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Mladá Boleslav, 4 April 2016 – The ŠKODA Octavia is celebrating an important milestone with impressive interim results: In the 20 years since the debut of the first ŠKODA Octavia, five million customers around the world have opted for one of the various Octavia models offered. Its combination of above-average space, modern engines and safety features at an attractive price was to be the inspiration for all the brand’s later models.

Approximately one year after the Czech brand had joined the Volkswagen Group in 1991, the development of the completely new ŠKODA Octavia model series was underway. This was based on what was then an entirely new platform, developed at Group level in parallel with the conception of the Octavia. The engineers constructed a robust body structure with the help of modern CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology, while the ŠKODA design team created a timeless and unmistakable body shape, at the ŠKODA development centre in Mladá Boleslav led by Chief Designer Dirk van Braeckel.

The developers paid close attention to active and passive safety. In addition to front airbags, the brand offered side airbags for the first time. A special feature of the new compact was the practical liftback solution: The large rear door of the hatchback model allowed for excellent access to the 528-litre boot, which grew to as much as 1,328 litres by folding the rear seats down.

In 1996, the year the model was first released, customers could choose between two four-cylinder petrol engines and one turbo diesel drivetrain. The entry-level engine was the 1.6 MPI with 75 hp, the 1.8 20 V positioned above that brought it to 125 hp and the modern turbodiesel direct-injection 1.9 TDI generated an output of 90 hp, giving an average fuel consumption of over 55mpg. ŠKODA gradually expanded its engine range to include the particularly economical 1.9 SDI with 68 hp and the 1.8 20 V turbo with 150 hp.

The first Octavia Estate celebrated its world premiere in March 1998 and quickly became a bestseller, particularly in Europe. In 1999 a four-wheel drive Octavia Estate made its debut.

The Octavia/Octavia Estate name refers to the successful model of the same designation, of which ŠKODA produced approximately 364,000 units between 1959 and 1964 in Mladá Boleslav and Kvasiny. The Latin word ‘octavia’ means ‘the eighth’, relating to ŠKODA’s eighth automobile of the ‘modern era’ with independent suspension following the debut of this technology in 1933.

For the new Octavia series, ŠKODA built a new production line in a 37,500-square-metre hall at the Mladá Boleslav plant, followed by a new paint shop processing up to 1,800 vehicles per day. The new production line commenced operations on April 3, 1996. The capacity of the main plant increased by 90,000 units to 350,000 vehicles annually and ŠKODA became the largest industrial company in the Czech Republic.

The last vehicle of the first series eventually rolled off Vrchlabí’s production line in November 2010. From 1996 to 2010, ŠKODA delivered a total of 970,000 hatchbacks and over 470,000 estates to customers worldwide.

The second-generation Octavia continued unabated the success of its predecessor. ŠKODA sold a total of 1.6 million hatchbacks and 900,000 estates between 2004 and 2013. Technologies, such as direct-injection petrol engines, and the direct shift gearbox (DSG) made their debut in the Octavia II.

The third-generation Octavia, an important cornerstone of ŠKODA’s model range, has been running off the production lines since November 2012. At the end of March 2016, the one millionth vehicle of this model generation was produced at ŠKODA’s main production facility in Mladá Boleslav.

The traditional Czech brand has manufactured a total of five million Octavias since the ŠKODA Octavia was first launched in 1996. In addition to Mladá Boleslav, the ŠKODA Octavia is also produced in China, India, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

Milton Keynes, 11 March 2016 -The location in North London, dubbed ‘Colour Corner‘, features a palate proven to invoke a range of positive emotions, according to leading applied colour psychology expert Karen Haller. 

With the cold weather set to continue over the next few weeks, ŠKODA worked with felt artist Louise Evans to transform a street back into the colours of nature; the first of its kind. Leaves are placed on sparse weather-beaten trees, flowers arrive in a burst of technicolour, creeping up from patches of soil and through tiny gaps in paving slabs, and even luminous birds, bees and insects can be spotted nestling into the landscape.

The artwork, designed to celebrate the arrival of ŠKODA‘s new Colour Edition Fabia and Citigo models on sale now, features shades all witnessed in nature that, when combined, contribute to feelings of happiness.

Karen Haller, an applied colour psychology expert, says: “When our eyes take in colour, unconscious messages are sent to our brain to evoke emotion. When it comes to creating colour palettes, mother nature creates the perfect colour combinations influencing how we feel and behave. Colour can fill us with joy and happiness and even go so far as helping with feelings of depression.

“There is an energy around springtime that doesn’t happen at any other time of year. ŠKODA‘s explosion of colour drew an incredible reaction from passers-by of all ages, proving we are in need of an injection of colour after the long grey winter.“

Karen Haller explains how each colour featured in ŠKODA’s ‘Colour Corner‘ contributes to positive emotions:

Blues: cobalt, denim pacific, sky aqua, teal and turquoise
"This is the world’s favourite colour; depending on the tone blue can evoke a combination of invigorating, energising and calming emotions.“ 

Reds: bright red and deep garnet red
"There’s nothing shy or retiring about the colour red. Bursting with energy, this colour is a firecracker and will definitely invoke feelings of spontaneity and excitement.“ 

Yellows: bright lemon yellow and sunflower yellow
"Yellow is the colour that represents happiness and how we feel when the sun shines. Yellow is confidence boosting, lifting the spirits and making everyone smile.“ 

Pinks: magenta, fuchsia, cerise
"Pink is about expressing a more feminine or softer side. Tones of magenta, fuchsia and cerise are full of assertiveness and attitude.“ 

Orange: bright and tangerine
"Orange is the colour that expresses joy and fun. Orange is the colour to help bring out your playful, fun side.“ 

Greens: emerald, leaf, fern and moss
"Tones of green provide inner happiness through peace, balance and harmony – the basis of nature.“ 

The new ŠKODA Fabia and Citigo Colour Edition builds on the strengths of the award-winning models by delivering even better value for money and marrying striking looks with a generous equipment list. Customers can choose from a range of eye-catching colour combinations.

For more information visit www.skoda.co.uk

About the artist
The unique felt designs for Colour Corner took six weeks to create in Louise Evans‘ (AKA Felt Mistress) studio in North Wales and were constructed over several hours at its location in Islington, North London. Originally trained in fashion design and millinery, Louise brings many skills learnt through years of work as a couture dress maker to this impressive piece of work for ŠKODA.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

Milton Keynes, 11 March 2016 - The Fleet News Awards, now in its 28th year – seen as the ‘Oscars’ of the fleet awards’ calendar – recognises class-leading businesses, cars and individuals within the sector.

Standing out against competitors in its category, the all-new ŠKODA Superb is the most spacious and stylish yet. The SE Business specification offers the ideal combination of technology, comfort, desirability and value-for-money.

Judge Stephen Briers, Editor of Fleet News commented: "The Superb offers impressive comfort and the experience feels worthy of a car with a premium badge on the bonnet. The interior feels more crafted than mass produced and, although our test cars were medium and top equipment grades, the fit and finish has a true high-end quality.”

Henry Williams, Head of Fleet for ŠKODA UK, said: "We are delighted that the Superb has been named ‘Best Upper Medium Car’. The Fleet News Awards highlight the best cars available to large businesses, SMEs and company car drivers – and that’s exactly what the Superb is. With its class-leading residual values, class-leading space, eye-catching design and sophisticated technology, it has been a revelation in the fleet market.

"This accolade is testament to ŠKODA's fleet team, which continues to offer fantastic customer service, and to ŠKODA’s commitment to delivering excellent value without compromising on style or efficiency.”

Since its UK launch in September, the new Superb has picked up four awards this year alone, including What Car? Car of the Year 2016 for Best Estate Car. What’s more, true fleet sales are up 131% YoY. The ŠKODA Superb Estate SE Business 2.0 150PS offers whole-life cost advantages and competitive servicing costs, while returning 68.9mpg on the combined cycle.

It has a BiK rate of 19% and is available with P11D of just £23,335.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk

Mladá Boleslav, 8 March 2016 - “The legendary two-door ŠKODA 1000 MBX with its liberally glazed body crowned the success of the first Czech large production car – the four-door ŠKODA 1000 MB,” says Andrea Frydlová, Head of the ŠKODA Museum. “This makes the vehicle an important milestone in ŠKODA’s history. The production figures increased significantly throughout the 1960s in Mladá Boleslav. Many progressive technologies in mass production caught on, including high pressure die-casting for cylinder and crank cases, as well as gearbox casing.”

The MBX was based on the mass-produced four-door ŠKODA 1000 MB, which boasted a modern monocoque body and the engine was installed behind the driven rear axle. ŠKODA built an entirely new plant in the immediate vicinity of the existing factory buildings in Mladá Boleslav for the construction of the ŠKODA 1000 MB at the beginning of the 1960s. The new production plant comprised modern facilities with more than 40 production halls and other buildings on the 80 hectare site.

The history of the two-door MBX dates back to 1960 when the two prototypes to the ŠKODA 990 Tudor were being built. The special bodywork with clearly negative-sloping rear pillars that flow into the panoramic rear window and two doors with frameless windows was created at the Kvasiny plant. The body shell retained the generous space of the original notchback with an enhanced side view. It was not only the driver and front passenger that could wind down the door windows, but also the passengers in the back could open the small windows in the rear. In addition, the triangular-shaped fold-out doors improved the ventilation in the interior.

The ŠKODA 1000 MBX De Luxe was first presented to the public at the opening of the Geneva Motor Show on 10 March 1966. The model delighted the visitors with the originality of its shape. The two-door gave the impression of not having a central pillar with its extensively glazed surfaces. In fact, the centre pillar ended in the middle of the vehicle body under the window line, and its narrower upper portion could be rolled down together with the rear side windows. At this moment, the occupants could enjoy brilliant views and an exceptionally airy and spacious interior.

The ŠKODA 1000 MB and the two-door MBX set standards in innovative engine and drive technology. In terms of engine manufacturing, ŠKODA was the first European producer ever to incorporate the aluminium die-casting process in cylinder-block production. The four-speed transmission case was also produced using this construction method. Thus, ŠKODA built on a process originally devised in 1922 by Czech engineer Josef Polák, the main advantage being significantly shorter production times.

The ŠKODA 1000 MBX was powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine with a displacement of 988 cm3 and an output of 38 kW (52 hp) at 5000/min. With an unladen weight of 815 kg and a load capacity of 375 kg, the automobile reached a top speed of 127 km/h. The fuel consumption was 7.8-8.0 litres of petrol per 100 km. The car was fitted with two Jikov carburettors as standard; an engine with a single carburettor was only installed in a few dozen units. The time-consuming assembly of the ŠKODA 1000 MBX, demanding a lot of manual labour, began in October 1966 in the standalone operation section of the Mladá Boleslav plant, so as not to slow down the main production line. The last twelve MBX models of the total 1403 of the one-litre version rolled off the production line in early 1968.

In November 1967, the brand’s range was extended to include the dynamic 1100 MBX De Luxe version. The engine output remained unchanged with a displacement of 1107 cm3, the advantage being the better lugging capability – 81.4 n.m compared to the original 75.5 n.m. Further improvements included a more powerful oil pump and more efficient cooling. 1114 of the stronger version had been produced by 1969, giving a total of 2517 MBX two-door units. Despite the relatively low production volume compared to the mass-produced four-door 1000 MB (443,156 units), this version made a significant contribution to the popularization of the ŠKODA brand in many discerning foreign markets. Today, the model is among the most sought after and highly valued vintage cars with significant appreciation in value. The legendary Coupé ŠKODA 110 R (1970-1980), followed by the ŠKODA models Garde and Rapid, continued the success of the attractive two-door MBX version.

Article source: www.skoda.co.uk