ŠkodaPortal.cz Simply clever

Mladá Boleslav/Istanbul, November 1st, 2012 – ŠKODA AUTO intends to grow further in Turkey as the brand forcefully expands its model palette worldwide and on the Turkish market. At the Istanbul International Auto Show (November 01st – 11, 2012), ŠKODA will present the new compact saloon the ŠKODA Rapid and the subcompact the ŠKODA Citigo for the first time in Turkey. Both new models will be launched in parallel with their fair presentation in Istanbul.

The Rapid and the Citigo forcefully extend ŠKODA's international model offensive in Turkey. From January through September 2012, the brand's deliveries to Turkish customers grew 30.4 per cent to a total of over 7,100. ŠKODA has thus been showing good form in Turkey in the year to date even without the new models. So far, the Fabia, Roomster, Octavia, Yeti and Superb have been available in the country.

"In the years to come, ŠKODA wants to grow further worldwide. The Turkish market is a significant growth market and thus an important element of our 2018 growth strategy," said ŠKODA CEO Winfried Vahland. "The new Rapid and the Citigo will help us expand our position in the market, extending our favourable development in Turkey. Our sales in Turkey almost doubled from 2008 through 2011, but we intend to grow further as the market offers ample potential yet. The Rapid and the Citigo will provide us with additional tailwind," said Vahland.

"Our model palette is proving extremely popular with Turkish customers," said Werner Eichhorn, ŠKODA board member for sales and marketing. So far in 2012, the brand bucked the trend and advanced markedly, while forecasts have the Turkish market overall shrinking by 8.7 per cent from January through September. ŠKODA's market share as of the end of September was 1.9 per cent (1.3 per cent a year ago). The most popular ŠKODA model in Turkey was the ŠKODA Octavia, which sold about 2,400.

2018 growth strategy is bringing results

ŠKODA is also headed for growth worldwide despite unfavourable conditions. In the first nine months of this year, ŠKODA deliveries rose 7.9 per cent to a new record high of 717,200.

Financial figures also developed favourably so far this year. In the first half of 2012, revenues were up 6.6 per cent to 5.7 billion euros. Operating profit for the first six months was 449 million euros. "Our 2018 growth strategy is bringing tangible results," said Vahland. "This provides us with a solid basis from which to continue on our growth course even in testing times."

ŠKODA's aim is to raise worldwide sales to a minimum of 1.5 million units per year by the year 2018. In the months ahead, ŠKODA will bring a new or revised car to market every six months on average. This is the greatest model offensive in company history. "Our new models come at the right time,'" said Vahland. "The situation in the markets is becoming more and more difficult. New cars are the best recipe for staying the course even as the headwinds grow stronger."

ŠKODA Rapid: the new class of ŠKODA

On display for the first time at a fair in Turkey will be the new ŠKODA Rapid. This compact saloon will be delivered to dealers just as it is being presented at the Istanbul International Auto Show. "The Rapid is the new class of ŠKODA. It sets standards in the compact saloon segment," said Vahland. "The Rapid impresses with lots of room, clever solutions, modern technology, high efficiency and excellent price-value ratio. It is a perfect car for the whole family which will prove especially popular with Turkish customers. The Rapid has a central importance for our growth plans in Turkey," said Vahland.

The ŠKODA Rapid complements the ŠKODA model palette between the smaller ŠKODA Fabia and the larger ŠKODA Octavia. The Rapid's extremely generous space offering sets new standards in its class. No other car in the segment has as much leg and headroom and as large a boot volume (550 litres) as the new ŠKODA Rapid. As in every ŠKODA, practicality ranks especially high in the Rapid, the new model featuring no less than 19 "simply clever" solutions. One example for an especially ingenious solution is the ice scraper integrated into the fuel filler flap. The ŠKODA Rapid is also the brand's first series car to feature the brand's new design: attractive, modern, clear, precise and timelessly elegant. When it comes to safety, the ŠKODA Rapid impresses with ample active and passive safety equipment. The engine line-up for the Rapid in Turkey comprises a total of four petrol and two diesel power trains.

ŠKODA Citigo: the perfect subcompact for the city

The ŠKODA Citigo subcompact also will see its Turkish debut at the Istanbul International Auto Show, with the market launch in Turkey also coinciding with the fair. This 3.56-metre car is ŠKODA's first foray into the strongly growing subcompact segment. "The ŠKODA Citigo offers all of ŠKODA's brand values in a compact form factor: compact yet roomy, efficient and agile at the same time, attractive and ingenious," said Eichhorn. "It is a perfect car for the city and thus of course ideally suited for mega-cities such as Istanbul."

At 3.56 metres in length, 1.64 in width and 1.48 in height, the Citigo ranks among the most compact and at the same time roomiest cars in its class and is very much about "value for money." No competitor outside Volkswagen Group offers more boot volume (251 litres) or interior width (1.36 metres). A range of ingenious equipment features makes the new Citigo a real "simply clever car" à la ŠKODA. The car's safety level also comes tops, as witness the full five-star score in the Euro NCAP crash test. Two new three-cylinder petrol engines are available, both of them with 1.0 litre (999 ccm) displacement and a power rating of 44 kW/60 HP and 55 kW/75 HP, respectively.

ŠKODA established in Turkish market since 1960

ŠKODA has a more than 50-year tradition on the Turkish market. To date, the brand has sold more than 130,000 cars in the country. "ŠKODA has had a very close relationship with this country for half a century," said Winfried Vahland. "Our decades-old market presence is an excellent base for our further growth in Turkey."

Following its market debut in 1960, ŠKODA went on to sell the ŠKODA 1202 and later ŠKODA 1203 L pickups for over twenty years, to be followed by the ŠKODA 120 L saloon from 1985 through 1990. Since 1989, ŠKODA has relied on a close sales cooperation with importers YÜCE AUTO. YÜCE AUTO was established in 1954 and has been active among others as partner for the sale of Volkswagen brand parts.

Cooperation with an experienced local partner has given ŠKODA new thrust. In the past four years alone, the brand almost doubled its sales: from 3,900 in 2008 to 7,400 in 2011.

ŠKODA intends to advance further in Turkey over the years to come. Besides introducing new models, the brand will also continue to strengthen its sales network. Currently, there are 39 authorised ŠKODA dealerships in Turkey. In addition, ŠKODA is also expanding its investment in strengthening the brand's recognition and image. This has met with success, such as the Turkish ŠKODA website recording a significant rise in visitor numbers, up 42 per cent year on year in the first eight months of 2012.

ŠKODA's presence at the Istanbul show underscores the brand's ambition. The focus on the Rapid and the Citigo at the press day shows the importance of the new models for the brand's ongoing growth in Turkey. During the general-public days, ŠKODA will also present attractive versions of the Fabia, Roomster, Yeti and Superb models, with the Fabia Super 2000, the racing version of the Fabia, sure to prove a special eye catcher. With its partner YÜCE AUTO, ŠKODA is a sponsor of the Turkish rally championship.

In an international context, ŠKODA has been exceptionally successful on the rally circuit, with ŠKODA works driver Juho Hänninen and his co-pilot Mikko Markkula prematurely securing the title of European rally champion. These two Finnish ŠKODA pilots also won a race in Turkey in early July, finishing first in the "Bosporus Rally." ŠKODA pilot Jan Kopecký and his co-pilot Pavel Dresler became the new Czech rally champions. Also, ŠKODA is celebrating another great achievement after winning its third consecutive Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) title in the Manufacturers category. Finally, Andreas Mikkelsen of Team ŠKODA UK Motorsport is in first place of the current IRC drivers' ranking. This season's performance means ŠKODA is seamlessly extending its successes of the previous years.

ŠKODA at the 2012 ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW:

› ŠKODA location: hall 12
› ŠKODA stand area: 890 sqm
› ŠKODA press conference: November 01st, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
› Number of ŠKODA cars on display on press day: 9 (6x Rapid, 2x 5-door Citigo, 1x Fabia Super 2000)
› Number of ŠKODA cars on display on general-public days: 13 (3× Rapid, 2× Citigo 5T, 1× Fabia Scout Combi, 1x Fabia RS, 1x Fabia Super 2000, 2× Yeti, 1x Roomster, 1× Superb saloon)
› Press day: November 01st, 2012
› General-public days: November 02nd – 11th, 2012

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