New Skoda Citigo Pops Up: Volkswagen's Up! Gives Birth to Czech Offspring

Only two days after this year's edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show closed its gates to the public, Skoda came out with official details on its own interpretation of the Volkswagen Up! city car that will wear the Citigo nameplate.

The Czech automaker's smallest vehicle will go on sale in its home market before the end of this year, with the UK and other European countries following at the beginning of summer 2012.

Unlike its Wolfsburg sibling that will launch in a three-door body style, the Citigo will be offered in both three-door and five-door versions.

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Posted on 13.13 / 0 comments / Read More

SCOOP: Facelifted 2012 Skoda Superb and Octavia Snapped Testing in the Alps

While the Volkswagen Group is keeping itself busy with new introductions such as the VW brand's Up! and the soon-to-be launched Skoda MissionL (albeit under a different name), the company has not forget about its current portfolio and is working on improving its offerings in all segments.

This time, our team of spy photographers snagged the 2012 Skoda Superb facelift in sedan form undergoing testing in the Alps.

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Posted on 11.43 / 0 comments / Read More

IAA 2011: Skoda MissionL Concept Previews New Compact Sedan [Updated Gallery]

Czech car manufacturer and member of the VW Group, Skoda, is on a…mission at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show to preview its upcoming compact sedan model with a close to production ready concept car named MissionL.

The production model will be positioned between the smaller Fabia and the larger Octavia challenging the likes of the Focus sedan in Europe, Russia, China, and India. Skoda said the as-of-yet unnamed compact sedan will launch in India by the end of 2011 and the rest of the world in the beginning of next year.

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Posted on 13.58 / 0 comments / Read More

IAA 2011: Live Photos from the VW Group's Frankfurt Preview Event

The Volkswagen Group has readied a little something for everyone at this year's 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt, from the tiny Audi Urban concepts and the production VW Up!, to the striking Seat IBL study and the brand new Porsche 911.

At a special preview event in Frankfurt, the VW Group rolled out some of its most important goods including the new Bentley Continental GTC, the limited edition Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 ST Trofeo, the Audi RS5 facelift and A2 Concept,while the Germans even brought along the bespoke Bugatti Veyron L'or Blanc.

Hop over the jump to check out a high-resolution gallery with more than 70 photos.

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Posted on 18.31 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda to Unwrap New MissionL Small Sedan Concept at Frankfurt Auto Show

A new concept model that previews an upcoming small sedan will be the star attraction for Skoda at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The MissionL Concept will lead to a production vehicle that will be the sixth model in the Czech automaker's range after the Fabia, Octavia Classic, Octavia, Yeti and Superb

The new car is a C-segment model similar in size to the Focus sedan that bridges the gap that exists between the Fabia and the Octavia. Like the Octavia, it will sport a five-door, liftback body-style.

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Posted on 06.03 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda Begins Production of Electric Octavia E Line Test Fleet

Skoda announced that it has begun production of the Octavia E Line, the company’s first fully electric car that was first saw in concept form at last year’s Paris Motor Show.

Starting this fall, the Czech automaker will manufacture a test fleet of 10 cars that will be used for evaluation of the emissions-free technology. This will help the Skoda collect valuable data to be used in future applications that will reduce its average CO2 emissions.

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Posted on 08.29 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda Posts Record Worldwide Sales in First Half of 2011

Skoda revealed today that it delivered 454,700 vehicles in the first half of 2011, which represents an increase of 20.1% compared to the same period in 2010. The Volkswagen Group brand also achieved its best ever June sales, with 81,300 deliveries, compared to 71,300 units in 2010, scoring a new sales record for the fourth month in a row. Read more »

Posted on 14.34 / 0 comments / Read More

VW Group Enters Production Deal with Russia’s GAZ

In its never-ending quest for global domination, the VW Group signed an agreement with the GAZ Group to assemble Volkswagen and Skoda models under contract at the Russian automaker’s in Nizhny Novgorod. The two companies had already concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding joint automobile production in Russia in February 2011 with a planned production volume of 110,000 vehicles per year.

Under the deal, GAZ will build the Volkswagen Jetta compact sedan, Skoda Octavia and Skoda Yeti crossover models for the Russian market, with the first vehicles to start rolling off the production line by the end of 2012.

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Posted on 06.36 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda to Challenge the Big Boys at Bonneville Speed Week with 600HP Octavia RS

With the help of the Volkswagen Group, Skoda has turned out to be quite an important player in the automotive industry. The Czech automaker delivered more than 760,000 cars last year and aims to double its annual sales to 1.5 million by 2018. But it’s not only about sales as Skoda’s German parent company is also planning to further boost the Czech brand’s image.

In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the vRS (in the UK, simply RS for the rest of Europe) performance badge, Skoda will compete in the famous Bonneville Speed Week in August (13-20) with a specially modified Octavia vRS saloon. Skoda’s goal is to break the magic 200mph (320+ km/h) barrier for the first time in the company’s history.

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Posted on 08.17 / 0 comments / Read More

A Photo Tribute to the Ladies of the 2011 Wörthersee Show

Having brought you all the automotive-related news from the 2011 Wörthersee Tour including the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet in GTI and R formats, the 503HP Audi A1 and the Skoda Fabia RS2000 Convertible, now it is time for us to share with you something related but far more spicier if you catch our drift…

Yes, that is right; we are talking about a photo gallery of the booth professionals and ladies who made their presence felt in full force at the world’s largest annual Volkswagen Group meeting, which took place in Austria from June 1 to 4. Hop over the break to get a taste of what you missed at Lake Wörthersee in our photo set that includes more than 70 images.

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Posted on 09.20 / 0 comments / Read More

A Photo Tour of the VW Group’s 2011 Wörthersee Festival with 150 Images

For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.

At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro study, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.

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Posted on 09.25 / 0 comments / Read More

Live from Wörthersee: Skoda’s Hot Fabia RS 2000 Concept

Not that the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Concept needed any help to draw the attention of automotive fans at the Wörthersee show, but the Volkswagen Group was t enough to bring some very pretty faces (and bodies…) to the Czech firm’s stand. You can get a better look at the car and the girls in whichever order you prefer in our high resolution photo gallery right after the jump. Read more »

Posted on 12.16 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda Shows Fabia RS 2000 Convertible Concept at Wörthersee Festival

Over the 30 years of its existence, the Wörthersee Tour in Austria has developed from a small exclusive event for owners of the Golf GTi to a large happening connecting all brands of the ever-growing Volkswagen Group. Joining the production Golf GTI Edition 35 and the wild Audi A1 clubsport quattro concept at this year’s show is a prototype model from Skoda called the RS 2000 Concept.

Prepared especially for the anniversary meeting, the concept is a design study for an extreme convertible based on the five-door Fabia Super 2000 rally car. Skoda did not released any official information on the car’s mechanical hardware, but it very likely that the study keeps the rally model’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a six-speed sequential transmission and a four-wheel drive system with three passive differentials.

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Posted on 05.14 / 0 comments / Read More

Gerhard Plattner Does it again: Drives Skoda Fabia GreenLine 2,006 km / 1,246 Miles on a Single Tank of Fuel

We're not sure if you know this, but there's a world champion in economy driving out there and his name is Gerhard Plattner. He's the kind of guy you'd want as a driver on your gas-guzzling car now that oil prices have hit the roof.

However, the Austrian champ has better things to do, like driving a Skoda Fabia GreenLine from Austria to Denmark and back on a single 45-liter (11.9 gallons US or 9.9 gallons UK) tank of diesel fuel. He covered a distance of 2,006 kilometers in a Skoda Fabia GreenLine without ever having to refuel the eco-friendly diesel car.

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Posted on 13.52 / 0 comments / Read More

Study finds the Most Vandalised Car in Britain is the Lexus IS

Bad news for Lexus IS owners across the pond: if you happen to own one of the Japanese brand’s entry-level sedans, you’re in possession of the most vandalised car in the UK. Runners up are BMW’s Z4 sports coupe and MINI’s entry-level One model. It’s all been revealed as part of SwiftCover.com’s Vehicle Vandalism Index (VVI), whereby the UK-based insurer analysed some 2,000 motor insurance claims. SwiftCover claims director Robin Reames explains:

“Our analysis shows that luxury cars are more likely to be targeted by vandals, however, it's interesting to see the MINI One in the top three. The majority of vehicles in the top ten are what we call 'executive cars', likely to be driven by high earners who see their car as a status symbol, with just one 4x4 making up the top ten.”

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Posted on 12.49 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda's Winged Arrow Logo Celebrates its 85th Anniversary

Skoda is renowned for being one of the oldest car manufacturers in the world, having been established in 1895. The Czech brand, which now belongs to the Volkswagen Group, also has one of the oldest logos. Today, the maker’s winged arrow emblem turned 85. On May 10, 1926, the first Skoda car to wear the logo was produced in the Mlada Boleslav plant and delivered to the president of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Masaryk. Read more »

Posted on 09.24 / 0 comments / Read More

Czech Designer Imagines a Skoda WRC Racecar Based on the Vision D Concept

Skoda is a brand with a long tradition in motorsports and this has inspired Czech designer Pavel Hruby to draw a study of a modern Skoda world rally car. Hruby took inspiration from the Skoda Vision D Concept shown by the Czech brand at this year's Geneva Motor Show.

The VW Group’s subsidiary was not involved in any way in this project, with the sketch having been commissioned by Czech Magazine AutoDesign&Styling. The Skoda Vision WRC project shows Hruby's ideas of what a new rally model from the Czech automaker could look like. Based on the new design language launched by the Vision D concept, the rally car features the new corporate grille, underlined by a massive air intake in the lower part of the bumper.

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Posted on 11.10 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda Reportedly Readying Up-based City Car for 2011 and Low-Cost Sedan for 2012

Volkswagen Group's new strategy for Skoda is beginning to show its first results. In order to avoid competition between VW and Skoda products and to get a piece of the low-cost market, the German company’s plans for the Czech automaker include a new affordable model.

According to reports from the UK, Skoda has confirmed that the new addition will be a small sedan positioned between the Fabia supermini and the Octavia and will target developing markets. The sedan, which could be a competitor to Renault’s Dacia Logan, is scheduled for launch in 2012, but first Skoda will introduce a city car based on Volkswagen’s forthcoming Up series.

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Posted on 15.02 / 0 comments / Read More

Skoda Introduces Fabia R2 Rally Car for the Masses

The VW Group’s Czech subsidiary Skoda has unveiled the Fabia R2, a new race-spec mode intended for the popular R2 rally category. Based on the series production Fabia, the R2 features significant changes to the engine, chassis, suspension and gearbox.

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Posted on 10.33 / 0 comments / Read More

Geneva 2011: Skoda's Fabia Monte Carlo Special is all Show, No Go

Skoda's offerings at the 2011 Geneva Salon include a new special edition version of the Fabia supermini that is said to have been created to celebrate 100 years of the Monte Carlo Rally, and commemorate the 110 year anniversary of the brand's motorsport efforts.

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Posted on 13.06 / 0 comments / Read More