SKODA UK Wins Two Awards At Fleet World Honours

ŠKODA UK voted ‘Most Improved Manufacturer’ at prestigious ceremony ‘Best Estate Car’ title for Octavia model

MILTON KEYNES - May 20, 2014: ŠKODA UK has won two awards at this year’s Fleet World Honours for the second year in a row. During the prestigious ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall, London, which recognises innovation, quality and sustainability within the sector, ŠKODA UK was crowned the ‘Most Improved Manufacturer’ and collected the ‘Best Estate’ title for the fourth consecutive year, this time for the Octavia model.

The judging panel, which is formed by experts from the publication’s editorial team as well as representatives from leasing companies and fleet data providers, voted ŠKODA the ‘Most Improved Manufacturer’ in recognition of its growing presence and positive impact within the sector during the last 12 months.

In that time, ŠKODA UK has expanded its team of fleet specialists at its head office and in the regions, increased the number of dedicated Business Centres within the retailer network and launched the new SE Business vehicle range which has been tailored specifically to the needs of company car drivers.

Praising ŠKODA for its achievements, Steve Moody, Editor of Fleet World explained: The ‘Most Improved Fleet Manufacturer’ is an award that ŠKODA has been threatening to win for a number of years with its phenomenal growth in fleet. It has finally clinched it thanks to the increased sales team, business-specific models, a hardening residual value position and the improvement in its business centre network.”

Continuing ŠKODA’s winning streak for the last three years, the third-generation Octavia was named ‘Best Estate Car’. The model took the title thanks to its exceptional combination of all-round space (Up to 1,740 litres with the seats down) and affordability. This is complemented by a choice of highly efficient engines with emissions as low as 99g/km and fuel consumption as high as 74.3 mpg.

Steve Moody added: “Estates are all about good old-fashioned practicality and nothing achieves that with such panache as the new Octavia. The SE Business and vRS diesel models are selling really well in fleet and you have a great value, genuinely useful car for job-need and user chooser drivers.”

Patrick McGillycuddy, Head of Fleet, ŠKODA UK said: “We are very pleased to have been recognised by industry leaders as the manufacturer that has made the most significant progress during the past year. We have taken large steps to grow our team, brand presence and model line-up for company car drivers and our ever increasing market share within fleet demonstrates that this strategy is clearly paying off.”

He adds: “The first half of this year has so far seen very strong demand for the Octavia Estate from fleet users, particularly now that it is available as part of the SE Business range. We are delighted that we can add yet another award to this model’s rapidly expanding trophy cabinet.”