• Škoda second overall in J D Power Study
• Twelfth successive year in which Škoda has been placed in the Top Five

If there was any doubt left in anyone’s mind about the resurgence of the Škoda brand, the 2007 J D Power Study of Customer Satisfaction will dispel those doubts. The results tell the story: Škoda is so highly rated by its owners that the brand has been ranked joint second in this year’s study. Škoda moved up one place from the 2006 position.

For the third time this year, Škoda achieved top ratings from its owners:

• In February, Škoda was the first-ranked brand in the UK's 2007 Top Gear magazine customer satisfaction survey.
• In March, the Škoda Octavia became the top-rated model in the 2007 Auto Express Driver Power survey, with the Škoda brand ranked second among manufacturers.

The 2007 J D Power Study marks the twelfth consecutive year that Škoda has been in the Top Five in the study, the only manufacturer to achieve such consistent, long-running great ratings by car owners.

Three of Škoda’s four models were included in the survey of respondents who have owned their cars for three years. The Fabia, Škoda’s award-winning small car, is second in the Supermini category. Škoda’s mid-size Octavia is first in the Family Car class, while the top-of-the-range Superb is rated fourth.

Škoda UK Director, Chris Craft, is delighted, but not surprised by this latest success. “Having toppled Lexus from the top spot in the Top Gear customer satisfaction survey in February, and with Octavia rated as the top car in the latest Auto Express Driver Power survey, we’re delighted with the J D Power results. We put our customers at the heart of everything we do, from the design and quality of the cars that ensures they are easy and rewarding to live with, through to our retailers who take pride in the service they provide throughout the ownership of the car. This string of fantastic ratings from our customers justifies our claim that Škoda is the Manufacturer of Happy Drivers.”

Some additional facts about the new – but century-old – Škoda brand:

• In 2006, Škoda sold over 500,000 cars throughout the world.
• Škoda sold nearly 40,000 cars in the UK in 2006, a 1.7% market share and a new annual sales record.
• There are over 400,000 Škodas on the road in the UK.
• Four model lines make up the current Škoda range:  the supermini Fabia, the Roomster compact MPV; the mid-size Octavia with its hatch, estate, sporty vRS and 4x4 Scout versions; and the top-of-the-range Superb.
• Škoda builds cars in its factories in the Czech Republic.
• Škoda also produces cars in emerging markets, for sale in those markets, including India, the Ukraine, Bosnia and Kazakhstan. Production will begin later this year in China, for the Chinese market, and in the future, in Russia, for the Russian market.
• Škoda designs and engineers its cars in its Technical Development Centre in Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, where 1,400 people work to provide Škoda’s legendary “extra bit of car” for the brand’s customers.
• Škoda has manufactured cars for over 102 years, making it one of the oldest car brands in the world. Part of the Volkswagen Automotive Group since 1991, Škoda is rated among the top in the Group for vehicle quality.
• Over 130,000 Fabias have been sold in the UK since its launch in 2000, with 1.3 million sold worldwide.  The 500,000th Octavia since its launch in 2004 was built in April 2007.
• A stunning new Superb will be launched in 2008.