Skoda market share on the up

In April Skoda's market share reached its highest level since December 2000. Registrations for the month were 4,137 vehicles, representing a total market share of 2.36 per cent for the Czech manufacturer. This exceeded the 2.26 per cent market share recorded by the company in February this year.

So far in 2008, Skoda has registered 14,367 new vehicles, representing market share of 1.67 per cent for the year. This is a significant improvement on 2007, when the company's year-to-date market share was 1.53 per cent by April. This impressive performance is ample proof that the quality of Skoda's vehicles is making a mark on British consumers.

Skoda UK Director Robert Hazelwood said: "This increase in market share is testament not only to the outstanding quality of our cars, but to the dedication of our retailers. It is also ample proof that Skoda as a brand is continuing to grow and that the news that Skoda is the manufacturer of happy drivers is not a secret any longer.”

Skoda achieved this outstanding result despite difficult market conditions, although Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures suggest that April was a better month for the industry. Total registrations for the month were 175,668 – up by 5,505 on April 2007.

One of the main growth areas for registrations was diesel vehicles. This is a trend that Skoda is well placed to exploit, given its strong range of economical and attractive models, not least the incredibly frugal new Fabia GreenLine, the spacious Roomster, which is available with a selection of diesel engines, and the class-leading Octavia.