Sales growth by Europe's biggest automaker, Volkswagen, eased slightly in August as global car markets soften, VW figures released on Friday showed.

The group of 10 car brands from Audi and Bentley through Porsche to Skoda and VW sold 545,500 vehicles last month, a year-on-year increase of 11.2 percent a statement said.

But the global pace of growth was slightly slower, easing to 13.4 percent from January through August for total sales of 4.70 million vehicles worldwide.

www.france24.com | 9/10/10 11:06 AM

Skoda Game On and grabaseat could be flying you to watch the Phoenix take on Sydney from the best seats in the house: the Chairman's Lounge! tvnz.co.nz | 8/27/10 10:18 PM

Car maker Skoda Auto will suspend production at its plant of Mlada Boleslav and partly also in Vrchlabi on Thursday from 2:00 p.m. because it lacks some car parts, the company's spokesman Jaroslav Cerny told CTK.

www.topix.net | 8/12/10 8:55 AM

Freddy Loix's bid to make it two Intercontinental Rally Challenge wins from two starts is on track after he and co-driver Frederic Miclotte completed the opening leg of Rali Vinho Madeira with a lead of 21.1s in their factory Skoda Fabia Super 2000 Facelift.

www.topix.net | 8/8/10 4:17 PM

1:00pm: TRIATHLON tvnz.co.nz | 7/29/10 10:51 PM

Zambia national soccer team captain, Christopher Katongo has signed a three-year contract with Greek top Division club Skoda Xanthi, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Monday. Katongo has moved from German club Arminia Bielefeld which was last season relegated in the second division. The Zambian captain said he was happy about his move, adding that he signed the deal last Wednesday. "I will be playing as a midfielder. I have started training, but I have to go back to Germany to sort out ... english.people.com.cn | 7/19/10 10:26 PM

July 19, 2010: Skoda Auto is celebrating 85 years since its merger with Skoda Plzen through which it acquired its today's name, as well as its winged-arrow logo.

www.topix.net | 7/19/10 12:50 PM

Sales for Volkswagen unit Skoda Auto rose 15 per cent year-on-year to a record 378,747 cars in the first half, boosted by sales to China and Germany, the Czech carmaker said on Friday. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 7/16/10 9:00 AM

On the show this Sunday former All Black captain Stu Wilson takes on South African TV's sideline superstar following the opening Tri Nations test and Rod and Noah find out if they're masculine enough to make the men's gymnastics team. tvnz.co.nz | 7/8/10 10:03 PM

Sheffield United are in the hunt for a new left-back following the departure of Jordan Stewart to Greek club Skoda Xanthi.

www.topix.net | 6/22/10 4:52 PM

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows, Skoda

It's no secret that we're fans of the Škoda Fabia S2000 rally car. The good news for us Europeans is that VW's Czech brand has decided to integrate some of that racing DNA (at least appearance-wise) into a Fabia RS model scheduled to debut at Wörthersee 2010.

This is Škoda's first visit to the big GTI gathering, and they've obviously come prepared. A green roof and alloys aping those used on the S2000 racer are the Fabia RS's showcase elements, along with a brutal lower front lip, smoked glass all around, darkened chrome work, a rear spoiler, and side skirts. The Fabia RS joins Volkswagen goodies like the Golf GTI Adidas, which will also be formally unveiled, and it will be on display from May 14-16.

[Source: Autoweek.nl (translated )]

Škoda Fabia RS to debut at Wörthersee 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 May 2010 13:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 5/9/10 6:08 PM

FREMONT, Calif. & READING, England -- -- SGI , a global leader in HPC and data center solutions, today announced that Skoda Auto a.s., one of Europe's best known car companies and daughter company of the VW Group, the world's leading manufacturer of automobiles, has selected SGI Altix ICE to augment its computer-aided engineering system.

www.topix.net | 4/4/10 9:01 AM

Bharat Stage (BS) IV emission norms will kick in today, kicking out the iconic Maruti 800, and Skoda's popular Octavia and Fabia (petrol), besides other cars as they no longer fit the bill. www.dnaindia.com | 3/31/10 8:19 PM

&$ &$United Arab Emirates driver Rashed Al Ketbi and his Co-driver Khalid al kendi compete in their Skoda Fabia S 2000 during the Kuwait International Rally 2010, Super special final stage in Kuwait City on March 6, 2010. (Xinhua/Noufal Ibrahim)&$&$&$ 【1】 【2】 english.people.com.cn | 3/7/10 11:53 AM

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Hatchback, Skoda

In just a little bit now there's going to be a party in Switzerland called the Geneva Motor Show , and Škoda is in on the BYOB action. The Czech brand will show off the facelifted Fabia, Fabia Estate and Roomster, along with their new engines. Both models get new grilles and so-called "3D-shaped headlamps" for "a more dynamic look" and to emphasize the width of the cars.

The power behind those new horizontals will be a new engine portfolio of four gas-powered units and two diesels that start at 60 horsepower and top out at 105. One of those gas engines, the 1.2-liter TSI with 105 hp, runs through a 7-speed DSG 'box and returns 53.3 imperial miles per gallon (44.4 U.S. mpg). Follow the jump for the complete specs, and have a look at the two cars in the photos below.



[Source: Škoda]

Continue reading Refreshed Skoda Fabia and Roomster revealed ahead of Geneva

Refreshed Skoda Fabia and Roomster revealed ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 3/1/10 12:16 AM

Skoda is taking a Devon vicar's car to Milton Keynes to be repaired after he posted a video on You Tube complaining about its service. news.bbc.co.uk | 2/19/10 7:55 PM

The Tea Party movement rose to prominence in the summer of 2009 when members mobilized at town hall meetings to express anger over President Obama's proposals. Mark Skoda, founder of the Memphis Tea Party movement, and Ron Elving, NPR's senior Washington editor, discuss the organization and its goals for the 2010 mid-term elections. www.npr.org | 2/1/10 6:00 PM

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Dodge, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Pontiac, Saab, Misc. Auto Shows, Peugeot, Canada, Skoda

This week's bag of news is all about cars, cars and cars. Was anyone else aware that the Canadians know a thing or two about tuning Lamborghinis? That's a new one on us. Peugeot and Dodge have new logos, and the Pugs have a new, Ratatouille-esque commercial that involves a blender, a bicycle and a three-wheeled car. The as-yet-unveiled Nissan Patrol Safari gets caught with its doors open, and a bespoke Ferrari, the P450 Superfast Aperta, gets introduced in Florida. It's a little odd. And when some Mercedes engineers get a prototype SL Coupe stuck in the snow and it takes two other Mercedes' to rescue it, let's just say a good time was had by all. Except the Mercedes engineers. Finally, back to those Canadians, while those first lads will get crazy money for their wares, another Canuck wants crazy money for a 1975 Pontiac. Must be the weather. Follow the jump for the feast.

Continue reading The Autoblog Weekender: Motley Fools edition

The Autoblog Weekender: Motley Fools edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 1/30/10 2:00 AM

GM said that it would give owners of Toyota cars and trucks 1,000 dollars or free financing if they buy one of the US firm's models. Maruti Eeco | Tata Aria | Skoda Yeti

economictimes.indiatimes.com | 1/27/10 10:58 PM

Tiny Dutch sportscar maker Spyker clinched a last-minute deal to buy Sweden's Saab for $400 million. Nissan sports vehicle 370Z | Skoda Yeti | Tata Aria | Toyota Etios

economictimes.indiatimes.com | 1/26/10 8:00 PM

A spokesman said the departure of David Smith was not linked to the breakdown of talks between management and unions. Nissan 370Z | Skoda Yeti | Tata Aria

economictimes.indiatimes.com | 1/26/10 12:00 PM

Skoda will focus on consolidating its position as a provider of value for quality. Skoda currently sells four models in India Superb, Octavia, Laura and Fabia. VW Jetta

economictimes.indiatimes.com | 1/24/10 6:18 AM

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Detroit Auto Show, Motorsports, Spy Photos, Geneva Motor Show, Videos, Mini, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Skoda

Welcome to another edition of the Weekender. The Friday goods this week come from all over the world: Formula 1 drifting on ice in Montreal, an underwater Dodge Ram in Argentina, Skodas in Monte Carlo, a Hot Tub Edition Mini in New York, and free tickets to the Chicago Auto Show .

The domestic front also brings us a Fast Company profile of Volkswagen Group of America's head honcho Stefan Jacoby, which includes him admitting, "It was clear we were not understanding of our customers. We needed to change our style in the U.S., as we are a very stubborn bureaucratic German company - and German management - to some extent. I am here to listen."

And then there was all that singing and dancing at the Detroit Auto Show , but Beyoncé provided the lyrics this time, not the Chevy Volt marketing team. Follow the jump to get your weekend fill.

Continue reading The Autoblog Weekender: Mobs in Detroit, motorsport in Monte Carlo, and the Führer has words for Ken Block

The Autoblog Weekender: Mobs in Detroit, motorsport in Monte Carlo, and the Führer has words for Ken Block originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 1/23/10 12:31 AM

Finland's two-time world rally championship runner-up Mikko Hirvonen won the Monte Carlo Rally after leading from start to finish in the IRC opener.

The 29-year-old Fiesta Ford driver - winner of 11 Rallys on the superior level World Rally Championship (WRC) circuit - won by nearly two minutes over compatriot Juho Hanninen, driving a Skoda, while Frenchman Nicolas Vouilloz was third in another Skoda.

www.france24.com | 1/23/10 12:05 AM

Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen group, is expected to change the market positioning of its Fabia compact car by rolling out cheaper variants ahead of the launch of Volkswagen Polo hatchback. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 1/21/10 7:13 PM

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Hatchback, Audi, Design/Style

We knew Audi had its eyes on the Mini with the imminent arrival of the A1 premium hatchback , but we didn't know just how closely they'd be following (or besting) the formula until Audi released a few more details on its new compact hatch.

According to the project's exterior designer Jurgen Loffler, the Audi A1 - earmarked for release next month ahead of its anticipated Geneva Motor Show debut - will be available in "a variety of colors, regardless of the body color of the car." Now that's taking the fight to the Mini, which can be ordered with a roof painted white, black, or the same color as the body, not to mention the host of roof graphics the Cooper available.

While Alfa Romeo doesn't offer such an option on its Mini-rivaling MiTo sport-hatch, Citroen notably does with its DS3 . That's to say nothing of similar retro touches on the Skoda Fabia and Toyota FJ Cruiser . Looks like the Mini's trademark white roof won't be alone for long. Make the jump for Audi's official video on the design.

Continue reading Audi A1 to take on the white roof with multi-color options [w/video]

Audi A1 to take on the white roof with multi-color options [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 1/18/10 8:28 PM

Half-a-dozen new vehicles are planned over the next 18 months, starting from the Rs 8 lakh price point and running up to Rs 1 crore. Skoda Yeti | Tata Aria | Toyota Etios

economictimes.indiatimes.com | 1/18/10 6:20 AM

The new launches include vehicles from the stable of Tata Motors, Toyota, Skoda, BMW, Mercedes, Renault, Mahindra and Jaguar, all of who plan to hit the road with a new set of big wheels as demand remains buoyant and outlook only improves with the revival in the economy. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 1/17/10 11:49 PM

www.thehindu.com | 1/16/10 11:45 PM

Kasab was lying to court when he said he was not in the Skoda on 26/11, said the D B Marg police who captured the Pak gunman from the vehicle that he and his partner Abu Ismail had ‘‘appropriated’’ on 26/11. timesofindia.indiatimes.com | 12/18/09 11:22 PM

Munich - The German tuning firm Cobra Technology & Lifestyle is offering a special package for the Skoda Yeti compact www.monstersandcritics.com | 12/9/09 11:01 AM

Volkswagen AG plans to double the number of workers at its new factory in India to 2,500 by the end of next year as Europe's biggest carmaker aims to take on Suzuki Motor Corp and Nissan Motor Co. The plant, located in Chakan, near the western city of Pune, employs about 1,200 people, Ulrich Proske, finance chief of VW's Indian unit, said in an interview. The 580 million euro ($860 million) factory started building the Skoda unit's Fabia hatchback in May and will begin making VW's Polo this ... english.people.com.cn | 12/9/09 6:16 AM

Filed under: Motorsports, Subaru

After only a one-year hiatus, Subaru is preparing to get back into the rally game next season. And when it does, it won't be back into the World Rally Championship, but rather the rival Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

The Japanese automaker has competed in the IRC since its inception - and even won the very first IRC stage in 2007 - but was not previously registered as an official manufacturer in the series. Rather than field its own works team, however, Subaru will supply cars to privateers, but will be eligible to score points in the manufacturers' standings for 2010.

With the addition of Subaru, that makes eight automakers signed up to compete in the series next year, along with Fiat /Abarth, Honda , Mitsubishi , Peugeot , Proton , Skoda and Volkswagen . Follow the jump for the full press release.



[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Subaru returns to rallying for 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge

Subaru returns to rallying for 2010 Intercontinental Rally Challenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 12/7/09 3:00 PM

Reviews of Itzhak Perlman and the New York Philharmonic, Paul Badura-Skoda and the Mendelssohn String Quartet.

www.nytimes.com | 12/6/09 10:23 PM

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen

It can be a bit overwhelming when every magazine and their various editions pick their own Car of the Year each annum. Fortunately, the Europeans have it together. Literally.

Every year, seven of the continent's biggest car mags - each from a different country and in a different language - get together and jointly choose the European Car of the Year. The process is exhaustive, first identifying the candidates in the summer, then whittling it down to a shortlist of nominees in the fall before selecting their one winner for the year in the winter. And with temperatures dropping everywhere on this side of the equator and the new year fast approaching, the time has come once again.

For 2010, the jurists have selected the new Volkswagen Polo as their Car of the Year. The fifth-gen VW hatch beat out some stiff competition from the Citroen C3 Picaso, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Opel/Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti and Toyota iQ. It was a close race, the Toyota coming in a narrow second with 337 points to the Polo's 347. The Astra took third place by a wide margin at 221 points.

It's the first time a Volkswagen has won the award in some 17 years and only the second time Wolfsburg's taken the prize home in the forty-five years since the jury first sat. Sister company Audi has also won the award twice (for the 1973 Audi 80 and 1983 Audi 100), and Porsche once (for the 1978 Porsche 928).



[Source: CarOfTheYear.org]

Volkswagen Polo named 2010 European Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 11/30/09 6:30 PM

Filed under: Renault, Russia

All eyes have been on Renault since acquiring a 25% stake in Russian automaker Avtovaz. The French carmaker headed by the venerable Carlos Ghosn beat out Fiat and General Motors to acquire the interest in Lada's parent company, but then the economy tanked and Ghosn was left holding his hat .

Original plans centered around new product launches to re-invigorate the Russian automaker, starting with the Concept C unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show . But Renault has reportedly now changed its strategy, putting new Ladas on hold. Instead, they'll be showing the Ruskies how to build the cars they already build, but better. The plan is apparently taken out of the Volkswagen playbook, as implemented after the German group's acquisition of Skoda, which has apparently been working pretty well for them so far.

The focus of Renault's attention in Russia will start on the existing Kalina, applying lessons which "the West learned over 40 years" on a quicker learning curve. Once Ghosn and company feel Avtovaz has got the quality issue down pat, then it will begin to roll out new products based on Renault and Nissan platforms, currently pegged for somewhere around 2012 to 2014. Better hunker down, comrades: this could take a while.



[Source: Autocar ]

REPORT: Renault delays new Lada products to focus on improving quality originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 11/25/09 2:28 PM

Filed under: China, Hatchback, Misc. Auto Shows

The last new MG was the MGF sportscar way back in 1995, and oh, what a difference 14 years makes. The MG6 is the first new MG by the company's new owner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), and they've chosen a four-door liftback for their coming out party. About the size of a VW Golk/Skoda Octavia , the MG6 will be powered by either a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre four-cylinder with 133 brake horsepower and 135 pound-feet of torque, or a turbocharged 1.8-liter with 160 bhp and 158 lb-ft. Shifting is said to be via five-speed automatic.

The MG 6 will go on sale in China first, but it has reportedly been engineered to meet global safety standards and is expected to be exported. SAIC hasn't given any numbers or even locations for export yet, but the company president said they plan to produce it in the UK by the end of next year.



[Source: Autoblog China (translated )]

SAIC-owned MG launches MG 6, first all-new car in 14 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 11/24/09 12:00 AM

German Auto giant Volkswagen Group has unveiled an ambitious strategy called "Strive to Win" to more than triple its sales in south China from 150,000 units to half a million annually, China Daily reported Monday. Volkswagen Group China, together with its two joint ventures - Shanghai Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen will work to increase market share for the Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda brands, which together had 12 percent of the entire south China market last year, said the newspaper. To e ... english.people.com.cn | 11/23/09 2:35 AM

German Auto giant Volkswagen Grouphas unveiled an ambitious strategy called "Strive to Win" to more than triple its sales in south China from 150,000 units to half a million annually, China Daily reported Monday. Volkswagen Group China, together with its two joint ventures - Shanghai Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen will work to increase market share for the Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda brands, which together had 12 percent of the entire south China market last year, said the newspaper. ... english.people.com.cn | 11/23/09 1:35 AM

Filed under: Europe

You'd expect the European Car of the Year contest to be stacked mainly with European cars, of course, if not cars from around the world that are sold in Europe. But this year, the fight is being waged almost exclusively between European cars that we don't even get on this side of the Atlantic.

The candidates for the 2010 awards were announced back in June , but that's basically just a list of eligible vehicles. Now the panel of automotive journalists from across the old continent have picked their seven nominees among from which the final winner will be selected. Those up for the prize are the Citroen C3 Picasso, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Opel/Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti, Toyota iQ and Volkswagen Polo. The iQ is the only non-European product on stage, and the Mercedes the only car among the finalists even currently available in the North American market. That's definitely a bummer, but even without us, we expect the winner to be announced by the end of the month.

[Source: CaroftheYear.org ]

2010 European Car of the Year nominees announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 11/5/09 7:20 PM

SkodaAuto India reported 98 per cent jump in its October sales at 1,753 units as against 887 in the same month last year. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 11/1/09 3:51 PM

Filed under: Europe, Skoda, Design/Style

Buyers overseas have plenty of good reasons to opt for a Skoda. Compared with the Volkswagens on which they're based, the Czech versions tend to be both more spacious and more affordable. But one thing they're not - or historically haven't been, at least - is stylish, the ho-hum designs generally appealing to more conservative buyers than their German or Spanish counterparts. But that's all about to change. At least it will if the company's design chief Karl Neuhold has his way.

The designer behind the new Superb - an innovative and elegant take on the Volkswagen Passat - says that future Skodas will be "more avant-garde [that] will make you feel well-dressed," while still incorporating the spaciousness and value that the brand has come to embody underneath the VW Group umbrella. Next up the Skoda pipeline is a replacement for the aging Octavia - essentially a bigger version of the Volkswagen Jetta - so we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for you.



[Source: Autocar ]

Czech it Out: Skoda reportedly to make future designs "more avant-garde" originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 10/22/09 11:31 AM

CHENNAI: SkodaAuto India, in association with CarWale.com has launched ‘Fabia online sales project’. Three variants of Skoda Fabia can now be booked over the Internet. The objective is to make car buying a hassle-free and ... www.thehindu.com | 10/19/09 8:07 PM

When Yang Xiaotang, a fashion magazine editor living in Beijing, started her online shopping life five years ago, little did she imagine that one day she would buy a car with just few clicks on a website. "It is an easy and simple mode for people who have access to computers and Internet, and also an indication that we are living in a modern society," said Yang who just ordered a Skoda Fabia online. In recent years, with the popularization and development of the Internet, online shopping h ... english.people.com.cn | 9/15/09 12:58 AM