveries.

Looking at the UK in more detail, the Fabia recorded overall first quarter sales of 5,057, while the new Octavia and Superb recorded figures of 3,928 and 728 respectively.

Another highlight of the figures is the First Quarter performance of Skoda’s vRS brand which has proved a big hit with UK buyers. The 130bhp Fabia vRS now accounts for 19.7 per cent of all Fabia sales, while the recently-introduced 200bhp Octavia vRS accounts for 19 per cent of total Octavia sales – despite only joining the range in mid-January.

Further afield, Skoda has strengthened its position in existing and new markets. Overall sales grew by 17.9% in Western Europe, by 10.8% in Central and Eastern Europe, and by 73.8% in Asia compared to the same period in 2005. Skoda also achieved record first quarter sales in Germany, Spain, Belgium, India, Romania, Hungary, France, Ukraine, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece, and Bulgaria.

Looking to the future, the next chapter in the Skoda success story has just begun with the start of Roomster production at Kvasiny in the Czech Republic. The first car rolled off the line on March 27th and another 15,000 will follow it this year. Up to 190 Roomsters will be built every day by the end of 2006.

The Kvasiny factory, which also builds the Superb, has been expanded to meet the production demands of the new car and has gained new high-tech assembly line, welding shop, logistics centre and freight terminal. The addition of a fourth model line to the Skoda range has also provided over 1,800 new jobs to the region.

The Roomster will be launched in the UK in November. This innovative new car is aimed at customers who demand the ultimate in flexibility but who don’t want the running costs or space issues that go with a full-sized MPV. Despite its compact dimensions, the Roomster lives up to the Skoda tradition of being ‘that extra bit of car.’ Its arrival will push production past the half-million mark for the first time in Skoda’s history.