Record Year For ŠKODA

›  Sales increase by 15 percent to around 875,000 cars in 2011

›  First year of growth strategy a resounding success

›  Ramp-up of capacities ahead for further growth

›  New Citigo and Rapid models make promising starts

›  Most successful year in motorsport in company’s history

New Delhi/Mladá Boleslav, January 5th, 2012 – ŠKODA continued on its growth path in 2011 and set another sales record. The brand’s sales increased based on preliminary figures by 15 percent to attain a new all-time high of around 875,000 cars compared to 762,600 vehicles in 2010. At the same time, the manufacturer successfully introduced the new Citigo and Rapid as the first cars under its model offensive.

“This has been an important ŠKODA year”, was ŠKODA CEO Prof. Dr. Winfried Vahland’s year-end assessment. “We have made an impressive start in implementing our 2018 Growth Strategy, growing significantly and achieving a new sales record. Our production, sales, financial figures and international footprint all improved yet again,” he added. The brand’s next objective is clearly defined: ŠKODA intends to raise its worldwide sales to at least 1.5 million per year by 2018. “In 2011, the company created an excellent base for this,” says Vahland.

ŠKODA sold more cars in 2011 in almost all regions than in the previous year. The Indian market, which is an important pillar of the brand’s growth strategy, fared very well, with ŠKODA increasing sales by 50 percent to 30,005 cars in 2011. Other major markets such as China, Germany and Russia proved very dynamic. ŠKODA will report details of these and other individual markets on January 10^th, 2012.

ŠKODA is maintaining its speed and investing in new models, markets and capacities worldwide. One example is the brand’s main plant in Mladá Boleslav, which will be significantly expanded by mid-2012. According to plans, once the expansion comes on stream, a third model will run off the lines to complement bestsellers Octavia and Fabia. Capacity for the Octavia at the location will rise in parallel from 800 to 1,200 units per day. ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí, Czech Republic, plant is to make double-clutch transmissions from late 2012, to be supplied throughout Volkswagen Group, namely to ŠKODA, Volkswagen, SEAT and Audi brands. Joining forces with its Russian partner GAZ, Volkswagen Group Rus is to produce the ŠKODA Yeti at GAZ’s plant in Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. And both Chinese joint ventures of Volkswagen are planning to invest 14 billion euro by 2016 for new production sites and new products. In China ŠKODA produces already models as the Octavia, Fabia and the Superb. The ŠKODA Yeti will be added in 2013. These investments set the company’s course for growth in coming years.

The Citigo subcompact and the Rapid, the Indian compact saloon, have become the first representatives of ŠKODA’s model offensive to be successfully introduced to the markets. The Citigo is the brand’s key to the rapidly expanding subcompact car segment. Introduced in late 2011, the Rapid, for its part, is crucial to ŠKODA’s growth strategy in that it creates a presence for the brand in the Indian market’s strongly growing subcompact segment. The Rapid is a car built in India and for India. It offers generous interior space, a pleasant design, top-of-the-line safety features and cutting-edge technology. “The Rapid will substantially strengthen and expand our position in India. For our growth course, India is a country with especially great potential”, says Vahland.

2011 saw even more highlights for the brand, such as its first world champion title in the S-WRC rally championship and a double victory in Intercontinental Rally Challenge IRC, making the year the most successful one in the brand’s 111-year motorsport history.