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2011 worldwide sales up by 15.3% to 879,200 vehicles
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Deliveries advance in all regions and for all model lines
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Increased market share in all sales regions – World market share: up by 1.4%
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Production capacity expanding to accommodate further growth
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New Citigo and Rapid off to promising start
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ŠKODA UK posts record UK registrations of over 45,000 cars
Mladá Boleslav, 10 January 2012 – ŠKODA continued on its successful course, achieving a new sales record in FY 2011. The brand’s sales increased by 15.3% to a new all-time high of 879,200 vehicles. Deliveries to customers rose by around 116,000 units in 2011, translating into a rise of more than 1.4% in world market share (2010: close to 1.3%).
Between January and December 2011, ŠKODA sold 879,200 vehicles worldwide (2010: 762,200). As the world market grew 5.1% (almost 62 million vehicles), ŠKODA outpaced the industry, advancing by 15.3%. The brand made significant progress in China, India and Russia. In many European markets as in the rest of the world, ŠKODA achieved a new record for the year. In the UK the overall total of 45,061 means ŠKODA’s share of the UK new car market has grown from 2% to 2.3% in a single year.
ŠKODA also succeeded in expanding deliveries in all sales regions worldwide. In Central and Eastern Europe, for example, deliveries rose to 231,600 units (2010: 194,800, +18.9%), and in Asia/the Pacific to 256,100 vehicles (2010: 203,300 +26%) in FY 2011. “In 2011, ŠKODA sold more vehicles than ever before,” says Jürgen Stackmann, ŠKODA’s Board Member for sales and marketing, adding: “We improved in every region and strengthened our position in the markets.”
“This was the year in which we first implemented our 2018 growth strategy, and we did so impressively,” says ŠKODA CEO Prof. Dr. h.c. Winfried Vahland. “We clearly picked up speed and set a new sales record. We also greatly improved our production, sales and international market presence and once again gained significant ground in both our European home and growth markets.”
879,200 cars delivered worldwide in FY 2011 mark an all-time best and translate into a total market share of 1.4%. ŠKODA’s next goal is defined clearly: by 2018, worldwide sales are to rise to at least 1.5 million per year. “The company has laid some excellent foundations for this in 2011. In 2012, we will continue to expand ŠKODA’s model range significantly and further strengthen our activities both in Europe and in international markets,” says Prof. Vahland.
Dynamic growth markets
ŠKODA set a new record in Russia, too, in FY 2011: 74,100 cars sold (2010: 45,600) is equivalent to an increase by 62.5%.
In China, sales continued to show a clear upward trend, rising by 21.9% to 220,100 units in FY 2011.
The Rapid, introduced in India in November, had a good start in the market and was immediately chosen the country’s family car of the year. The Indian market, an important pillar for the brand’s growth strategy, showed a very positive development throughout FY 2011, with ŠKODA boosting sales by 49.9%, to more than 30,000 units.
Expanding capacity– both at home and abroad
ŠKODA is expanding and investing in new models, markets and capacities. As part of this, the main factory in Mladá Boleslav is to be expanded considerably by mid-2012. On completion of this expansion, the plant is to produce a third model in addition to the Fabia and Octavia bestsellers. In parallel, production capacity of the Octavia at the plant will rise from 800 to 1200 vehicles daily. ŠKODA’s Vrchlabí plant in the Czech Republic will begin production of direct-shift gearboxes (DSGs) for VW group brands Volkswagen, SEAT and Audi from late 2012.
At VW Group’s Russian plant in Nizhny Novgorod, VW Group Russia will manufacture the ŠKODA Yeti with Russian partner GAZ. In China, both of VW Group’s joint ventures will be investing around 14 billion Euros in new plants and products by 2016. Currently the ŠKODA Fabia, Octavia and Superb are manufactured in China, with the Yeti to be added in 2013. These investments are to pave the way for the company’s growth in the coming years.
“We are very confident regarding our positive future development. This is why we are investing further in our factories both at home and abroad as well as in the expansion of our sales organizations in all regions. And of course, we want to outdo our competitors,” explains sales board member Stackmann.
Model offensive under way
The Citigo subcompact and the Indian compact, the Rapid, both successfully launched as the first models in ŠKODA’s model offensive at the end of 2011. For ŠKODA, the Citigo opens up the fast growing subcompact segment – exclusively in the Czech Republic in 2011, with more countries following from 2012 onward. The Rapid is also a crucial factor in the brand’s growth strategy, creating a presence for ŠKODA in theIndian market’s largest segment.
Deliveries to Customers in 2011 (ŠKODA Models Compared to 2010):
Octavia (372,900 vehicles/plus 16.9%)
Fabia (266,800 vehicles/plus 16.5%)
Superb (116,700 vehicles/plus 18.1%)
Yeti (70,300 vehicles/plus 33.7%)
Roomster (36,000 vehicles/plus 11.4%)
Rapid/India (1,700 vehicles)
Citigo/Czech Republic (more than 500 vehicles)
