Skoda Auto, the Czech automaker subsidiary of Volkswagen and recipient of quality VW parts such as VW alternators, --- will be presenting the Octavia designed for the local market in China at the International Motor Show in Shanghai. The engine portfolio for the Octavia that would be presented in Shanghai includes the supercharged 1.8 TSI/118 kW, the 1.6 MPI/75 kW, and the 2.0 FSI/110 kW.

The company will be presenting one of its oldest products that have appeared in 1906 at the Prague Motor Show and for this year it will once again exhibit the Laurin & Klement Voiturette A at the Shanghai Motor Show.

Aside from the Octavia, the Czech automaker will also present some of its other vehicles namely the Octavia RS, the Octavia Scout and the Superb L&K. And to show its long years of support to the Tour de France, the company will introduce a Skoda Superb vehicle that is custom-fitted to meet the needs of the organizers of the famous cycling competition.

The agreement on the joint venture between Skoda Auto and Shanghai Volkswagen was signed on April 11, 2005. Then last march 2006, SVW Skoda has officially started building its sales as well as its maintenance organization. And for this year, specifically last March 28, 2007 the company has officially launched the first of the new exclusive SVW Skoda dealership that meets up with the brand's worldwide standards. The production of the Skoda Octavia in Shanghai would start in the middle of this year. The production of the Fabia together with the Superb model lines are to follow later on.

The production in China is just one of the cornerstones of Skoda's expansion program that includes other assembly project sin Ukraine, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, and Herzegovina and later on in Russia. The execution of the growth strategy in China is a vital part of the plan to establish Skoda as an international brand or as a large-volume manufacturer.

For its medium-term plans, the Czech automaker is expecting to sell over 100,000 vehicles a year to customers in China after obtaining the full capacity of its Shanghai plant and after launching the production of all three model lines that were scheduled for production in China.

Skoda Auto was able to sell 549,667 vehicles last 2006 and significantly surpassed the previous estimated half million vehicles that are to be produced last year. Comparing this figure to 2005 the sales went up by 11.7 percent making the 2006 as the most profitable year in the entire history of the Skoda brand.

500,000^th Skoda Octavia built...

The Skoda Auto plant based in Mlada Boleslay has been able to produce the 500,000^th Skoda Octavia which is the Czech automaker's best-selling model line at present. The 500,000^th Octavia is a silver RS with potent 2.0 TFSI petrol engine.

It can be remembered that the new-generation Skoda Octavia was launched in the spring of 2004. This was followed by the production of the Octavia Combi and Octavia Combi 4x4 that were produced in the autumn of the following year, 2005. The model portfolio was extended with the Skoda Octavia RS and Skoda Octavia Combi RS---both family sports cars. For this year, Skoda has extended the Octavia line with the leisure time Octavia Scout.

The popularity of the Octavia is translated in the sales results that the company obtains. Likewise, the new-generation Skoda Octavia was also awarded as the Car of the Year for 2005 in the Czech Republic. The Octavia was also awarded car of the year in other countries like Finland, Lithuania, Great Britain, Bosnia, and Bulgaria.

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