Making good on its promise to debut the new Skoda Octavia RS at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Czech automaker has released full details of the fastest Octavia ever. We only have these five photos so far, with more to come after the event proper.

The third-generation Skoda Octavia RS (or vRS in the UK, as Ford claims to ‘own’ the RS name over there) gets two turbocharged 2.0 litre engine options this time – a petrol as per usual and a new diesel motor. The former gets 220 hp and 350 Nm, while the diesel trades some horses for more torque (184 hp and 380Nm).

No surprise it’s the petrol 2.0 TSI that’s the quicker of the two. It breaks the 100 km/h mark in 6.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 248 km/h, 0.4 seconds and 6 km/h faster than the car it replaces. The 2.0 TDI model registers 8.1 seconds and 232 km/h. Both models get a choice of six-speed manual or DSG transmissions.

There’s no hiding the Octavia RS’ relationship with VW’s sporty Golf MK7 models. The 2.0 litre petrol is the same as the one found on a standard GTI, and the turbodiesel engine is a straight lift from a Golf GTD. The donor cars’ XDS electronic differential lock and progressive steering are also featured here.

Skoda quotes economy improvements of up to 19% through the use of the VW Group’s new MQB platform, auto start/stop and brake energy regeneration system. The RS has a 12 mm (or 13 mm for the Combi estate model) lower ride height compared to a standard Octavia, with sport suspension fitted as standard.

On the outside the Octavia RS gets a black front grille carrying a prominent RS badge, plus honeycomb air intakes, aggressively chiselled bumpers and darkened bi-xenon headlamps with integrated LED DRLs. Round the back it gets unique spoilers, LED lamps and a deep diffuser with two large trapezoidal-shaped chrome exhaust tips.

Five wheel choices ranging from 17- to 19-inch items are available, each styled with sharp edges and distinctive two-tone paint schemes. As with all Skoda RS models, the brake calipers are finished in red-lacquer. This Skoda is sportier than ever before and it shows.

Inside you’ll find black sports seats and a sporty three-spoke leather steering wheel with plenty of RS badges everywhere. Unique RS instrument panel with colour display is also standard, together with stainless steel pedals and sill plates. Panoramic sunroof, 8-inch touchscreen with proximity sensor (sounds familiar?) and premium Canton sound system are all optional extras.

Moving to a new-generation base (wheelbase is now 102 mm longer) also brings significant space improvements. Skoda claims it has the largest interior room among compact sports cars, and the boot size is also class-leading at 590 litres (610 litres in the Combi).

So pick your poison: petrol or diesel? In this case there is no wrong answer.

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The Skoda Rapid Sport concept has made its world premiere at the ongoing GTI Meeting at Wörthersee. As previewed earlier, the sporty Rapid gets Corrida Red and Steel Gray livery, flared wheelarches accommodating some snazzy 19-inch alloys, twin tailpipes and subtle bodywork extensions.

The C-shaped tail lamps show a “contrasting colour,” while a sports steering wheel, Recaro seats and illuminated door sills jazz up the interior. Reports say the concept could hint at a future Rapid RS model.

Positioned between the Fabia and Octavia, the Skoda Rapid compact sedan made its debut at the Paris show in September. Other wheels at Wörthersee 2013 include the Volkswagen Design Vision GTI and SEAT Leon Cup Racer.

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The legendary Wörthersee event in Austria which celebrates all things Volkswagen, including its stable of many marques, is set to welcome the Skoda Rapid Sport concept. As its name suggests, the car is a Skoda Rapid with some added spice.

No technical details have been announced at this point, but the sporty Rapid gets Corrida Red and Steel Gray livery, flared wheelarches accommodating some snazzy 19-inch alloys, twin tailpipes and subtle bodywork extensions. The C-shaped tail lamps show a “contrasting colour,” while a sports steering wheel, Recaro seats and illuminated door sills jazz up the interior.

The Skoda Rapid made its debut at the Paris show last year. Measuring 4.48 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, the compact sedan is positioned between the Fabia and Octavia, with petrol and diesel powerplants on offer. Also Wörthersee-bound is the SEAT Leon Cup Racer.

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The Volkswagen Group has appointed Juergen Stackmann as head of SEAT, replacing Englishman James Muir. Stackmann, 51, will become SEAT’s chairman effective May 1, having been Skoda‘s sales and marketing head since he joined the Group in 2010.

According to Automotive News Europe, SEAT is the only money-losing unit in the VW Group. Severely affected by the Continent’s financial crisis, its global sales dropped 8.3% to 321,000 units last year, while sales in its home market fell a considerable 13% in the same period.

There’s been a slight improvement so far this year, though – in the first quarter, SEAT’s global sales jumped 9% to 87,100 units. ANE cites market growths of 27% in Germany and 8% in Mexico as contributing factors.

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The Spanish brand’s Martorell facility has been operating under-capacity for some time – in a bid to boost output, VW moved Audi Q3 production there in 2011. New SEAT models (like the Toledo and Leon, pictured) and the brand’s entrance into China has helped somewhat, but clearly more needs to be done.

Stackmann, a German, began his career with Ford in 1989, holding various posts in Germany and the UK before joining the VW Group in 2010. During his tenure as Skoda’s sales and marketing boss, the Czech company boosted 2011 sales by 15% to 879,200 units, and 2012 sales by 7% to 939,200 units. Will he be able to work his magic on SEAT?

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More surfacing the Chinese way. The facelifted second-generation Skoda Superb will be making its world premiere at Auto China in Shanghai later this month, and both Hatch (or liftback, if you will) and Estate variants are set to hold side mirrors and make their first showing together.

The rework boasts a completely new front and rear, with the front of the car having been completely redesigned up to the A-pillar – the grille, car logo, headlamps, fog lights, bumpers, front wings and bonnet are all new. The rear, meanwhile, gets tidier lines, aided by new rear light graphics, with LED stripes helping to shape things up.

Two new metallic finishes – Meteor Grey and Moon White – have been added to the colour palette, and the facelift gets new 16- and 18-inch alloy wheel designs to dress things up further.

Inside, new interior fabrics and patterns for the seat covers are to be found, and the car’s highest level of trim features a new Skoda Superb Laurin & Klement (L&K) brown-ivory colour combination.

A number of engine options are on call for the European market, starting with an entry-level 125 PS 1.4 TSI lump. Diesel variants such as the 2.0 TDI 140 PS and 2.0 TDI 170 PS feature Start–stop and kinetic energy recuperation as standard.

The two-stage TwinDoor tailgate in the Superb Hatch (strange sounding, that suffix) has been retained, but a number of new things find their way on to the car, like the ability to move the front passenger seat from the rear electronically. Other fresh equipment includes the latest-generation Park Assist, which supports both parallel and reverse bay parking.

The Hatch gets an electric sunroof with integrated solar cells, while the Estate has an electric panoramic sunroof. Other bits on the kit list are an automatic lock and start system, KESSY (keyless entry) and a veritable spread of audio and navigation system choices.

Safety-wise, the five-star Euro NCAP-rated Superb features up to nine airbags, with ESP, ABS and Brake Assist standard fitment. An electronic Tyre Pressure Monitor (TPM) is also fitted as standard on higher trim level variants, while optional items include an Adaptive Frontlight System (AFS) and Hill Hold Control.

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The performance version of the third-generation Skoda Octavia is due to officially break cover at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Czech automaker hasn’t divulged details, nor is there even a teaser photo as yet (that’s the standard Octavia up there), only saying that the new Octavia RS will be the fastest road-going Octavia of all time.

Sitting on the MQB platform, the new RS will be longer, wider and lighter than its predecessor. The outgoing second-gen RS, underpinned by the PQ35 platform, wears a 2.0 TSI mill offering 197 hp and 280 Nm a la Golf GTI Mk5. Expect the new one to mirror the Golf Mk7 GTI‘s output in its Stage 1 standard 220 PS tune.

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Skoda, having put out the third-generation Octavia sedan as well as the liftback version, is now ready to place a third marker for the Type 5E, in the form of the Octavia Estate.

The wagon, which will make its world premiere in Geneva next month, has grown significantly – it’s 90 mm longer and 45 mm wider than its predecessor, and the wheelbase has also been extended by 11 cm. Boot space is 610 litres, and folding the rear seatbacks gets the number to 1,740 litres.

In terms of engines, that for the Octavia Estate shouldn’t veer from that specified for the sedan, and these include a 177 hp 1.8 litre TSI petrol engine and a 108 hp 1.6 litre TDI diesel in the GreenLine version.

Storage and smart solutions include a double-sided boot floor mat, a comprehensive net restraint system, multiple bag hooks, a waste bin and numerous bottle holders, multimedia device holders, a coat rack and a remote fold-down function for the rear-seat backrest.

Plenty of specified electronic kit too, with a new Adaptive Cruise Control, an automatic distance control, Intelligent Light Assistant and a high-beam assistant among the items in the mix.

Also on, a range of completely new generation radio and radio-navigation systems, as well as the likes of Lane Assistant, Front Assistant with emergency braking function, Driver Activity Assistant (fatigue detection) as well as multi-collision braking/automatic brake actuation in an accident, the same stuff found on the sedan.

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Skoda’s C-segment contender the Octavia is now in its third generation, and it carries an updated design language, inspired by the Skoda MissionL Concept.

The new Skoda Octavia has more interior length (1,782 mm), more knee room (73 mm) and more headroom at the back (980 mm). Boot volume is at 590 litres. Other interior dimensions have also increased significantly compared to the second generation Octavia: front head room: + 8 mm, front elbow width: + 39 mm, rear elbow width: + 26 mm. Other dimension changes – front head room: + 8 mm, front elbow width: + 39 mm, rear elbow width: + 26 mm.

Exterior-wise, the Octavia is 90 mm longer and 45 mm wider than the second-generation Octavia. At the same time, the wheelbase has grown by 108 mm, mainly benefiting the interior and space on the rear seats.

Different engines are available, with the top of the line being a 1.8 litre TSI petrol engine that produces 177 horsepower. The most economical version is the Octavia GreenLine, consuming just 3.4L/100km from it’s 108 horsepower 1.6 litre TDI diesel. Manual and DSG automatic gearboxes are available driving the front wheels, with all-wheel drive available soon.

Practicality-wise, there are various standard features and options. There’s a double-sided floor covering in the boot, an ice scraper is placed inside the filler flap, a warning vest holder is located underneath the driver’s seat and a rubbish bin inside the door panel, a multimedia holder for iPod/mobile phone/etc, a large overhead sunglasses compartment, and various other storage bays, holders and hooks.

In terms of safety features, there are a few interesting driver assist systems. From May 2013, there will be a Front Assistant/emergency braking function. Other features include Lane Assistant, which keeps the Octavia on track, multicollision-braking/automatic brake actuation in an accident, Crew Protect Assistant/securing of the vehicle in an accident situation, Driver Activity Assistant (fatigue detection) or an active front hatch for pedestrian protection. You can have the Octavia with up to 9 airbags, including rear side airbags for the first time in an Octavia.

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Skoda’s production version of its MissionL concept, the Rapid, is set to make its debut in Paris in September, and the compact sedan will make its European market debut late this year. Ahead of that, the company has released a couple of images of the upcoming sedan.

The Rapid, as previously announced, sits between the Fabia and the Octavia, and the A-segment offering – the second vehicle to wear the Rapid name – is the first Skoda series car ever to fully feature the brand’s newly-formulated design language.

At the front, design elements include a new brand logo and grille design, with the familiar vertical slats housed within a new chrome frame. New headlamp and foglamp designs help sharpen the nose considerably compared to the Rapid as announced for the Indian market earlier this year. As for the rear, cues include distinctly shaped taillights in the brand’s typical C shape.

Five petrol and two diesel engines will be available for the 4.48 metre-long five-seater at point of debut. In terms of markets, the Rapid is set to go a number of places; aside from Europe and India, the car should be bound for China and Russia.

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The 31st running of the GTI-Treffen, the annual Volkswagen do held in Lake Wörthersee, Austria, had the usual custom car unveils, among them VW’s Golf GTI Black Dynamic and Polo R WRC Street concept.

Over at Skoda, there was the Citigo Rally design concept, which might make it into some form of series production eventually. The white car – with a black roof and additional colour accents – goes the OTT route, with massive bumpers, rear wing, a generous air intake in the front apron and forged 18-inch wheels with low-profile tyres.

The car also gets generously-sized fenders and massive door sills to help widen its girth, and a centrally-mounted exhaust end pipe dominates the car’s rear.

Inside, there’s a roll cage, and both driver and passenger get race seats, and the dashboard has been optimised for weight – the central console’s purely functional switches and buttons are strongly reminiscent of those in rally cars.

The event also saw the advent of the Skoda Citigo DJ Car. This one is a essentially a mixer on four wheels – the three-door car’s rear can be retracted from the B column on back, turning the vehicle into a mobile stage. The vehicle was certainly put to good use, with a DJ mixing and sampling his hits from it on stage.

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It’s badge engineering at it’s best – the Skoda Rapid just recently launched in India is a Volkswagen Polo Sedan with a Skoda Fabia front end. It’s platform-mate, the Polo Sedan is also on sale in India as the Volkswagen Vento. There seems to be plenty of buyers in India for both cars though – Volkswagen sold 2,143 units of the Vento in January 2012 in India, while the Rapid commanded 1,513 buyers.

The Indian market Skoda Rapid is available with the same engine options as the Vento – either a 1.6 liter petrol or a 1.6 liter TDI diesel, with both engines using a 5-speed manual, and an optional 6-speed automatic for the 1.6 liter petrol.

The Skoda Rapid nameplate originated in the 80s and was used on a coupe that was described by a magazine as a “poor man’s Porsche” in reference to its handling abilities. Wouldn’t it be cool if Skoda added a coupe version of the Rapid later?

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Some news about the Skoda Citigo. The company has announced that the five-door version of the city car – essentially the cousin of the Volkswagen Up! – is set to debut at the Geneva show next month, joining the three-door version which was revealed last September and which began selling in its home market, the Czech Republic, in late 2011.

Like the three-door variant, it’ll be powered by a 1.0 litre three-cylinder MPI mill in two output tunes, 60 PS and 75 PS, and should be presumably mated to the same five-speed manual transmission as found in the former. Both five- and three-door models are scheduled to be successively launched in European markets starting from mid-May this year.

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Skoda has announced details of its Citigo city car, which will make its debut in its home market, the Czech Republic, late this year before entering the rest of Europe from next summer.

The company’s sixth production model is a four-seater that will be available in three-door and five-door versions, and is essentially the Skoda version of the Volkswagen Up! It’s pretty much a dead ringer for its Veedub cousin in terms of numbers – the Citigo measures in at 3.56 metres long, 1.65 metres wide and 1.48 metres high, and will wear the same 1.0 litre three-cylinder MPI mill, offered in two output versions, 60 PS and 75 PS, both mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

Performance figures for the 929 kg vehicle are a 159 kph top speed and a 13.9 seconds 0-100 kph time for the 60 PS variant and a 170 kph top speed and 0-100 kph time of 12.7 seconds for the 75 PS version. Both models wear 14-inch wheels wrapped with 165/70 profile rubbers.

Despite its small size, the company says the car offers ample interior space – to wit, a long-ish 2.42 metre wheelbase offers enough comfort for four even on long trips, and there’s a 251 litre boot that can be extended to 951 litres with the rear seats folded down. In the three-door version, an ‘Easy Entry’ system allows easy access to the rear seats; the front passenger’s seat can be folded forward to ensure easy ingress to the rear.

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Elsewhere, this one has front headrests integrated into the seats, as well as a number of other smart solutions; the interior design includes numerous storage compartments, cup holders and multimedia systems, as well as storage pockets on the sides of the front seats. In addition, a special bag hook integrated in to the glovebox handle, and a photograph holder on the central console, are two of the more novel interior elements.

Like in the VW Up!, the Citigo will also feature a portable navigation system that’s fitted to the dashboard and easily removable to be used on the go. The system is equipped with a 5-inch touchscreen that provides not just navigation, but also hands-free calling with built-in Bluetooth and onboard infotainment.

Safety systems include a Head-Thorax side airbag to protect the heads of both the driver and the front seat passenger, which debuts on a Skoda. There’s also ‘City Safe Drive’, a new brake assistance system based on a laser sensor that is activated automatically at speeds below 30 km/h when there is danger of a collision.

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Skoda’s MissionL Concept had its motor show debut yesterday in Frankfurt and we now have some videos to share with you. First up is a product presentation video as well as the unveiling of the concept while the second video gives you a 360-degree of the Czech vehicle.

Skoda has confirmed that the production version of the concept will arrive late next year and India would be the first market to receive it. It will then head to other markets including Europe, Russia and China in 2012.

Look after the jump for a small live gallery of the MissionL.

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The Skoda MissionL Concept has been revealed in full. It is Skoda’s Frankfurt 2011 debutant and previews a new production compact sedan that is set to slot in between the Fabia and the Octavia, essentially making it somewhat the Czech brand’s take on the Volkswagen Polo Sedan.

“This premiere kicks off Skoda’s model offensive for the coming years. This new compact model, along with other new products to follow, will enable us to accomplish our goal of increasing global annual sales to 1.5 million vehicles by 2018. We are going to present a new car approximately every six months over the next few years,” says Skoda board chairman Prof Dr h.c. Winfried Vahland.

“We have taken a very pure approach to this design study – we have structured the surfaces simply, but impressively. The car has a strong, sporty look which conveys a beautiful simplicity and a youthful and contemporary appearance. Many people look for clean, minimalistic lines, and the MissionL concept offers all that,” says Skoda Board of Directors Member for Technological Development Eckhard Scholzabout.

The production version of this new compact sedan will commence delivery to Indian customers in late 2011, and it will subsequently be launched in Europe, Russia and China in 2012.

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Skoda will unveil its MissionL concept car at Frankfurt, which it says is a close to production-ready design. The new compact five-door vehicle will reveal the look of the company’s sixth model line, set to become the spearhead of the Czech carmaker’s planned model offensive as part of its 2018 growth strategy set last year, where the brand is looking to increase its sales to 1.5 million vehicles by then.

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No specific details as yet on the car, save that Skoda says it’s to be launched in Europe, Russia and China, and that the compact liftback will feature specific modifications for each of these regions. Additionally, the Indian market will have its own version, which is a compact sedan variant. More to emerge on this one at Frankfurt.

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After a period of inactivity, the Skoda brand has been relaunched by franchise holder AutoPraha Sdn Bhd, which is part of the Berjaya Group. The two models spearheading this comeback are the Octavia RS and the Superb.

The Octavia RS is the range topper of the Octavia Mk2 family, which was introduced in 2004 and facelifted in 2009. The Octavia sits on VW’s PQ35 platform, which underpins a big number of cars within the VW Group, such as the Golf Mk5, VW Scirocco, Eos and Tiguan, as well as Audi’s A3 and TT, among other models.

The Octavia RS is powered by a 2.0 TSI petrol engine with 197 hp and 280 Nm of torque (as per Golf GTI Mk5) paired to a six-speed DSG gearbox. 0-100 km/h is done in 7.2 seconds, slightly, but not much slower than a GTI.

The long standard kit list includes xenons with AFS, fog lights with cornering function, multifunction leather steering, 12-speaker and in dash 6-disc ICE system, ESP and front/side airbags. Also thrown in are the go faster bits seen here.

Moving on, the Superb is the brand’s biggest car and flagship model. Unveiled at Geneva 2008, the Superb sits on a stretched version of the platform used by the Octavia.

It has a unique five-door liftback saloon layout, with a tailgate that can open like a regular saloon boot or fully up liftback style. Skoda calls it the TwinDoor. The rear legroom is simply superb, better than some mega bucks premium badged limos. Experience to believe.

Under the hood is a 1.8 TSI with 158 hp and 250 Nm, the latter produced between 1,800 and 4,500 rpm. 0-100 km/h is done in 8.5 seconds and combined consumption is 7.6 l/100 km with a seven-speed DSG box. The kit list mirrors the long one of the Octavia RS, with added leather.

The Octavia RS costs RM188,888, while the Superb is priced at RM199,999, OTR without insurance. The Fabia RS will be joining this duo soon. Skoda’s showroom is located within Bermaz Motor’s Mazda showroom in Glenmarie.

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Automotive News China reports that Skoda will be building a new compact sedan in China in 2013, the fifth Skoda model to be built in the mainland, joining existing models such as the Fabia, the Octavia, the Superb and the Yeti.

We’re expecting the new compact sedan to be a four door sedan based on the Volkswagen Polo Sedan called the Skoda Rapid, with design cues taken from the Skoda Vision D Concept. Shown above is a rendering by Theophilus Chin on what a VW Polo Sedan with a Skoda Vision D face could look like.

Look after the jump to revisit a gallery of the Vision D.

Source

[zenphotopress number=999 album=2018]

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This could be a decent April Fool’s joke, just that it’s real. Skoda is developing a car that will break the 320 km/h barrier in the famous Bonneville Speed Week in August. Held at the Bonneville Salt Flats 145 km west of Salt Lake City in north-western Utah, it has been the spiritual home to high-speed racing for almost a century.

This project is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Skoda’s vRS performance flagship badge, and the car used is a one-off modified Octavia vRS saloon. The brand’s UK technical team at Milton Keynes has been working in secret on the racer for several months now, with the assistance of performance software and tuning outfit REVO Technik.

The factory-fresh production Octavia vRS has been given improved aerodynamics and performance. For one, the car sits almost 80 mm lower and a has a new sub-frame which houses an intercooler. The engine is a standard 2.0-litre TSI petrol unit but the standard turbo has been ditched for a more advanced unit from Garrett. Now generating up to 600 PS, and producing 26-28 PSI of boost pressure, it drinks high-octane race fuel (with water methanol mix) instead of regular unleaded.

The Octavia has to follow Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) safety regulations to take part, which means a reinforced roll cage, parachute, fire extinguishers and window cage.

The vRS is entered into the ‘2.0-litre production car’ category and will race over a nine-mile (14.5 km) straight, which includes a timed mile in the middle. Performance through that section determines the class winner.

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You can always count on the annual Volkswagen festival, the GTI-Treffen, which is held annually in Lake Wörthersee, Austria to provide a healthy blitz of unique treats, and the 30th anniversary of the event was no exception – withness the likes of the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro and the VW Golf R Cabriolet Concept as proof of that.

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Skoda wasn’t to be outdone. The company displayed a Fabia RS 2000 design concept especially prepared for the event. Using the Super 2000 rally Fabia as inspiration, the Skoda boys took a Fabia RS, lopped off the roof, slapped on some widebody arches and corresponding bits, as well as reworked the interior to come up with this topless rendition

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The kitbag for the one-off includes seating for four in individual bucket seats replete with racing harnesses, 18-inch alloys in white and a sharply sloping windscreen. Plenty of air in your hair with this one, and no one can ever accuse you of not going green with this one at that.

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Economy driving world champion Gerhard Plattner has taken a Skoda Fabia GreenLine from Austria to Denmark and back, a distance of 2,006 km, on just one 45 litre tankful of diesel. The Austrian began his journey on May 10 in Reutte, Austria, and made his way to Bov, Denmark before travelling back, mainly using Germany’s longest motorway, the A 7, for his trip.

The result means the 1.2 litre diesel-powered car achieved a record-low consumption of 2.21 litres per 100 km, a significant jump from the Europe-standardised model’s already frugal consumption of 3.4 l/100 km. The refuelling, as well as Plattner’s whole trip, were supervised by International Police Motor Corporation (IPMC), which also sealed the fuel tank before Plattner set out from Reutte.

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The latest news from India is that Skoda is planning to revive the Skoda Rapid nameplate to launch its own version of the current VW Vento (Polo Sedan) for the Indian market, as well as other related markets where a sedan version of the Skoda Fabia would be suitable.

The styling for the new Rapid is said to be derived from the Vision D Concept shown here, which first made its debut at this year’s Geneva show. The Vision D is a larger Octavia-sized car with a coupe-like roof. The Octavia is a segment larger than the Fabia.

Look after the jump for a gallery of the Vision D.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=2018]

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According to Autocar, Skoda is set to launch its version of Volkswagen’s Up! city car later this year, and this will be joined by a new small sedan that will sit in between the Fabia and Octavia.

Skoda chairman Winfried Krause confirmed the plans to introduce the two models at the company’s annual press conference, and said the City Car was to answer to the increasingly strong demand for small cars with low fuel consumption and affordable running costs.

The cars’ styling will contain design cues seen in the Vision D design concept revealed in Geneva earlier in the month, and the company adds that the vehicles will adhere to the brand’s ‘simply clever’ tagline of offering practical vehicles with oodles of space and an outstanding price to value ratio.

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Some bring concept cars, others bring new models, but Škoda has brought a new logo to Geneva. To be used globally on all models from 2012, the new logo is a more modern looking and simplified version of the old one.

The ‘Skoda Auto’ words have been removed, and the main winged arrow element is now larger. The green colour has been changed to a more vibrant ‘Skoda Green’ hue while the circle has a chrome outline. The new logo is part of a new corporate design for its outlets and materials.

Besides that, Škoda also unveiled the VisionD concept at Geneva. It’s an Octavia-sized car that shows us the brand’s future design direction. An evolution from the current look, it’s very modern but still clearly recognisable as a Škoda. The VisionD’s long wheelbase and short overhangs are a “prerequisite for successful automotive architecture” as they benefit both cabin space and, coupled with a dynamic roof line, looks.

Up front, the new logo stands out as the starting point for all contours. It intersects the horizontal line of the bonnet and sits on top of a grille that’s “unobtrusively shiny”. The headlights are reminiscent of a symbolic four-leaf clover, Škoda says. The C-shaped rear lights meanwhile have become a trademark of sorts, and is the rear section’s defining element.

More pics after the jump.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=2018]

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This is the special edition Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo, created to celebrate the 100th year of the legendary Monte Carlo Rally which happens this month. It also celebrates the brand’s 110th anniversary of participating in motorsports – yes, Skoda has been around that long!

The red Fabia is dressed up with black exterior trim on the wheel arches, roof, door mirror covers, radiator grill top, and even the 17 inch Trinity alloys. The headlamps are smoked to make them look sportier. On the inside, you can choose eitherall-black or combination red/black sport seats, a perforated leather steering wheel with red stitching, leather handbrake and gearstick gaiter with red stitching. There are also silver kick panels and steel pedals.

Skoda’s Rallye Monte Carlo entrant is the Skoda Fabia S2000, and their team did decently in 2010, finishing second, third and fifth (in class) with Hänninen, Vouilloz and Kopecký, respectively. Danny will be in Monte Carlo to cheer on our very own Proton Satria Neo S2000 rally cars, so expect some live coverage of the rally.

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Skoda Motorsport swept the 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge clean by winning both the Manufacturers’ championship and the Drivers’ title with Juho Hänninen and Mikko Markkula. The team’s other pairing of Jan Kopecký and Petr Starý were runners-up in the Drivers’ challenge, underlining Skoda’s dominance in this season’s IRC, which ended last month.

The Skoda factory team participated in 11 of this year’s 12 IRC events and won seven of them. Peugeot’s 2009 champion Kris Meeke was third in the standings. Peugeot was also a distant second in the Manufacturers’ table.

And to celebrate this achievement, VW Group’s Czech subsidiary will be releasing a limited edition Fabia RS inspired by their IRC winning Fabia S2000. Limited to 200 examples, the hot Fabia will be painted in the green livery of the rally car, with white roof and white wheels, although it looks slightly odd to these eyes without the S2000′s wide body.

The Fabia RS (or vRS in the UK), also available in wagon form for the first time, is powered by a 1.4L twincharged TSI engine with 180 bhp and 250 Nm. This is mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission for a 0-100 km/h time of 7.3 seconds. Top speed is 224 km/h.

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It appears that Berjaya Group’s Skoda sales division have brought in some units of the Skoda Superb and Skoda Octavia VRS and they are on display at Bermaz Glenmarie. Readers Kamil and Shamsir both sent in photos of the two cars today. Apparently the Octavia VRS was quoted to be priced at RM188,888, which makes it the cheapest way you can get Volkswagen’s 2.0 TSI engine in a car with a boot right now. No details on the Skoda Superb, but we do have a huge detailed photo gallery of the two cars which you can find after the jump. You can also see the Superb’s TwinDoor in action.

GALLERY: Skoda Octavia VRS thanks to Shamsir
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GALLERY: Skoda Superb thanks to Shamsir
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GALLERY: Skoda Octavia VRS thanks to Kamil
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GALLERY: Skoda Superb thanks to Kamil
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The post Skoda Superb and Skoda Octavia VRS in Bermaz Glenmarie appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.

This is something quite interesting indeed. Reader Shaikh was at Bermaz Glenmarie getting his car services when he spotted this car, completely uncovered with its bumper protectors still stuck on. It’s a Skoda Octavia VRS, which is basically the Czech marque’s take on the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

Like the Golf GTI, the Octavia VRS is powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged direct injection engine. The VRS engine makes 200 bhp and 280Nm of torque, which is about the same power levels as the Mk5 Golf GTI. Unlike the Golf, the Octavia has a boot. It still has a hatch though, making it something like a Wira Aeroback type of body.

2 transmissions are available – a manual or a DSG, both 6-speeders. The picture above is the only photo we’ve got right now so we don’t know if this is a stick shift or a twin clutch. I’m wondering if this is a one-off import or are there plans to make this a model for sale here in Malaysia. Currently the highest spec Octavia on sale here that we know of is the 200FSi, which uses a normally aspirated direct injection 2.0 litre engine. We’ve had no communication with AutoPrahar in the recent years.

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Skoda is planning a new model to fit between the compact Fabia hatchback (Polo based) and the Octavia sedan (Jetta, Golf based). The new vehicle has been given a codename of A Entry for now and the focus would be to price it affordably – around US$13,650. The new model will be aimed at lower income customers looking for a larger family car than what a typical Fabia-class vehicle would offer.

I am guessing that would only mean a new small sedan based on the Fabia platform, perhaps with the wheelbase lengthened a little. As it is, Volkswagen makes a sedan version of the Polo for certain emerging markets and calls it the Polo Classic.

When the new Polo was announced, a report claimed that Volkswagen was planning a larger “Polo Plus” and a “Polo Sedan” for the US market, as the Polo was just too small a car for American tastes. The Polo Plus was to have a price tag of US$13,000 to US$15,000. Skoda’s version can be a more budget oriented version of this Polo Plus/Polo Sedan, if it is priced “around” US$13,000 as the mid price point.

Source

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Brands that provide good value for money thrive in a weak economy where buyers want to stretch their money, which is why companies like Hyundai had a great 2009 at the expense of more established brands. Joining the Korean marque is Škoda, which sold 684,226 cars in 2009 to better its previous sales record. The figure represents a 1.4% growth over 2008.

Western Europe continues to be Škoda’s strongest market, with both sales and market share increased throughout the continent. Volkswagen’s Czech subsidiary sold over 190,000 cars in Germany, up 57.3% year-on-year. However, the Chinese market saw Škoda’s biggest jump with over 122,000 cars registered – an increase of 107%.

Worldwide, the best-selling Škoda in 2009 was the Octavia, with more than 270,000 cars sold, followed by the Fabia, of which over 260,000 were registered. The much-praised Superb recorded 45,000 units. Customers also showed plenty of interest in the new Škoda Yeti crossover which, despite only being launched in September, found over 11,000 new owners last year. The company also sold over 47,000 Roomsters worldwide.

We can understand the appeal of Škoda cars. Solidly built with VW technology and standards at a lower price, it’s a pity that they don’t have much a of presence in Malaysia.

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